I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Android BBQ in Austin and asked at one of the seminars what the developers and the rest of the folks in the room thought about the upcoming release of the Windows 7 Phone. Â Basically everyone roared with laughter and had outright dismissed Microsoft with shouts of “KIN” and “Zune”.
Once things died down I wanted to clarify that they would have to pry my EVO from my cold, dead hands, but some things to consider with this new Windows 7 Phone OS:
- It’s going to be on every major carrier
- All the high-end manufacturers will be launching phones for it (HTC, Samsung, LG…)
- Microsoft will NOT just give up a share of the business market. With RIM falling, this OS looks like it could pick up the slack.
- What kid wouldn’t like to be able to sync with their XBOX 360 like this phone can?
- ZuneHD interface built in? It puts all Android media players to shame.
- Also – keep in mind – while folks with Apple computers at home tend to stay with Apple phones, people with PCs now have a legitimate high-end device they can go to besides Android now.
These are just some of the things that, to be honest, concern me more than the iPhone. The iPhone – yeah it’s a nice device, but it’s static and only changes once a year and has one design and right now one carrier. The Windows 7 Phone – that could theoretically put a dent in the Android market share.
I am anxious to see what Gingerbead brings to the table, and if Google brings the reputed updates to the Marketplace at that time. Hopefully the increased competition will make things even better. To be honest, disliking Apple is too easy. A new competitor in the mobile arena will definitely liven things up quite a bit.
Now if Microsoft does buy Adobe – all bets are off:
