Is it (finally) time for a Microsoft Smartphone?

[Ed Hardy]

Brighthand's founder Steve Bush sits down with Mike Wehrs, Director of Technology & Standards for Microsoft's Mobility Division, and talks about where his company's Smartphone platform has been for the past three years, and where it's going in the future.

Read more at http://www.brighthand.com/article/Is...for_Smartphone

[Bulverde]

So Microsoft thinks that battery technology has been dragging its feet?

Considering that battery technology is well over 100 years old and has been fairly consistent in offering perhaps 5% to 10% average annual improvement over the last several years, maybe Microsoft should take a harder look at their own efforts in power conservation. Intel is doing their part with improving XScale chips. I expect we are going to be hearing the same lame excuses from Microsoft a few years from now.

[HackMeNot]

Too little. Too late. I been waiting do long I dont even want this junk anymore.

[k2stingray]

IMHO Microsoft should develop a small flip phone that is optimized to work well as a phone AND enhance PPC capabilities.

The cell phone companies don't seem to have much interest in this. If Microsoft is "smart" they will develop such phones & abandon this "smartphone" foolishness. How many marketing studies need to be done before these companies figure out so many people want a small phone that works well as a phone & compliments PPC platforms?

[Fzara2000]

"Smart" phone sucks. This is just crashware.

Microsoft should realize that users of phones are not dumb like their dummbphones.

Real phones users are not going to fall for teh Windowz interface, Microsoft is overstimating the "Windows powered" propaganda. Windows alone says nothing but a cumbersome and crash prone os for phones.

I love windows on my desktop but for phone something more simple is required.

[iJITSU]

Well, I've been a long time Palm user (still am) and I just tried out the Motorola MPx200 for two days. It's not perfect, but I was very impressed overall. In fact, I can now say that I'm a MS Smartphone fan. The OS needs work (and keep in mind that the Moto has MSSP 2002 not 2003), but I just can't believe how nice the phone was. Bright beautiful screen, decent UI, excellent form factor. I was able to freeze the screen, but I was throwing A LOT at it. It's the first smartphone/converged device that looked and felt just like a normal folder mobile phone to me (I500 came close). Check out my experiences here:


http://pdaphonehome.com/forums/showt...threadid=11608

[gfunkmagic]

Originally posted by k2stingray
IMHO Microsoft should develop a small flip phone that is optimized to work well as a phone AND enhance PPC capabilities.

The cell phone companies don't seem to have much interest in this. If Microsoft is "smart" they will develop such phones & abandon this "smartphone" foolishness. How many marketing studies need to be done before these companies figure out so many people want a small phone that works well as a phone & compliments PPC platforms?

I'm sorry, but exactly which studies are you talking about? From everything I've read lately, smartphone or "pda phones" have been selling like gang busters! Heck, if SE can sell >>800,000 P800 and Nokia can sell even more 3650's, then there's obviously a market for smartphones. In fact the future market for smartphones is soo huge, it absolutely dwarfs the PDA segment in comparison. M$ is smart to focus on this convergence segment. In about 7-10 years, it's predicted there's going to 300-400 million of these smartphones selling annually and they all will have to run some form of OS, be it M$ smartphone, flavor of Symbian, linux, or PalmOS. The one thing I've give to Microsoft is that, even though they might be late...Heck so what! IT'S MICROSOFT FOR GOODNESS SAKES!! They can be 10 years late and still grab market share b/c they're that big! Thus IMO, I wouldn't worry about M$...

Anyway, I finally got to see the MPx200 today, and I was mildly impressed overall. However I am a thumbboard guy, and so I really didn't mesh with the numeric keypad and lack of touch screen. I realize the MPx200 is more of a phone-centric device, but isn't the whole point of smartphones data connectivity, and isn't one of the major uses for data email, and don't you need a good data entry method for email? Suffice to say, I wasn't impressed with T9 thankyou. Anyway, besides that, what struck me most is was the beautiful screen and overall professional look of the phone. The interface seems simple enough and quite responsive. However, with the lack of BT and camera, I really doubt how this phone can really distinguish itself from others mobiles out there. IMO, a camera is a must these days. In fact camera phones are are what are driving mobile sales these days and I'm suprised Moto omitted this. They may give canned explanation that enterprise users don't want cameras b/c of business fears, but that baloney IMO. Anyway, overall I found the device a fairly impressive, yet some what boring mobile. It has some nice features, but nothing that wowed me into wanting to buy it. I think I'll probably wait until gen 2 before I ponder buying one....

[k2stingray]

gfunkmagic,

The brighthand news page below is one such study I'm talking about & I've seen at least two others (without really looking for them). In addition, I've seen at least three lengthy threads where the VAST majority of those responding want a good small phone that works well with PDA rather than one device (the compromises with one device are just too much for many - especially those that like a larger PDA display).

http://www.brighthand.com/article/US...in_Smartphones

In regards to smartphone sales & these blowing away PDA sales in future, I hate to admit you are right, but this probably is the wave of the future. I and many others still would prefer the small phone that works well with PDA - but I guess there are too many others that want the smart phone.

Regardless, the phone manufacturer's seem hell bent on providing smart phones even though research as in link above say people want otherwise.

As you said, there is no reason to worry about M$. They can ram whatever they want down publics throat & we just have to take it.

Hopefully least one manufacturer will heed research results and deliver a small well designed phone that really does work synergistically w/ most PDA's. I'd buy one over a smart phone any day & am sure I'm not the only one.

[Twin_Pixel]

What about the Orange SPV? That's a phone running Microsoft's Smartphone OS, and was released last year, I think.

Have I missed something again?