Can't help agree with this from Bernstein Research:

“Our research shows that for many years, poor sales of Windows-based phones stem from a deep and stable lack of consumer interest for the product.

“Despite numerous and repeated efforts of manufacturers (Nokia, but also Samsung and HTC) and Operators to develop an alternative to Android and Apple based on Windows, and despite the launch of numerous phones based on Windows with strong features, reviews and marketing support, the operating system remains cornered to less than 5% market share in smartphones.”

“The lack of consumer interest for Windows-based phones has been very consistent in marketing surveys we have carried out across the globe over the last several years. The situation of Windows in mobile phones is now very unlikely to revert. Smartphone Operating Systems benefit from ecosystem dynamics in terms of application ecosystem but most importantly consumer advocacy and adoption.”

Every time i see a windows phone I think 'Mehhhh' which is a shame because it is not a bad os really not my cup of tea but still a shame.

Do they need some sort of stand out handset that doesn't get lost in the crowd? Unless something changes even with W8 I just can't see them getting there and it would be nice to have three proper players in the market.

The thing that's often quoted as being a selling point for Windows Phones is their deep integration with Windows PCs, but a lot of people I know are pretty ambivalent about their PCs and the OS they run. I know a few people who absolutely love Windows, but they tend to be geeks. I think most ordinary people don't care either way, and surely that would mean that integration isn't going to be a selling point for them.

There are shedloads of phones with Android on them, and they're not being sold on the basis of PC integration. I just can't see any compelling reason why a mass, mainstream adoption should happen.

Nor can I every time I see a windows phone I think yeah ok but there is better out there, until they can 'wow' people if you like I don't see this changing in a hurry.

Desperately, yes.

But a) I doubt it will ever happen and b) it probably wouldn't make any difference anyway.

Microsoft need to market Windows phones like Google did with Android phones...FLOOD THE MARKET WITH OVER 3000 HANDSETS! Simple.

Price them from £30 up to £400 and they will take off, once established and with a good market share start to tighten things up like Google are starting to do now.

You can't start at the top like MS seem to think they can, with 4 or 5 handsets in the £200-£400 price range. If Google kept Android in £200+ handsets it wouldn't be where it is now. Arent something like 70% of phones running Googles OS sub $200 phones?

If you being serious there which I doubt as usual explain why and how. Why are manufacturers going to throw their weight behind them given where they are at present and why do consumers choose a windows phone or anything else when they clearly don't at the moment.

Not sure of the market breakdown but s3 is the biggest selling android in phones4u for example so why choose W8 over that, until MS can address that they will remain where they are surely?

Just so you know from right now (well 1 minute from when I post this) you're on ignore(just found out how to do it. Bye

Its worked lol,

although I can see that message as I've quoted him....


swordman
This message is hidden because swordman is on your ignore list.

ok

Windows can't do anything to the PC OS that would make communication with 500 million existing Apple and Android phones incompatible. So the windows phone advantage is minimal.

WP7 was never really competitive. Nowadays people want high specs or iPhone. And that was something WP7 handsets could not offer. That may change with WP8. And with Apple being a pain in the arse for Samsung and others they may at least try to diversify a bit. OEMs now pay for licences to MS for Android. I would not mind if they made a deal and have some dual boot phones with both Android and WP8.

WP7 lacked low to mid priced phones which is a huge market. Not everyone wants/needs a S3 or iPhone. But with MS charging around £15-£20 for a wp7 licence manufactures wouldn't earn any profit from low priced phones so they didn't really release any. And wp7 was late to market where many people had already invested in android or iOS so it makes it harder for people to move platforms.

I have just created a memo to swordman to remind him of this post ia couple of years from now as I think WP8 will be a big turning point for MS.

The Samsung Ativ S Windows 8 phone announced yesterday looks pretty good to me . But then again Im no expert

Please don't tell me you'll be bothering me years from now it's more than I can bear I tell you

But on that basis if you are so confident in WP8 it will be a lot sooner that you shall be making me eat my words surely?

Yes it is what is needed by wp but still wouldn't choose it over several other phones.

Glad to see your so open minded.

I have company Windows phone and although it's not bad, the absolute arse-baked way of having to connect it to your PC through Zune is a massive killer for me. I'd get rid of it for that reason alone. Which is a shame because it is fantastic for using Office on the move - and has a fantastic battery life. I can hammer it for 2 days non-stop and it be fine, or leave it in semi-idle state for over a week.

Contrast that with the terrible battery of my personal Android, but is plug and play with my computer and open to so much possibility If I could persuade work to give me an Android I'd be in heaven.

Connect through Zune not owned one so what that means in practice its not an itunes clone is it?

You will find some of us are on here take those blinkers off for a bit and you may learn something.

Windows Phone is not a competitive OS, the sales are so bad that Microsoft and all their partner OEMs are ashamed to even admit the sales....they only give out shipment estimates. They have abandoned all WP7 devices/users and have shafted current users with the WP7.8 update with no way to upgrade after that, not even unofficially at this stage, so existing users are met with a slap in the face by having to buy a whole new phone just to get an OS update.

I just don't think it will take off, and with Windows 8 getting a growing negative reaction, the 'Modern' UI may end up being looked upon even more negatively than it is now. Microsoft are proving right the age old saying that, 'if you snooze, you lose'.

I actually like the Windows 7 Nokia phone. However, if I wasn't so into Android and Google products, I would change to WP7. Its a shame that they were not ahead of the curve a few years ago and had it then. I do like the interface.

I tried a Windows 7.5 mobile but just couldn't get on with it - I liked the phone and the OS a lot but I hated the PC integration and having to use Zune - the worst thing though was it insisting on flooding my mobile contacts list with everyone from my messenger list and xbox live with no way to filter so I could only have those I actually phone or e-mail in my contacts and not people I might chat to or game with once in a blue moon and I also disliked the fact Windows phones are tight on storage but MS don't allow a microsd card slot in the specs (unfortunately some Android phones are now following this stupid path as well).

I'm back on Android now, as I wouldn't touch an iphone cause of having to use itunes, but tbh my favorite OS of recent times was Symbian Belle as it seemed lightweight and had a good battery life, Nokia's OVI suite pisses all over zune and Itunes (one feature I really liked was being able to view my phones texts messeges in OVI Suite and write and send texts on the PC and send them through the phone when it was connected) as you have the choice of syncing what you want or just doing drag and drop, but unfortunately Belle lacked apps and functions like useing the mobile to tether had to be via a paid for app and they weren't cheap.

Sorry, must have missed those blinkers off posts, where are they again?

7.8 will be good to go for some time to come and by the time it isn't most users will be at the upgrade stage so not the issue you claim. The hardware in the current phones cannot run WP8, so hardly a case of MS shafting folk. View W8 as MS clearing out the old and starting afresh. Not sure of your age but you're not keen on change are you?

You mean the same way that the hardware of pre-WP7 handsets was supposed to be incapable of running WP7?
Yet the HD2 has functional WP7.5 ROMs available for it...

It is entirely about MS shafting people and what's worse is it's the second time in quick succession they've done it.
Why anyone would want to buy into WP8 given how MS have treated their customers, twice, is beyond me.