Well, at least Microsoft has improved on the Kin launch. According to TheStreet, Microsoft sold 40,000 Windows Phone 7 devices on Monday, its first day of release. While paltry in comparison to established platforms like the iPhone (270,000 activations a day) and Android (200,000 activations a day), it isn’t a terrible start. Remember, the iPhone and Android may get 200,000-300,000 activations a day, but those are worldwide. This was a U.S.-only launch for Phone 7. 40,000 units, if accurate, isn’t impressive, but it isn’t bad either.
“It’s early in the game,” said Roger Entner, Nielsen telecom analyst. “Not every product surges right out of the starting blocks. The first Android phone was not a big seller at T-Mobile. We’ll see what happens with Black Friday sales. They’ll probably cut prices like everyone else does. It’s the nature of the beast.”
Early reports point toward strong sales of the T-Mobile HD7 on launch day. European sales have been brisk as well.
Industry strategist Michael Cote noted that launching the phones on Monday may not have been a smart decision. Friday and Saturday are better launch days, he says. Then there are the number of devices. Microsoft launched Phone 7 with nine devices, but the number of offerings may have confused customers. With no real standout among the pack, many consumers are forced to pick among the suspiciously similar slate of smartphones. All of them are $200 and many look alike to an average customer.
Microsoft certainly has a challenge ahead of it. While slick looking, Windows Phone 7 has been criticized for lacking core business features and basic functions like copy and paste. Hopefully word-of-mouth will build through the holidays.
