Skip to main content

There is no hope for Windows Phone in 2011

NOKIA Lumia 710
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Today, Nokia unveiled its first Windows Phone 7.5 handsets: the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710. They look fantastic, and Nokia has a consistent marketing and advertising plan, but there’s one problem: Neither of them will be coming to the United States this year. They’re launching all over Europe and Asia, but not here.  The reason boils down to how much control wireless carriers exert in the U.S., but no matter the politics of it, Nokia’s failure to secure placement spells out the future of Windows Phone in holiday 2011: not good.

Despite the fact that Windows Phone 7.5 is pretty great, Microsoft’s platform has a lot of problems. It’s possible that 2012 will mark a massive resurgence for Windows Phone, but this year is a goner. Here are a few reasons why.

No flagship handsets

Since Microsoft launched Windows Phone a year ago, one thing the platform has really lacked is a flagship device, or a handset that will drive consumer interest toward the platform. There are plenty of Windows Phone 7 handsets, but none of them have garnered much attention. No company has really made the WP7 platform a strategic focus like so many companies have done with Android. The first year of Windows Phones has been marked by decent, but uninteresting devices and a lack of momentum. Where are the Windows Phones that try to compete with Android on specs and features? Where is the Windows Phone that tries to go toe-to-toe with the iPhone? Where is a Windows Phone that has tried to do anything but sit quietly behind a window? Nokia is the first manufacturer to put real energy into the WP7 platform. Its Lumia 800 has some great exclusive apps like turn-by-turn navigation and defining features like NFC integration, but it wasn’t able to get a U.S. release this year. Why? Well, read on. 

galaxy-nexus-droid-razr-iphone-4s
Image used with permission by copyright holder

No dual-core or LTE support

A year ago, Microsoft’s first batch of Windows Phones were powerful, and competed with Android devices on specs. They all had 1GHz processors and touchscreens, among other things. Unfortunately, a year has changed a lot. The first dual-core Android phones were unveiled last January at CES 2011 and began to pop up on carrier shelves throughout the first six months of the year. Verizon announced its first LTE phones at CES as well. It took until summertime, but now the hottest new trends in phones are dual-core processors and LTE technology. Yet, despite knowing all about these emerging technologies, Microsoft still doesn’t support dual-core processors or LTE for Windows Phones.

Unlike Android, Microsoft controls the hardware specs of its devices, and it hasn’t been keeping up with trends. Microsoft claims that it’s waiting to make sure it gets the technologies right and delivers on battery life and performance, but while it’s quietly whittling away at these technologies, Android partners are releasing cutting-edge phone after phone. Even Apple’s new iPhone is dual-core. It’s understandable to wait on LTE, since only one U.S. carrier currently supports it, but Microsoft needs to take a leadership position in introducing cutting-edge hardware and new features to phones if it hopes to steal any marketshare away from Android. Or, more importantly, keep its platform alive at all. Throughout 2011, Microsoft’s smartphone marketshare actually shrunk.

When you’re fourth place in a marketplace of four smartphone operating systems, you can’t afford to sit on your hands. Microsoft claims it is setting itself up to “leap frog” the competition. While I hope it’s right, how long will it be before Android leapfrogs right back? Redmond needs to pick up the pace.

No carrier support

windows-phone-attA year after release, only AT&T has more than a single Windows Phone device on its network. There have been half a dozen new Windows Phone devices announced in the last few months, but only one of them is finally hitting a U.S. carrier. The HTC Radar will be released on T-Mobile soon. Fantastic, but where are the rest of the phones? Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) is an outstanding operating system and really brings the WP7 experience up to where it should be to compete with Android and iOS. But try as I might to get people interested in Windows Phone, there are no good handsets to choose from that aren’t six months to a year old. If you’re on Verizon, only the HTC Trophy is available and it doesn’t support LTE, making it quite noncompetitive on that network. If you’re on AT&T, you can choose between the old Samsung Focus or HTC HD7s. Both of these devices are mostly similar and neither is new. We know that Samsung has two new Focus phones ready. Where are they? Worst, on Sprint, only the HTC Arrive is available and it has a QWERTY keyboard. If you don’t want a QWERTY keyboard or want a 4G phone, you’re out of luck on that carrier.

There is no choice in the Windows Phone ecosystem right now, and the choice that exists is minimal. I don’t think Microsoft needs to let handset manufacturers run hog wild with Windows Phone like they do with Android, but they need the ability to compete and keep up with Android devices, or at the very least, technologies like LTE that carriers are demanding.

Pray for 2012

Windows Phone is an awesome OS and if I find a way to get a hold of a Nokia Lumia 800, it may be my next phone. But my contract is up, as are millions of others who will be picking phones this holiday season. Google’s ecosystem has pumped out several great choices for top handsets like the Galaxy S II, HTC Amaze 4G, Droid Razr, Atrix II, and Galaxy Nexus. Windows Phone has the HTC Radar 4G on T-Mobile and maybe two or three more stragglers coming to AT&T. That’s it. I’m finding it hard to believe Microsoft when it says WP7 is going to have a good holiday season. I don’t see how it can without a slate of solid new handset. When are the Samsung Focus Flash, Samsung Focus S, and HTC Titan coming out? And if all three of those handsets are destined for AT&T, where does that leave users on Sprint and Verizon?

2012 could be a great year for Windows Phone: Windows 8 is set to be released, the Xbox  360 is getting a Live Tile makeover, and Nokia claims it has more tricks up its sleeve. But without new phones and competitive features this holiday, Windows Phone will continue to languish. At this point, Microsoft is going to have to put some energy into its ecosystem or Windows Phone may not be a factor at all this time next year.  

Editors' Recommendations

Jeffrey Van Camp
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…
Visible just made its unlimited 5G plan better than ever
Visible wireless phones and plans featured

Digital wireless service provider Visible has announced upgrades to its premium Visible+ phone plan. The highlight is a new Global Pass feature that allows Visible customers to use their phones in 140 countries worldwide.

The Visible Global Pass offers unlimited talk and text services, along with 2GB of high-speed data, for a flat rate of $10 per day. Visible+ members can also enjoy a free Global Pass usage day every month. The activation process can be done through the Visible app.

Read more
The OnePlus Watch 2 is the Wear OS smartwatch I’ve been waiting for
Person wearing OnePlus Watch 2 with a green strap on their left wrist.

The OnePlus Watch 2 -- the company's first Wear OS watch -- has entered a market that Samsung dominates. However, OnePlus' popularity as a smartphone brand can be expected to bring small, yet meaningful changes that benefit not only OnePlus users, but all of the Wear OS segment in general.

For almost a decade, Samsung and Apple have predominantly been the default options if you want a smartwatch that is actually useful and goes beyond flashy features. With Samsung shifting gears and migrating from its own Tizen OS to the (relatively) more universal Wear OS platform and Google releasing its own Pixel Watch after struggling with an identity crisis in the smartwatch world, the platform has much more traction than it did a few years ago. As OnePlus carves its way into the segment, it has the opportunity to entice people who don't wish to live within Samsung's limitations when using a Galaxy Watch with another brand's phone.

Read more
Buying an iPad Mini today? You need to know about this deal
The Apple Pencil attaches to the iPad mini magnetically.

If you've had an eye on iPad deals for the latest model of the Apple iPad Mini for a while now, this may be the offer that you've been waiting for -- a $100 discount from Best Buy on the tablet's Wi-Fi, 64GB model, slashing its price to $400 from $500. It's still pretty popular years after its release, so we don't expect stocks of the device for this sale to last long. If you're thinking about taking advantage of this bargain, you better push through with your purchase as soon as possible to make sure that you don't miss out on the savings.

Why you should buy the Apple iPad Mini 2021
The latest generation of the Apple iPad Mini was released in 2021, but it's still featured in our roundup of the best iPads because it's the model that you should buy if you want a smaller and more compact version of Apple's tablets. Its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display is smaller than the screens of its peers, but it's still big enough to enjoy watching streaming shows and browsing websites, while allowing you to use the device with one hand. Unlike its predecessor, there's no Home button, so the Touch ID sensor is instead built into the power button at the side of the Apple iPad Mini 2021.

Read more