I’m Retraining Myself to Stop Calling It WP7–How Long Until WP8?
Few people love the name Windows Phone (I’ve heard a lot of possibilities and still like Xphone to go with the Xbox nomenclature but that’s irrelevant since it’s not happening). The problem with Windows Phone 7 is that it’s actually the operating system and not the phone. It’s a Windows Phone and it’s running Windows Phone 7.5 currently but we all call it a Windows Phone 7. iPhone has iOS and Android is a distinct enough name that it doesn’t have this problem.
Anyway, since we’re getting closer to Windows Phone 8 (the operating system) it’s time to start referring to them as Windows Phones and WP and I’m breaking the WP7 habit (even though WordPress is also WP). If we look at this past year’s timing we’re about 9 months away from WP8. And while we’re on it, the original WP7 was named to match the PC OS version and it will line up for 8 as well but since mobile OSes have shorter lifespans than PC operating systems, I’d expect a Windows Phone 9 to come before Windows 9…what a web they’ve built for themselves, huh?
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People are stupid. I love the “Windows Phone” name. You call an iPhone an iPhone because that is the name of the device. If that’s the case well just call it Focus S, Focus Flash, HTC Titan, or whatever your device is. No reason to change the name of “Windows Phone” just like iOS or Android don’t change their OS names.
Is it really a big deal.
When folk ask what phone I have I usually just say a windows phone or Nokia 800. I don’t say windows phone 7.
Technically windows phone 7.5 is just a name aswell we are actually running 7.10.8107 but that’s not as catchy.
I still catch myself writing ‘Windows Mobile’ or ‘WinMo’.. it’s still the same thing really, it’s Windows and it’s a Mobile OS, so it’s Windows Mobile.. but of course that’s wrong, even though it’s technically correct… ?!?!
I do, and always will, hate the Windows Phone. It really is the dumbest branding move in recent memory. Microsoft had the opportunity to leave the old Winmo baggage behind and did effectively nothing about it. XPhone, Mango, Metro, whatever, would have been much more effective. I can’t begin to tell you how many people I know who are thrown off by the dumb name.
Xphone would have gotten them sued.
Windows Phone is just fine for me. It’s descriptive, succinct, and easily remembered. And it isn’t marketing-speak *coughiEverythingcough*