AT&T sees 'challenges' ahead as it plans to sell Nokia Windows Phones in 2012
An AT&T executive said Wednesday that his company is finalizing discussions with Nokia to begin carrying its Windows Phone smartphones next year, while also noting that he believes Microsoft will face "challenges" in attracting customers away from entrenched rivals Apple and Google.
Speaking at a Morgan Stanley conference in Barcelona, Glenn Lurie, AT&T's head of emerging devices, told Bloomberg BusinessWeek that details of the agreement between Nokia and AT&T were still being completed.
"We look at every promotional period separately and decide what we?re going to spend our dollars on and what we?re going to put our efforts in,? he said. ?But nothing to announce there on that yet.?
Late last month, Nokia unveiled its first two smartphones running the Windows Phone operating system. The devices are the first in a close partnership between Microsoft and the Finnish handset maker that was announced early this year.
Nokia's new Lumia 800 (left) and Lumia 710 are its first Windows Phones.
"The carriers are acting skittish and I think AT&T may not want to give Lumia a Christmas season slot,? the report noted independent industry analyst Tero Kuittinen as saying. For its part, Nokia has said it plans to release its Lumia phones in the U.S. early next year.
Microsoft rebooted its mobile operating system offerings with the release of Windows Phone 7 last year. However, the platform has failed to gain traction in the market, resulting in the company's share of smartphone sales dropping from 2.7 percent in the third quarter of 2010 to just 1.5 percent during the same period in 2011.
Given that Nokia is the world's largest handset maker by a wide margin, Microsoft's deal with the company is believed to have brought Windows Phone the critical mass it needs in order to take off. But, AT&T's Lurie warned during the conference that the software giant faces obstacles ahead of it, both for Windows Phone and Windows 8 tablets.
?I think we?re still going to see a lot of challenges,? he said on Wednesday. ?I?m actually a fan of the Windows devices, I?m also very excited about Windows 8 on the tablet devices, but you?re still going to have a lot of people competing for that space.?
At the least, the partnership between the two giants appears to have attracted developers to the platform. According to a recent study from Appcelerator and IDC, 38 percent of developers are "very interested" in Windows Phone, up from 30 percent last year. When asked the reason for the increase, 48 percent pointed to the Microsoft/Nokia partnership. However, Microsoft will definitely have to come from behind even with developers, as 91 percent of respondents expressed strong interest in Apple's iPhone. The iPad was also a close second, attracting 88 percent of developers.
Speaking at a Morgan Stanley conference in Barcelona, Glenn Lurie, AT&T's head of emerging devices, told Bloomberg BusinessWeek that details of the agreement between Nokia and AT&T were still being completed.
"We look at every promotional period separately and decide what we?re going to spend our dollars on and what we?re going to put our efforts in,? he said. ?But nothing to announce there on that yet.?
Late last month, Nokia unveiled its first two smartphones running the Windows Phone operating system. The devices are the first in a close partnership between Microsoft and the Finnish handset maker that was announced early this year.
Nokia's new Lumia 800 (left) and Lumia 710 are its first Windows Phones.
"The carriers are acting skittish and I think AT&T may not want to give Lumia a Christmas season slot,? the report noted independent industry analyst Tero Kuittinen as saying. For its part, Nokia has said it plans to release its Lumia phones in the U.S. early next year.
Microsoft rebooted its mobile operating system offerings with the release of Windows Phone 7 last year. However, the platform has failed to gain traction in the market, resulting in the company's share of smartphone sales dropping from 2.7 percent in the third quarter of 2010 to just 1.5 percent during the same period in 2011.
Given that Nokia is the world's largest handset maker by a wide margin, Microsoft's deal with the company is believed to have brought Windows Phone the critical mass it needs in order to take off. But, AT&T's Lurie warned during the conference that the software giant faces obstacles ahead of it, both for Windows Phone and Windows 8 tablets.
?I think we?re still going to see a lot of challenges,? he said on Wednesday. ?I?m actually a fan of the Windows devices, I?m also very excited about Windows 8 on the tablet devices, but you?re still going to have a lot of people competing for that space.?
At the least, the partnership between the two giants appears to have attracted developers to the platform. According to a recent study from Appcelerator and IDC, 38 percent of developers are "very interested" in Windows Phone, up from 30 percent last year. When asked the reason for the increase, 48 percent pointed to the Microsoft/Nokia partnership. However, Microsoft will definitely have to come from behind even with developers, as 91 percent of respondents expressed strong interest in Apple's iPhone. The iPad was also a close second, attracting 88 percent of developers.
Comments
I want that blue Lumia 800. I'll get it from FInland direct if I can't get it in the States.
From a design perspective the Lumia 800 is simply breathtaking. From a tech perspective however I can't help the feeling it's a bit of a dead duck.
From all accounts WP7 on the Lumia 800 is just as fluid and smooth as any other hardware. That said the gen 1.5 style specs, the lack of a front facing camera, no LTE and NFC make me think the Lumia 800 will still be breathtaking beautiful in a couple of years, but it will also be looking very dated technically.
Paul Amsellem (Nokia's general manager in France) let it slip that the Lumia 800 is like Nokia's mid-range phone. So who knows, maybe when they come to the States early next year they will bring a phone as advanced technically as it is beautiful.
From a design perspective the Lumia 800 is simply breathtaking.
I am thinking it is kind of nice looking, too. I have to wonder if that is because it looks like an iPod
I am thinking it is kind of nice looking, too. I have to wonder if that is because it looks like an iPod.
Probably not. If I'd never seen an iPod the Lumia 800 would still be very nice looking phone.
I wish um all the best luck with this one. Maybe there will be a low-end smart phone that is not always six to eight months behind in updates.
At the moment WP7 updates rates are way ahead of anything except iOS. We'll see how they go after a couple of hardware generations.
I want that blue Lumia 800. I'll get it from FInland direct if I can't get it in the States.
So what makes you want this mobile phone that much? I am just curious. I have heard and seen good things from MS about WP7 (mango) OS. But what stands out for you?
The only platforms that will survive are the ones that can build a loyal user base, Right now, Apple has the most loyal users and highest retention rates of any platform.
I want that blue Lumia 800. I'll get it from FInland direct if I can't get it in the States.
I have always wondered why Jony Ive is considered to be the best industrial designer of our era. Now I know why. These Nokia prototypes are abominable abortions. My coffee spewed through my nose when I took a gander.
Cloner Windows Phones are already available around the world and are a complete and total failure because they are horrible. The UI is unusable. The OS is terrible. The browser is third rate. Putting a Nokia label on the phones is not going to change this.
It's not like I don't understand that you're only trolling when you vent like this. I get it, you're angry and you're bitter and you just want to lash out. That's cool, I was easily able to block you so I very rarely need to see any of it.
But let me just make one point for you to ponder. It doesnt matter if you don't understand design or have terrible taste. If you can't look at those Lumia 800's and at least acknowledge that they are a beautiful example of industrial design then there's something wrong with you, or rather, something missing.
From a design perspective the Lumia 800 is simply breathtaking. From a tech perspective however I can't help the feeling it's a bit of a dead duck.
From all accounts WP7 on the Lumia 800 is just as fluid and smooth as any other hardware. That said the gen 1.5 style specs, the lack of a front facing camera, no LTE and NFC make me think the Lumia 800 will still be breathtaking beautiful in a couple of years, but it will also be looking very dated technically.
Paul Amsellem (Nokia's general manager in France) let it slip that the Lumia 800 is like Nokia's mid-range phone. So who knows, maybe when they come to the States early next year they will bring a phone as advanced technically as it is beautiful.
ROFLOL - "breathtaking"????? you mean the way it resembles an anodized aluminum iPod from the past?
So what makes you want this mobile phone that much? I am just curious. I have heard and seen good things from MS about WP7 (mango) OS. But what stands out for you?
He never was the brightest bulb in the room!
The OS is nice. But MS' services are terrible and being so tied to them is the anchor holding back what would be an otherwise great OS.
The one nice thing about WP7 though would be Zune Pass. That's an amazing offering that I wish either Apple or Google matched.
Cloner Windows Phones are already available around the world and are a complete and total failure because they are horrible. The UI is unusable. The OS is terrible. The browser is third rate. Putting a Nokia label on the phones is not going to change this. Microsoft needs to stop pissing away shareholders money and focus on milking their illegally obtained desktop and productivity suite monopolies. that is how they will enrich their investors.
Are you sure you're talking about Windows Phone and not Windows Mobile?
ROFLOL - "breathtaking"????? you mean the way it resembles an anodized aluminum iPod from the past?
I agree.
It's basically a 2nd/5th gen blue iPon Nano that's wider with a larger screen, buttons on the side instead of the top, and obviously no click wheel. Basically a flattened anodized aluminum tube. Nothing new or noteworthy to see here design-wise, move along.
I'm not saying it doesn't look nice, it's just been done, before, a lot.
ROFLOL - "breathtaking"????? you mean the way it resembles an anodized aluminum iPod from the past?
Are you suggesting that anodized aluminum iPod was ugly?
This is their (probably last) shot for the phone market. If they want to be relevant they should throw away a big chunk of money and work deals with the carriers so that customers would get a rebate (like $50 or maybe $100) if they get a 2 year contract with a windows phone (i.e. pay the customers to take the phones) - then they'd get all they could make into consumer's hands and a good chunk of those would probably stick to the platform in 2 years (without rebates).
Because of MS's lackluster stock performance over the years, its under alot of pressure not to waste money these days, but if they want in on the phone market they'll need to buy their way in to get appreciable marketshare - or they could just sit back and take those licensing fees from Android phones that they've got Google developing for them.
Without something radical marketing wise (like paying customers a rebate with a 2 year contract), I don't see how they can get much marketshare against other phones as iOS and Android already have the market diced up.
Consumers, especially in the mobile market, are a very fickle bunch... They usually follow buzzwords and brands. There is no such thing as "entrenched". One only needs to look at Nokia and RIM to see how fast users are willing to abandon mobile platforms.
The only platforms that will survive are the ones that can build a loyal user base, Right now, Apple has the most loyal users and highest retention rates of any platform.
They are fickle, which is why it is important to lock them in.
Apple's ecosystem is second to none. It both attracts new users, and locks in existing users who buy apps and accessories.
If somebody gets an iHome alarm clock for example, they might be more likely to get another iPhone, instead of repacing it with an Android phone, seeing as how the iPhone plugs right in. If they spend $100 on apps which they enjoy, they might be more likely to get another iphone, rather than buy all the apps a second time for a new platform.
They are fickle, but they can be locked in. Apple knows how to do it - with a superior ecosystem. That is why market share is so important to Apple - it makes a self-perpetuating ecosystem, which in turn makes it more likely to retain existing customers.
My problem with Windows Phone is that its tied to MS' offerings.
My problem is that it requires you to buy apps only from the OS manufacturer's store. If you want an app, you won't get it unless M$ will allow you to have it.
That alone is enough to make me 100% uninterested in getting a Windows Phone.
They are fickle, which is why it is important to lock them in.
Apple's ecosystem is second to none. It both attracts new users, and locks in existing users who buy apps and accessories.
If somebody gets an iHome alarm clock for example, they might be more likely to get another iPhone, instead of repacing it with an Android phone, seeing as how the iPhone plugs right in. If they spend $100 on apps which they enjoy, they might be more likely to get another iphone, rather than buy all the apps a second time for a new platform.
They are fickle, but they can be locked in. Apple knows how to do it - with a superior ecosystem. That is why market share is so important to Apple - it makes a self-perpetuating ecosystem, which in turn makes it more likely to retain existing customers.
Fallacious argument to the extreme. A majority share of the market has nothing to do with Apple's ability I maintain a grow their consumer base. Stopping making up stupid shit!