The Day The Earth Stood Still
A funny thing happened at 1:00pm EST. Apple announced their new iPhone 4 and there was no stampeding to write how the iPhone had reinvented the wheel. Android and its Froyo upgrade seem to be safe for now. WP7’s death nail should also be promptly removed.
I firmly believe in the aftermath of Apple’s iPhone/iOS 4 debut that WP7 indeed has a chance to carve out a significant slice of the market. Surely I must be mistaken, even mad to suggest such a thing but I think not.
Take a look at the difference between iPhone 4’s AP Mobile app and then look at the breathtaking (yes I used such a strong word to describe a news app) WP7 app. Pixel density be darned the WP7 app is flat out on another aesthetic level. The iPhone app looks so old and dated by comparison; after 4 years they are still producing the exact same looking apps. That makes me question whether it is a fatal limitation to the SDK. Yes I went there!
Notice the lack of mentioning of the gaming platform, I sure did. That’s because Steve Jobs knows he has his work cut out for him as he attempts to go up against Microsoft’s Xbox Live ecosystem. He’s aiming to gain mind and market share through games such as Farmville. Microsoft demos Harvest and Jobs demos Farmville while he lauds pixel density is flat out laughable.
ITunes still has a superior marketplace but guess what, Zune will be coming hard and fast especially with millions quickly becoming familiar with the software and using it on a daily basis. This is one of the few reasons why I believe; truly believe WP7 is positioned to strike at the heart of the Smartphone world. Zune has a much more pleasing interface and it’s a delight to use compared to iTunes. Did I mention Zune Pass? Microsoft is considering lowering the price to boot!
Here is a quick list of the assets WP7 has as its day in the sun approaches:
- Advanced enterprise support
- Rich Apps that are integrated into Hubs
- Gaming platform with built in ecosystem of million+ users.
- Zune (first viable alternative to iTunes for mobile phones)
- Metro UI
- Choice of hardware that includes a faster introduction of improved features to market. (OEMs competing in hardware)
- Cloud based services. They have ad
- Social Networking integration. They have gone even further than Apple and Android has to include it in the user experience.
- Intrigue (the public will be intrigued to the point they will definitely want to at least try out the WP7 device).
- Multiple Carriers. Just like Android used multiple carriers to drive their growth so shall Microsoft. Microsoft comes with a bigger name recognition which should help.
So again, Apple debuted and everyone took notice. Gone are the days where the iPhone causes hysteria, maybe just maybe Ballmer and Microsoft will push out a finished enough OS to fill in the gap. Just maybe….
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Well put!
Lets hope that the iSheep don’t try and convince us that the iPhone is full of features that Apple invented…
@spl:
Apple combated the screen race with pixel density. Sure the screen is beautiful but after awhile do you look at your hd tv and go “Having a 60″ would be nice but wow is this 20″ amazing?” No you don’t. At the end of the day what Jobs decided to do was keep the same screen size so that his platform would not run the risk of fragmentation and cause developers to actually have to code for different screen sizes.
I believe in what WP7 can and should be. I can’t tell you that it will get there but they have a shot.
Guess we know who pays your bills all praise to the mighty Ballmer.
As RuPaul says in her reality show “RuPaul’s Drag Race”:
Apple, your time has come… for you to lip-synch for your life!
Meh, iPhone 4G has only one nice feature: its screen. Video chat? Already here, 720p HD video recording? Already here. The rest is blah blah blah…
WP7 & HTC come here and kick some butts with your new device yaaaay!
@sceptic:
Every Windows Phone 7 will be a Zune. It may have been exclusive to the U.S. as a hardware device but as software on the WP7 platform its going global. I don’t know if Zune Pass will be global but the Zune software itself will be.
wp7 will have a shot if the first few products they roll out offer a good user experience. that’s where microsoft messed up in the past as many OEMs just throw in WM with really pathetic hardware, causing lags and freezes and stuff, and then have consumers blaming it on the OS. Just look at the HD2, it runs WM but it’s lag free. so with a proper hardware support, WM can be nice to use.
I really like WM and i’m hoping WP7 will be successful. and really, nice to read a report that actually recognizes the shortcomings of apple’s product, and realizing a potential in microsoft’s.
“Zune will be coming hard and fast”
Zune is currently available in the US only. For us outside of the US, Zune does not exist and only the real geeks know what Zune actually is.
@Diego!:
well put my friend
the new iPhone was a joke nothing really innovative
half way through this article, i checked who had written it, and i was very surprised to see that david k hadn’t written it :p
i think you’re spot on with this. sadly, it makes my decision between wp7 and android much harder to make :\
i sold my iphone 3g after 2 months playing with the device. i realize i dont like mac os or any other form of it…now im a happy owner of htc hd2 and really like windows mobile. i also have a zune hd and i feel it very superior compared to ipod, dont know why its not so popular.
im looking foward to wp7 seems very promising
@sceptic:
Zune service starts rolling out in the UK this september (and after that, EU, I hope)
iPhone may not have been super innovative, but can you name me a phone out right now that is more ‘innovative’ than the iPhone 4? They added some new features, have what I hear over and over is ‘hands down the best mobile display ever made’, and I’m sure they absolutely nailed every feature they put in.
There’s definitely a couple more features I would like to see, but nobody does the ones that ARE there nearly as well as Apple. They execute their stuff very, very well. Personally I think the Zune interface is shit compared to the iTouch interface (music player and such wise). I am starting to get a little bored of iOS though, and like the idea of having widgets on the homepage page à la Android, but a jailbroken iPhone is pretty fucking functional.
One thing I’ve noticed about Microsoft projects — Longhorn/Vista, Origami, Surface, Courier, etc. — they are always going to be the greatest thing ever. Will kill anything Apple is doing… Blah, blah, blah… Microsoft always has a great product right around the corner.
It’s one thing to have great concept videos and screenshots. Actual function is something entirely different. So, let’s see, shall we?
I got a Zune HD for music/podcast/video and HD2 phone/apps.
The Zune HD metro interface is soo much better that iphone/ipod, I’ll upgrade WMP7 for sure…but I can’t go back to 3.x screen size…I wait unit HTC or any company come out with a 4.3 screen WP7 device.
I think you’re right, in that WP7 has a chance to shake things up a bit. It will all come down to execution and follow-through. They need the first few devices to be awesome, and they need a ton of developer support (which is the iPhone’s real selling point). There’s no telling whether it will work out or not.
I hope the whole Zune thing can get the traction it needs to become significant worldwide. Personally, I can’t hear the name “Zune” without remembering the old Conan O’Brien bit that had a terrorist firing an AK-47 into the air yelling “Zune! Zuuuuuune!” 🙂
@Wayne —
You’re right, there is a huge need for developer support. I think the saving grace in all of this is running with Silverlight, which provides a far more open experience for application developers for testing. (Not everything will be done in Silverlight, which is a bonus for the game-related stuff…)
Totally agree!!
@Mike L:
See I realized the appeal of the iPhone is that the hardware and software is designed to work together. Microsoft has realized this and that is why they are going with a specific processor and set the minimum requirements. They got wise to the game and started taking control. That “it just works” gap is going to close quickly.
I’ve owned several Windows Mobile 6 phones as well as the Iphone 2G (which is my current phone). I’ve played with my friends Droid’s and haven’t found a phone that just works as well as the iphone.
It’s not just the software, it’s the combination of how well the hardware and software work together. I’ve found with the Window phones that your experience differs based on who the hardware maker is.
I’m up for a new phone this summer and I’ll be shopping around for sure and am anxious to see how the Windows 7 mobile phones compare to the iphone 4G
@Curtis:
Iphone 4G has no advantage over EVO 4G, infact EVO has several features already which makes it better than iphone 4G as of now…
Do you know whats coming nxt with android 2.2 froyo….check google keynotes you will be shocked….
BTW apple is forced to add those features cause by choice they didn’t do it before now ther are just following what already in market…
And for your info…I have Iphone/IPAD & Mac air…still I dont think if a comparable windows alternative is available I will think twice to switch….
Apple is a toy , windows is a tool…I like toys but I need tools…enough said!!
Please, you have that power, tell Microsoft not to take away the copy and paste application. please tell them not to take it away. The os is that fantastic and huge. nothing compared to it on the market yet. The fact that its gonna be running just windows os its gonna make it that superior. Tweaking and trying to hide windows os on previous handsets made windows os slugggish and to crush and freezee. TELL THEM NOT TO TAKE AWAY THE COPY AND PASTE.
The SDK for WP7, XNA & Silverlight is very, very impressive.
Developing apps/games is relatively straight forward, we should see a lot of content being generated.
The XBOX indie market is doing well, now that is being transfered over to WP7, should see a lot of quality games come out.
Combined with Silverlight, a very powerful programming platform and C#, an easy language to get into (compared to C++ and Objective C), we should see a lot of content.
Couple that with Office, Zune, integrated Social networks, minimum spec hardware, WP7 should fly!!!!
@siete8: Thank you. 🙂
@everybody:
I live in Argentina, a South America located country for those who don’t know where it is, and I bought a Zune HD for myself at our local e-bay kindalike website.
It’s great! I’m loving this player, the only thing I miss is the cellphone capability on it since it runs smoothly and works great and it’s very easy to use.
Hopefully, WP 7 will work like Zune HD but way better, integrating Xbox Live and all Microsoft’s stuff into it.
Let’s wait and pray in the meantime 🙂
I forgot to add, Apple played it safe this year. I think they rely on their marketed people and didn’t bring anything exciting to its OS except the videocalling (whooaaa haha lol) and iMovie (ooohhhh lol again).
Anyway, my point is that Android is growing really fast and I think it’s fair to say that next year Apple should really keep up and speed up its game if they don’t wanna be behind in this cellphone market career we see everyday.
I’m really intrigued about WP 7 and its OS. I wish we were already in September to start seeing the first devices or leaks of Microsoft’s new OS.
Greets.
this article is laughable.
Apples new iphone will be a bigger success story than any new windows or android phone. Regardless of features etc, its made by apple and that alone is enough to make me buy it. I love there design and build quality. There product just work and do what i need, there is a reason they are so populer.
And another thing, there is NO CHANCE windows mobile phones are going to become popular, not a chance in hell.. its kinda laughable to imagine.
iSheep or whatever you call them, this article is the exact same, instead of kissing apples ass, your kissing everything but apple. excellent lol
You sure you’re not a scottish sheep? With comments like “its made by apple and that alone is enough to make me buy it.” you are definitely not a smart shopper. Don’t be a bad consumer because that just makes everyone else pay more for electronics. Do some comparison shopping instead of blind and partison faith in a company that tells you how you can use something you have purchased. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let a car company tell me how I’m supposed to drive and operate my motor vehicle. I can’t believe you’re content with someone doing that to your mobile phone.
Garbage! You can make anything sound like a terrible product if you try hard enough. However, when certain authors, such as this one, go overboard on condeming a product that is not even out for general consumption yet, the entire article looks like a slanted rant. So with that, I end with my overall opinion of the article. Garbage!
The iSheep always open their wallets without asking questions.
Facetime is old news, iSheep, it has been released on other world-wide cellphone carriers in South Africa, Canada and other countries that can do the same video calling feature on certain cellphones over 2.5G and 3G networks, not restrictive wi-fi networks years ago.
Apple is going downhill. Microsoft and Android offers more choice than a locked-in, facist Apple cult! Who wants a Mickey Mouse Apple phone interface compared to the refined, adult Metro user interface on Windows Phone 7?
@sceptic: The Zune software is not for the United States only there may only be an english version but it can be downloaded in england, australia anywhere. The Zune HD was sold in many countries and in order to put things onto it u needed the zune software.
What keeps the iPhone ticking? The brain-wash effect that Jobs has. He’s able to create a well-known product that looks good, aimed at the general public who do not look at tight specs. They look at what’s hot – everyone’s buying the iPhone, I should too…
I’d take the WP7 over the iPhone today. Looked at my brother’s iPhone text app just a second ago, and I have to say it looks horrible. Dig into the Zune HD / WP7 interface, you come out and don’t see much in other platforms anymore.
@Gordon: Please find somewhere in the article where I specifically condemned the iPhone. The purpose of the article was to illustrate that even with the iOS4 new features the iPhone is no longer in a category by itself. The second and main purpose was to show that WP7 will not be DOA like some critics will inevitably have the urge to say.
Check around over the last week and you’ll see substantial evidence that points to Microsoft emphasizing and prioritizing WP7. The last time Microsoft dug in so strongly on a product for consumer consumption was Windows 7 and we see how that is going.
Innovative or not, apple is a religion that its god is s.jobs. no matter what, he is going to die one day just like us, because he is actually a human, and thats end of apple. god is dead. thats it, its just a brand with some good products just like say sony or lenovo. there was an end for walkman, no matter how much you invested in cassette tape’s.
@Aleksander Stukov: Yes the iPhone 4 is out but WP7 will be out in the October. Again, by the end of this month we’ll know ALOT more about the phones coming and the premium experiences you can get ONLY on WP7.
iPhone 4 is out, WP7 is not. Winner by far: iPhone. I’m tired of WP7 smoke.