Microsoft hopes to triple iPhone's launch with Windows Phone 7

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
In 2007, Steve Jobs set a big goal for Apple in launching the iPhone: 10 million phones sold in 2008. Microsoft is now setting the goal of selling 30 million Windows Phone 7 devices by the end of 2011.



Microsoft's bold goal, as reported by MobileTech World, was presented at a ReMIX event in France.



According to Gartner, Microsoft sold just 16.5 million Windows Mobile phones in 2008, the same year Apple exceeded its original goal with 11.4 million iPhones. Microsoft's Steve Ballmer claimed sales of 20 million for 2008 on stage at CES 2009.



Since then however, Apple has dramatically increased its smartphone business while Microsoft's has shrunk significantly. In the first calendar quarter of 2010, Apple sold 8.8 million iPhones while Microsoft only sold 3.7 million licenses for Windows Mobile.



Windows Phone 7, the incompatible new successor to Windows Mobile 6.x, won't arrive until the end of the year, meaning the company will only have four quarters to attain its 30 million unit goal before the end of 2011.



It will need to immediately outsell the iPhone and Google's Android and continue doing so all year as a brand new platform with no real installed base of users, no library of apps, just two retail stores, and an instantaneous global launch.



Apple has reported total sales of 51.2 million iPhones through March 2010. Combined with the iPod touch, the company has sold 85 million devices through the first quarter
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 156
    Laughing out loud.
  • Reply 2 of 156
    without drinking too much haterade here, i'm guessing they'll fall short.



    does anyone know of any "cool" devices that are supposed to debut with Windows phone 7? iPhone + cool android phones + RIM will do enough to keep a ton of purchases away from MSFT.



    or am i being unreasonable?
  • Reply 3 of 156
    Wish in one hand and crap in the other ....... see which one fills up first. You have to wonder what's in the water in Redmond Washington.
  • Reply 4 of 156
    tundraboytundraboy Posts: 1,884member
    They can always just give the phones away. Not like it would be the first time that they throw money down a hole just to prop up reported unit sales figures.
  • Reply 5 of 156
    dick applebaumdick applebaum Posts: 12,527member
    No elfin' way



    .
  • Reply 6 of 156
    smiles77smiles77 Posts: 668member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tundraboy View Post


    They can always just give the phones away. Not like it would be the first time that they throw money down a hole just to prop up reported unit sales figures.



    If they paid people $100 to take their phone, I don't think they'd make their target.
  • Reply 7 of 156
    donlphidonlphi Posts: 214member
    It's always great to set goals I suppose.



    Unfortunately, you can't compare the two launches.



    Apple iPhone OS available on the Apple iPhone with one service provider in one country at initial launch.



    Windows Mobile 7 available on how many phones with how many service providers in how many countries at launch?



    If they don't sell 30 million phones in a year, I would call it an epic fail.
  • Reply 8 of 156
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    With all the vocal blunders Microsoft has made in the past, they are setting themselves up for failure by proclaiming their goal.



    Of course, regardless of how many units they give - er... "sell", when the final number is below their expectations, they will already have some kind of verbal marketing script already in place that will explain how "happy" they are with their initial launch.



    Has anyone heard how their "amazing" Microsoft Stores are doing?
  • Reply 9 of 156
    ozexigeozexige Posts: 215member
    ***coughcoughgurglef..gbullstcoughcough***

    My apologies all, just coughed up my coffee and bagel, excuse me.





    Back to the subject;



    Yep, MS is gonna sell all their phones at the (new) Microsoft Retail Store (it is only one store, right?)



    Where is that store BTW?
  • Reply 10 of 156
    rot'napplerot'napple Posts: 1,839member
    But does it have a keyboard? Inquiring minds want to know!
  • Reply 11 of 156
    malaxmalax Posts: 1,598member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rot'nApple View Post


    But does it have a keyboard? Inquiring minds want to know!



    At least one. And a stylus.
  • Reply 12 of 156
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha



    *breathes*



    Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha
  • Reply 13 of 156
    chronsterchronster Posts: 1,894member
    I can say this: I really like windows mobile up to about 6.5 for many reasons. I'm running 6.1 on my TP2 right now and I'm happy with it.



    I will NOT be buying a "Windows Phone 7." Not only is the name retarded (were there 6 other windows phones? no) but they are leaving out SO much stuff that I gave up an iphone for a while back.



    What's funny is, I'm honestly considering an iPhone 4g based on what I've seen, and also for the fact that AT&T is the only carrier that anyone can get any service with in our building at work lol.



    But seriously. WP7 isn't gonna be the first choice of many die hard WM "power users."
  • Reply 14 of 156
    oc4theooc4theo Posts: 294member
    Microsoft will sell 30 million phones? Which phone? Or do you mean licenses? Who wants to pay for licenses when Google is giving it away for free?



    Apple is smoking hot. Blackberry is running as fast as it can handle and giving away free phones too! Nokia is struggling and suing every body and their grandma! Oh, and Samsung is out with its own phone software. Well, that left no one company who wants to pay Microsoft for the technology of of 1990s.



    Unless they are going to give 99% of the 30million away for free. Then some people may want to give it a try, and screw up their credit for not keeping the junk for 2yrs.



    What a big joke!



    MICROSOFT will sell 30 millions phones? And John McCain will be the next president of the United States! Yeah right.
  • Reply 15 of 156
    I read about this in The Onion.
  • Reply 16 of 156
    stevetimstevetim Posts: 482member
    If monkey boy jumps around the stage with his sweaty underarms I'll buy one.
  • Reply 17 of 156
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by malax View Post


    At least one. And a stylus.



    Don't forget the mandatory "Bing" button.. it is the killer button/feature
  • Reply 18 of 156
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by OC4Theo View Post


    Microsoft will sell 30 million phones? Which phone? Or do you mean licenses? Who wants to pay for licenses when Google is giving it away for free?



    That is my question too. Unless they give it for free to manufacturers, they'll never get enough models' support to reach that sales figure. And with iPhone 4G (and then 5G + multiple carriers in 2011) competition... poor delusional M$FT
  • Reply 19 of 156
    dimmokdimmok Posts: 359member
    April Fools!!!! hahaha
  • Reply 20 of 156
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member
    Ballmer thinks they'll do that without multitasking, when every other major smartphone platform has it???



    Well, MS does have a lot of its own fanbois.
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