Where did all go wrong for Windows 7 Mobile?

Almost everyone I know has a Smartphone. Even my Wife, who isn't THAT tech savvy has one.

I have had a number of them in the last few years, From an HTC Tytn II, that ran Windows 6.5, to an HTC Hero on Android and now, an LG E-900 running Windows 7 mobile.

I was convinced to move to Windows by a mate who had had a phone with windows for a few months (Samsung Omnia) and was over the moon with it. He had also had a number of phones on the old Windows O.S. and that was what swung him to it come upgrade time. After a few initial niggles, he is over the moon with it.

I had a play, messed about with it and decided to upgrade (in the middle of a contract, non of this "freebie" stuff) to give it a real go. I appreciate that the marketplace for Windows 7 is no where near as open or populated as either Apple or Android, but its slowly getting there.

Now, I'm no Luddite. We have an iPad in the house & I do like to use it if I'm travelling, but I don't see the appeal of an iPhone. Its slow, isn't anything special in the looks department & is (rumoured) to be replaced later this year...that just smacks of getting the Gullible to cough up to line Apples pocket if you ask me.

Now, back to Windows. When my wife changed her phone earlier this year, our current network had 3 (three) different phones with the Windows OS available & was touting it as the way forward. Less than 6 months later and none of those phones are on their site...in fact, they only have one, the HTC Mozart.

Why?

Is windows 7 mobile going to be dead & buried so soon? A quick look around the main providers in the UK shows that 3 only has the Samsung Omnia as a "refurb", O2 have a pair of HTC phones, Orange only has one and Vodafone also only has one.

So, why has Windows 7 mobile failed to take off? is it due to microsoft and it's tradition of unstable OS for PC's? Or is it a lack of promotion by both them & the networks? Are the makers not offering the networks a big enough discount on the handsets? DO people just not like the OS?

Its a very stable and easy to use mobile OS. Its a bit battery hungry, but Microsoft are hoping to address this with an update later this year, but most smartphones eat your battery once you start to use the web & email.

I'm due an upgrade myself for free in about 90 days, but wont bother as I am looking for another provider (long story. Bad customer service) and will probably get a new phone from a new provider in January 2012.

I would love another Windows 7 phone, but looking about, no one seems too interested in stocking them...and I really cant think why.

Look at the stats below from Gartner:

Symbian was by far and away the market leader for 2010 with 37.6% of the market, DOWN from 46.9% the year before.

Android on the other hand...

If you look at sales by Smartphone OS rather than manufacturer, Android grew by an amazing 888.8%

Microsoft and its infant Windows was sat, just above "Other Os's" with under 5% of the market.

Apple and it's Celebrity endorsed "must have" iPhone has less than 16% of the market. I do believe that the iPhone is still viewed by an awful lot of people as a "must have" accessory, and one that is out of reach of a lot of people due to the cost of data, but that's a different blog.

However, I use data on my phone & don't care about having an iPhone (BTW, We bought the iPad as its easier for my wife to use day to day than the net book it replaced) in my pocket, but DO like to access the internet & email whilst on the move...

I think the problem with Windows 7 mobile is one of marketplace congestion. Put simply, it was too little, too late from Microsoft

I really hope Microsoft stick with this OS for the long haul. I also hope that the networks & handset makers start to back it more as well.

They have a great OS (at last) that is just a few tweaks away from being a world beater. My only gripe is not being able to make the phone talk to a windows PC without having to use Zune, which is awful, and having to go to the cloud to sync contacts. It was beaten to the punch by Android in being user friendly...

These are really minor gripes though...

I will stick with Windows for a while & hope that a few of you join me here using it, but I would also say that Android is simply the best OS out there at the moment...

But Windows is a very close 2nd...

Oddly enough, the people I know who DON'T have a smartphone are all working for housing associations...