Microsoft's iPhone Envy Is Starting To Show

by: Larry Dignan June 06, 2008 | about stocks: AAPL / MSFT    

Larry Dignan

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Microsoft (MSFT) said it will sell nearly 20 million Windows Mobile licenses in a letter designed to rally its smartphone partners. It’s no coincidence that the pep talk comes just a few days before these the likely launch of Apple’s (AAPL) 3G iPhone.

Todd Bishop has the Windows Mobile pep talk, which is designed to steal a little iPhone thunder. Charles Cooper says it’s quite a salute from Microsoft–perhaps the one finger variety.

Who can blame Microsoft? Apple will have all the buzz come Monday when CEO Steve Jobs delivers his latest sermon at WWDC (previews). And Windows Mobile developers will feel uncool–almost like the Vista guy in the Apple commercials.

Among the key excerpts fro Andy Lees, senior vice president of Microsoft’s mobile business:

This fiscal year we will sell nearly 20 million Windows Mobile smartphone licenses, making Windows Mobile one of the most widely used smartphone software platforms in the world. We also sold more in the previous four quarters than RIM, and in the last quarter our year-over-year unit growth alone was greater than sales of Apple’s iPhone.

Translation: Windows Mobile has traction. Don’t go chasing the shiny new object. And oh by the way we thought we’d top 20 million licenses.

To our 50 handset makers building phones with our software, thank you. With your help, we give Windows Mobile customers nearly 150 different phone choices — from phones with full keyboards to brilliant touch screens to convenient flip phones — with rich email, picture and music experiences. You’ve delivered Windows Mobile phones with features like GPS, 3+ megapixel cameras, and voice activation — features that other operating systems have been slow to deliver.

Translation: Boy it irks us that Apple generates all this iPhone buzz.

To all our developer partners who continue to innovate and bring new experiences to people and businesses every day, thank you. It is because of you that our Windows Mobile customers have the richest application catalog to choose from — over 18,000 applications to help pursue their hobbies, navigate life and work more efficiently. We’re happy to offer some of these applications through the Windows Mobile Owners Circle and provide you the flexibility to deliver them to your customers in whatever way makes sense. Today, more and more competitors are jumping into the smartphone market or announcing upgrades, with features we delivered to customers years ago…

Translation: We interrupt Apple’s App Store announcement to thump our chests about our own apps.

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This article has 14 comments:

  •  
    Jun 06 10:37 AM
    I think Microsoft's comments seem more and more laughable....almost as much as Balmer's post iPhone announcement assessment of the iPhone's chances of success.

    Balmer missed his calling....comedy.
    Reply | Link to Comment
  •  
    Jun 06 11:03 AM
    If these statistics are true - I guess Microsoft sees RIM and Apple nipping at their heals and don't like it very much. Brag all they want the writing's on the wall. Actually MSFT's biggest threat will be the Google Android platform - not mentioned in this article.
    Reply | Link to Comment
  •  
    Jun 06 11:48 AM
    The humor is actually in the translations. Everything Microsoft said was a fact. i recommend Mr. Dignan proceed with aggressive caution next time he offers his humorous translations.
    Reply | Link to Comment
  •  
    Jun 06 12:01 PM
    I agree, Marcel. Those facts are real. Windows Mobile is not a small player in the market, they just feel that way. Microsoft just wanted to remind developers.

    By the way, I can't wait to get the new iPhone (my first). I have a Windows Mobile "smart phone" (Cingular/AT&T 8125). It does everything the iPhone does, but nothing well or easy. And I've downloaded some of the applications for this phone. Each time is a pain in the a$$. The iPhone won't have that problem at least...
    Reply | Link to Comment
  •  
    Jun 06 12:36 PM
    Reading the whole letter it seems that Msft. is saying that it will sell 20 million licenses this fiscal year. It also mentions 150 handsets run win mobile. 20 million from 150 different hand phones doesn't sound too good. (I read it as after 150 tries from different manufacturers over many years no one has yet to hit a Win Mobile phone home run. Says something about Win Mobile doesn't it?). Apple's target is 10 million from the iphone and has already sold a few million just selling in the original four countries.
    Reply | Link to Comment
  •  
    Jun 06 12:40 PM
    What about this for a thought.

    Split MSFT in two. Split the Windows Vista Business from the rest.

    Make an offer for AAPL with the remainder part of Microsoft.

    Should work shouldn't it.

    I think that would solve a lot of MSFT problems just afraid that the purchase of AAPL will not be a friendly merger.
    Reply | Link to Comment
  •  
    Jun 06 12:47 PM
    I have a Win Mobile-based phone. I have to hard reset it every three or four days because the thing locks up and won't send/receive email or connect to the web.

    It's nice to know MSFT included the familiar need to reboot in it's mobile version so we can know absolutely that it's a Windows product. Now that's branding!
    Reply | Link to Comment
  •  
    Jun 06 01:26 PM
    To Ice, how about a monopoly
    Reply | Link to Comment
  •  
    Jun 06 01:40 PM
    IMHO, Win Mobile is toast, just like Plays Anywhere, and The Social. Not a good time to be long msft.
    Reply | Link to Comment
  •  
    Jun 06 01:52 PM
    Microsoft is missing the boat here. They need a brown ZunePhone.
    Reply | Link to Comment
  •  
    Jun 06 02:21 PM
    Ever have those bad dreams where you are running down field in liquid molasses? One foot forward takes a minute. And its raining hard, and the fog is so bad you can't even see the end of the field.
    That is what it would be like if there ever was an acquisition of Apple by MSFT.
    Which has zero probability.
    Reply | Link to Comment
  •  
    Jun 06 03:46 PM
    Last I heard the original Ford Model T also had four wheels, seats, breaks and an engine and they where everywhere. :-)
    Reply | Link to Comment
  •  
    Jun 06 04:31 PM
    MSFT. It doesn't do things very well, but it does them slowly.
    Reply | Link to Comment
  •  
    Jun 06 06:39 PM
    Ah yes, Microsoft. If I really focus I can remember when they were truly relevant. Aren't they the company that tried to copy the original Mac OS and couldn't get it to work until version 3.1? And then just barely? Aren't those the guys who have been living off upgrade fees for MS Office for years and years. Does anyone really need a new version of a word processor or a spreadsheet? Aren't they the innovators who recently gave us Vista? (yet another serial attempt to copy the Mac OS). Did they not fail to get it right once again? Doesn't it come bundled with lots of free junkware, spyware, trojan horses, viruses, and host of other maladies that have never been sighted on the Mac? Weren't they the smartest guys in the room even before Enron?
    Reply | Link to Comment
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