It is now or never for Windows Phone 7

InformationWeek reports that the share of Microsoft in the US mobile phone market has gone down 38% since Windows Phone 7 launched last year. When Windows Phone 7 was launched last year, Windows Mobile held 8% of the US smartphone market. As of the end of June 2011, the combined share of Windows Mobile and Windows Phone 7 is down to 5.8%.

HTC has done the most among all manufacturers to promote Windows Phone 7. How long will it continue.

With no information of global sales of Windows Phone 7 devices, we looked at Statcounters GlobalStats which records mobile phone usage by recording how many webpages tracked by Statcounter are visited by different mobile devices. For the month of June 2011, Windows Phone 7 was recorded as being used by just a bit over 1/4th of one percent of all users.

At the same time, Nokia was toppled from its spot as the top maker of smartphones, falling from first to third, behind Apple and Samsung.

While Nokia's adoption of Windows Phone 7 is supposed to give impetus to the Windows Phone 7 operating system, Nokia is taking a long time to launch its first Windows Phone 7 device. For some reason or other, Nokia took the time to release its MeeGo powered Nokia N9, which is apparently a one-off device.  Nokia would have better spent its time launching a Windows Phone 7 device. Not that there is anything wrong with MeeGo, but it does not seem to make sense for Nokia to launch a platform that is is abandoning after a single phone. 

With each passing day, a Windows Mobile or Symbian use migrates to Apple's iOS, Google's Android or even RIM's BlackBerry OS. A new iPhone (or maybe two) is expected in the next two months, and a new Ice Cream powered Google Nexus phone is expected soon after that. It will be harder for Windows Phone 7 to gain traction after that.

If Windows Phone 7 is to make a serious stab at the market, Q3 of 2011 is when it has to make its move, and that move is really for Nokia to release a Windows Phone 7 device. The OS is ready and the available apps are sufficient. If the new alliance does not, Windows Phone 7 market share may be so small, and Nokia's clout in the market might be so diminished that it really wont matter anymore.

READ MORE - It is now or never for Windows Phone 7

Where is Apple's Mac OSX headed?

There have been conflicting rumors about where Apple's Mac OSX is headed. One line is that Mac OSX is going to wind up in a tablet, a new soon to be released Apple iPad Pro. The newly released Mac OSX Lion does look like it was designed with touchscreen in mind. The other line is Apple's MacBooks will move from from Intel's x86-32 and x86-64 to the ARM architecture. The third is that touchscreen will be coming to the MacBook.

Apple could build tablet with keyboards, like traditional Windows Tablets which are useful to certain degrees, and could become popular if Apple can find a way to cut down on the weight. Or it could simply be bringing touchscreen functionality to laptops and desktops. Typing this on my laptop, I am not sure I would rather use a touchscreen to navigate rather than the touch-pad. Touchscreen laptops and desktop, is possible, but it wont be a game changer.  

The other possibility Apple makes a Mac OSX tablet. Mac OSX to a tablet is not the hardest part, but the interface of software designed to run on Mac OSX would have to be redesigned. Creating new ecosystems for new hardware is something that Apple has done successfully twice, first with the iPhone than the iPad.

The other possibility, is that Mac OSX could be approaching end-of-life. Moving the MacBook line-up to iOS and ARM is possible, as ARM processors are getting more and more powerful by the year. With iOS running instead of Mac OSX, ARM processors should be more sufficient and more efficient in terms of power. This would mean having to expand the iOS app ecosystem to include devices with keyboards. The main advantage the Windows has over Mac OSX is available software. Expanding the iOS ecosystem may be easier than convincing Windows software providers to make Mac OSX version of their software. This would also move MacBook's into their walled garden. This would be a real game changer. I am betting on the third.

I have posted this on the Mac section of my favorite Laptop Forum. Am curious to find out what the other think. Your comments, or criticism,  would be welcome too.

READ MORE - Where is Apple's Mac OSX headed?

Picking a smartphone by form factor

Picking a smartphone can be though these days. There are more options than ever. One way to go about it is by deciding what is the best smartphone form factor for you? When I used to use my mainly phone for calls, SMS, email, editing documents and following Twitter feeds, a physical QWERTY keyboard with a decent sized 2.4 to 2.6 inch screen was a my favorite option.

Today, we use our smartphones to do much more. With larger screens, we are more likely to browse the web, edit photo's, play games, watch video's and social networking has evolved into a multimedia experience. To enjoy this expanded functionality a larger screen goes a long way to improving the experience. Apple chose the 3.5-inch screen size. Google's Android designs started with 3.2-inch screens, than 3.7-inch screens, and now the Google Nexus S is using a 4-inch screen with current Android flagships sporting screens as large as 4.3-inches. Windows Phone 7 devices range from 3.7-inches to 4.3 inches. To make room for the larger screens, two approaches were taken:

1. Get rid of the physical keyboard.
2. Use a slide out keyboard.

The QWERTY messenger. If you are a proficient touch typist, a virtual keyboard wont allow you to type as fast as a gold old fashion phyical QWERTY keyboard. Word prediction technology will get you by, so if you really have no plans of going beyond call, SMS and email, a physical QWERTY bar phone like a BlackBerry Curve or Bold, would still be a viable option. BlackBerry's push email is still the best email on a phone option.

Nokia makes some really nice QWERTY messenger phones, but this is a thing soon to be in their past, while BlackBerry will probably be supporting this form factor for a long time to come. If you decide on a touchscreen later, RIM will be ready to supply you a familiar looking device sans the keypad.

There really is no Apple iOS option in this category and Android on a small screen is not a great option.

In sum, if you want a QWERTY messenger phone, go with a BlackBerry.

The slide out keyboard. If you like slider phones, RIM has its Torch. There are several Android phones made by HTC, Motoral and Samsung which will combine a large screen and keyboard. There are even some Windows Phone 7 offering available. Android is a much better touchscreen OS than RIM's OS 6. We will have to wait and see how good RIM's OS 7 is. Android will have a much larger market share, and consequently, apps market.

In sum, if you want a sliding keyboard phone, go with a Android.

Pure touchscreen. The most common form factor for smartphones today is the pure touchscreen phone. Apple's iPhone is always a good choice. It is fast, stable (but 3rd party apps can crash) and has the biggest app market in the world. There are several subjective reasons you may not want an iPhone:

1. You only have one option on screen size, 3.5-inches, if you want something bigger on a phone, you cannot get it from Apple. 
2. Informative home screen. If you came from Windows Mobile, Symbian or BlackBerry, you might find the feature of being able to have your next appointment displayed on the home screen, or a large clock or some other informational widget. iPhone do not have widgets.
3. Cost is another factor. In the US with carrier subsidies an iPhone is pretty inexpensive. It costs a bit more in other countries. If you go prepaid it can be terribly expensive.
   

If the three reasons above apply to you (in my case it was all three), Android is a good option. 

Windows Phone 7 is viable, but I would wait and see what the future hold for Windows Phone 7. I think Windows Phone 7 may have been more successful if they launched to OS with mid-level phones.

READ MORE - Picking a smartphone by form factor

Nokia's president says Windows Phone 7 to make iOS and Android look outdated

Phone Arena interviewed Nokia president and head of North American operations who said Windows Phone 7 to make iOS and Android look outdated. Bold words for a mobile operating system with a less than 2% market share, but Mr. Weber is correct. Apple's iOS and Google's Android look like a computer desktop operating system designer designed their interface. One is an a launcher, the other is an app launcher with widgets. Pressing Menu on your Android is like pressing the Windows key on your PC. 

Microsoft to its credit, came up with something different. The interface looks like a website, where you basically pan around with visual queues telling you which way you should go. Back in February, when I was looking for a new smartphone, I dismissed iOS for lack of an informative home screen. It is not essential to a phone, but coming from Windows Mobile and Symbian it is something I am used to an like. Android widgets allowed me to build the home screen I wanted. Windows Phone 7, well it was something I never imagined but after a few minutes of using it, all I could say was WOW. Powerful, with a good control on how much information to display to the user at a given time.

In the end I went the way of Android. I felt it was too early to jump to the Windows Phone 7 bandwagon. Now with over 25,000 apps (I mean how many do you really need, I use about 50 of the 250,000+ that Android has). Also, from a hardware standpoint, the cheapest Windows Phone 7 option available to me at the time was the 3.7-inch HTC 7 Mozart, which was priced at about the same as the 4.3-inch HTC Desire HD. If I was buying one today, with the Mozart being priced 15% lower the the Desire HD, I might opt for the Mozart. Than there is Gmail. I like Android Gmail app, more than using MS Exchange.

Unless Windows Phone 7 dies, there is a better than even chance, my next phone will be a HTC Windows Phone 7 device. Windows Phone 7 is far from the leaders, but if you are buying a smartphone give it a good look. 

READ MORE - Nokia's president says Windows Phone 7 to make iOS and Android look outdated

The smartphone wars

Apple has recently intensive its efforts to stop the progress of the Android operating system, this time though not through the release of new products or promotions but in legal action in the United States and Australia. Microsoft too seems to have it sights set on Google's Android. We have seen software patent wars before, and we will see than again in the future.

iOS. WMPowerUser has data from Market Research company Kantar World Panel on smartphone sales in seven countries. The data gives us some insight on why Apple and Microsoft might be a bit nervous. Apple is winning in the battle of profitability, but loosing ground in market share. Comparing figures from the last the 12 week period ending July 2010 and the same period in 2011, it would seem that the iPhone share in smartphone sales is actually slipping in three of the countries.

Great Britain

12 weeks ending July 2010 - 25.3%

12 weeks ending July 2011 - 20.2%

Germany

12 weeks ending July 2010 - 24.6%

12 weeks ending July 2011 - 20.0%

France

12 weeks ending July 2010 - 33.1%

12 weeks ending July 2011 - 20.3%

I would think in part, the slide in sales could be the delay of the release of  a new iPhone.

Market share in smartphone sales has increased in four of the countries.

United States

12 weeks ending July 2010 - 20.4%

12 weeks ending July 2011 - 28.6%

Australia

12 weeks ending July 2010 - 32.9%

12 weeks ending July 2011 - 39.2%

Italy

12 weeks ending July 2010 - 13.4%

12 weeks ending July 2011 - 22.0%

Spain

12 weeks ending July 2010 - 3.9%

12 weeks ending July 2011 - 7.1%

All in all, absent a new phone things are looking pretty good for Apple's iPhone.

Android. The problem is Android is on a tear.

Great Britain

12 weeks ending July 2010 - 18.6%

12 weeks ending July 2011 - 48.8%

Germany

12 weeks ending July 2010 - 4.8%

12 weeks ending July 2011 - 44.3%

France

12 weeks ending July 2010 - 19.7%

12 weeks ending July 2011 - 41.0%

United States

12 weeks ending July 2010 - 24.2%

12 weeks ending July 2011 - 57.0%

Australia

12 weeks ending July 2010 - 4.7%

12 weeks ending July 2011 - 38.0%

Italy

12 weeks ending July 2010 - 1.3%

12 weeks ending July 2011 - 27.6%

Spain

12 weeks ending July 2010 - 10.7%

12 weeks ending July 2011 - 47.9%

Apple iPhone's are selling well, but overall more Android phones are being sold. This is not really much of a surprise for us since the available iPhone's the 3GS and 4 would only cater to the higher end market, while Android phones range from entry level smartphones to iPhone challengers.

Symbian is falling heavily on all seven countries and it looks like most of the slack is being taken up by Android. This is not too surprising since Nokia smart phones phones sell at the same price points as Android smarthpones. So, in the end while the iPhone continues to sell well, it looks like it is Android which is really taking Symbian down. This is something Microsoft would want to delay until the Nokia Windows Phone 7 devices are released.

RIM is loosing sales overall, but is only loosing heavily in the United States and Australia. It actually gained some ground in Great Britain and in Spain. WHat is interesting to note is RIM is loosing the most were the iPhone is the strongest.

Windows Phones 7, not much good news here, but it managed to get 7.1% of the German market

READ MORE - The smartphone wars

Windows Phone 7 Mango - Its a winner

When I was taking a look at a new smartphone last February I liked the Windows Phone 7 interface best. Most people have not had a chance to try Windows Phone 7 and assume that it is not very different from an iPhone or Apple's iOS. Watch this video to see the difference.

I decided to pass on it since it and get an Andorid becuase Windows Phone 7 lacked some key features I find important:

1. Copy & paste.

2. Multi-tasking.

3. Bluetooth file transfer.

That was six months ago. What a difference six months makes in the mobile world. Copy & paste was added, Mango bring multi-tasking in a manner than would make my Android envious. Still no bluetooth file transfer. The ability to sync the phone to your PC via WiFi reduces the need for this. Still I hope this feature is added to Windows Phone 7 one day.

 

Windows Phone 7 has always had a good focus on people. It has tight social networking integration from the start. As a communications mobile OS it is second to none.

In the next video, Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president of Windows Phone, shows off some of the new features coming to Windows Phone Mango.

Should you consider Windows Phone 7. The best and most intuitive mobile phone interface, just got a power user upgrade. You should definitely give it a good look.

READ MORE - Windows Phone 7 Mango - Its a winner

Google the reluctant mobile phone manufacturer

After approvals are given by the government regulators, Google will officially be in the hardware manufacturing business. Albiet, it will be a reluctant player in the field. Why did Google make the bid to buy Motorala?

The Patent Wars. Apple and Microsoft have been suing manufacturers of Android devices. Google acquisition of Motorola gives it 24,500 patents (Source: PCWorld), approved and pending to fend off attacks on Android. 

And the Patent Wars. Motorola wanted to be bought. Despite the reprieve brought on by the Android Operating system, Motorola handset division was in trouble. Formerly the second largest handset maker in the world, next to Nokia, by 2010, Motorola's global market share had dropped to seventh place.

Just a few days ago Phone Arena reported, CEO Sanjay Jha hinted at a conference presentation that Motorola might start asking for royalties from other Android manufacturers:

"I would bring up IP as a very important for differentiation (among Android vendors). We have a very large IP portfolio, and I think in the long term, as things settle down, you will see a meaningful difference in positions of many different Android players. Both, in terms of avoidance of royalties, as well as potentially being able to collect royalties. And that will make a big difference to people who have very strong IP positions.”

Motorola wanted to be bought, and let Google know that it was in a position to hurt Android. If Microsoft had been the buyer, it would probably have been the end of Android.

The interesting thing to see now, is what Google does with Motorola.

Where the Android community stand. From the standpoint of Samsung, HTC, Sony Ericsson and LG, Google's pending acquisition of Motorola will allow Google to better defend Android and prevent Motorola from claiming royalties from other Android manufacturers (I do not think a Google owned Motorola would do this at least), but it does reinvigorate a competitor that was loosing the battle. 

Should Google's run Motorola well, Motorola phones will increase their market share, which will eat into the market share of  other Android manufacturers. Google which has also been trying to push Android manufacturers to update their products and recently obtained a commitments from major Android manufacturers to support their products for a period of 18 months after release (hardware willing of course) will now have a stick, and not just a carrot to offer. Google can use Motorola to set the standard for support. Android manufacturers won't jump ship, but will be keeping a keen eye on Google and Motorola. They really have no reason to panic, except for Motorola and Sony Ericcson, the major Android Manufacturers all already produce Windows Phone 7 handsets.  Samsung also has its Bada OS. In a way, they have been smartly hedging their bets from the start.

As for Google, it is fighting for its future, placing a 12.5 billion US dollars bet on Android, over and above what they have already spent and now has to figure out what to do with its new baby. 

If you are among the Android faithful, Google just spent 12.5 billion US dollars to back up and defend what you already bought. Google has your back.

 

READ MORE - Google the reluctant mobile phone manufacturer

Symbian Anna now available for download (Nokia N8, Nokia C7, Nokia C6-01 and Nokia E7_

Nokia Press Release:

Symbian Anna now available for download

Published August 18, 2011

Espoo, Finland - Symbian Anna - the latest software update for Symbian smartphones - is available for download starting today*.

Symbian Anna significantly enhances the user experience on the Nokia N8, Nokia C7, Nokia C6-01 and Nokia E7. A new user interface, virtual QWERTY keypad in portrait mode, split-screen messaging, enhanced Nokia Maps, better web browsing and stronger security are just a few of the improvements that people will be able to enjoy. Symbian Anna can be downloaded using the latest version of Ovi Suite (version 3.1.1) on a PC, or over-the-air directly to your smartphone**.

"Nokia's Symbian smartphones are used by millions of people around the world every day, addressing specific consumer needs and providing choices at many price points," said Ilari Nurmi, Vice President at Nokia. "Symbian Anna represents a significant update to the experience those users have and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to Symbian, which will see up to 10 more phones introduced over the next 12 months, further updates to the user experience and support for the software until at least 2016."

Key features with Symbian Anna:

- User interface: Symbian Anna brings a fresh new look and feel to the Nokia N8, Nokia C7, Nokia C6-01 and Nokia E7 with crisp icons and multiple usability enhancements. Typing on the touchscreen is much easier with a split screen, so you can see message threads, webpages, contacts or email view while typing on the virtual QWERTY keypad - now also available in portrait mode.

- Maps and navigation: Symbian Anna enhances Nokia Maps with better search functionality, new public transportation routes and the ability to check-in to favorite geo-social network sites like Facebook, Foursquare and Twitter

- Browsing: A faster, easier-to-use browser, delivering quicker page loads and improved device navigation allowing people to connect more easily to their favorite sites on the go.

- Better for business: Symbian Anna brings true business-grade security with improved data encryption on Nokia smartphones. Business users with a Nokia N8, Nokia C7, Nokia C6-01 or Nokia E7 can now easily and securely access their company intranet with IPSEC and SSL VPN enablers.

- Near Field Communications (NFC): The Symbian Anna software update also activates the NFC hardware in the Nokia C7, so people can now simply tap their Nokia C7s together to share contacts, photos, videos and play games; easily pair with NFC-enabled accessories from Nokia and others; and read NFC tags to check-in and more

*The precise rollout schedule of the Symbian Anna software update varies from market to market.

**Method of delivery of the software update differs from market to market and operator to operator.

READ MORE - Symbian Anna now available for download (Nokia N8, Nokia C7, Nokia C6-01 and Nokia E7_

The rumours of Nokia's death have been somewhat premature

While it has been widely reported that Apple and Samsung are now the No. 1 and 2 in the smartphone world, that is only true if you count units shipped. If you look at units sold in the second quarter of 2011, Nokia is still number 1. Fox Business reported that "Gartner, which counts sales of mobile handsets to end users rather than units shipped by individual handset makers, said Nokia sold a total of 97.87 million units in the second quarter compared with 111.47 million units a year earlier, and had a total market share of 22.8%, down from 30.3%"

With the impending shift to Windows Phone 7, Nokia re-seller channels are keeping stocks low and trying to sell existing stock. Microsoft which looks panicky about its Windows Phone 7 operating system and seems to clings to every bit of news as some sign of a future for its mobile operating system should really just be pushing Nokia to get its Windows Phone 7 devices out the door. 

Something not realized by plenty of technology writers based in the United States, where Nokia has about a 2% share is that in Asia and some other parts of the world, the name Nokia is a trusted brand and could boost Windows Phone 7 sales.

Each day of delay in the release of a Windows Phone 7 device by Nokia risks the migration of a existing Nokia user to another platform.

Price point. A Windows Phone 7 device today still cost a fair amount of money. You can always find grey market units for lower prices, but the cheapest Windows Phone 7 device we found in the Philippines with an official warranty is HTC 7 Mozart, which is now retailing for just under Php20,000. Nokia S60 smarthpones today start at around Php6K. If Nokia can manufacture and sell Windows Phone devices at substantially the lower price points remains to be seen, but a variant of the Windows Phone 7 operating system, called "Tango" is design to do just that.

If Nokia can hand Microsoft a 10% share of the smartphone market when it fully migrates to Windows Phone 7 devices by the second or third quarter of 2012, that will be more than enough. Apple's iOS operating system smartphone operating system has a 18.2% market share for the first two quarters of 2011, while Smartphones running Google;s Android operating system only had a 17.2% in 2010. In other words, 10% is not a bad start (Source: Gartner cited by Fox Business). The only  question is, whether Nokia can use it name to get Microsoft back into the smartphone game.

When? "So just when will Nokia take delivery of their first Windows Phone smartphones? Well apparently Nokia Windows Phone devices are being manufactured by Taiwanese firm Compal and the latest word is that Compal will begin delivering Windows Phone handset to Nokia sometime in September" (Source: Phones Review).

How many? Even when the Nokia Windows Phone 7 devices start shipping, which sold almost 100 million smartphones in the second quarter of 2011, appears to have only ordered 2 million Nokia Windows Phone 7 devices (Source: Phones Review). That is not a lot.


Too little too late? I think we will have to wait for the end of the first quarter of 2012 to find out where this is going, by than Nokia will be knee deep in Windows Phone 7 devices or will be headed to becoming a full time feature phone maker.

READ MORE - The rumours of Nokia's death have been somewhat premature