Microsoft to launch Samsung, LG, HTC ‘Windows Phone 7’ phones in US in Nov. exclusively on AT&T

72 Comments

“Microsoft Corp. will formally offer a series of smartphones using the revamped version of its mobile operating system on Oct. 11, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing people familiar with the launch plans,” Sayantani Ghosh reports for Reuters. “AT&T Inc. will start offering these phones four weeks after the launch, which is expected to be centered in New York, with additional events in other cities, the report said.”

Ghosh reports, “Microsoft has been under pressure to come up with new smartphones to rival Apple, which controls the market with its popular iPhone… AT&T will be the initial exclusive U.S. carrier for the Windows Phone 7 smartphones and will offer three handsets — one each made by Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and HTC Corp, the report said.”

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: It took Microsoft nearly four years to come up with their first fake iPhone (with no third-party multitasking, no cut-copy-paste, no tethering, etc.). Four years is like four decades in tech years. WIndows Phone ’07. That’s how badly Apple beat Microsoft.

Related articles:
—Microsoft flailing badly in mobile space, lacks any coherent strategy; CEO Ballmer visionless – August 02, 2010
Microsoft caught off-guard, beaten badly by Apple’s iPhone innovations – February 13, 2007/div>

72 Comments

  1. Microsoft focus summed up in just a few very true words.

    “it will do internet, it will do music, it will ……..do”

    Microsoft products do not excel, they just get by, they … do.

    Just a thought,
    en

    Reply

  10. I’m thinking that this is just more evidence that Apple will release the iPhone to another carrier (preferably T-Mobile). Why else would AT&T give an exclusive release to the Windows 7 phones.

    Reply

  11. I’m thinking that this is just more evidence that Apple will release the iPhone to another carrier (preferably T-Mobile). Why else would AT&T give an exclusive release to the Windows 7 phones.

    Reply

  12. The reason Microsoft is going after Apple instead of Google is because they’re “reacting” instead of responding. They are going after Apple because they feel they can’t be beat by such an old rival that they had written off as dead a decade ago.

    The logical approach would be to go after Google since google is their direct rival because they’re licensing an OS to hardware makers and doing well at it (since they’re giving it away), but Microsoft hasn’t made a logical move in decades – maybe even not since they licensed DOS to IBM.

    Microsoft is spinning out of control and the sign of that has been their brilliant decisions, ego driven remarks and acting like Apple’s success is a fluke.

    Reply

  13. The reason Microsoft is going after Apple instead of Google is because they’re “reacting” instead of responding. They are going after Apple because they feel they can’t be beat by such an old rival that they had written off as dead a decade ago.

    The logical approach would be to go after Google since google is their direct rival because they’re licensing an OS to hardware makers and doing well at it (since they’re giving it away), but Microsoft hasn’t made a logical move in decades – maybe even not since they licensed DOS to IBM.

    Microsoft is spinning out of control and the sign of that has been their brilliant decisions, ego driven remarks and acting like Apple’s success is a fluke.

    Reply

  16. Oh no! Microsoft’s industrial espionage team has discovered that the secret of the iPhone’s success is its link to ATT! And now they’re stealing that fiendishly brilliant idea! Is there no limit to their cleverness and skullduggery?

    Reply

  17. Oh no! Microsoft’s industrial espionage team has discovered that the secret of the iPhone’s success is its link to ATT! And now they’re stealing that fiendishly brilliant idea! Is there no limit to their cleverness and skullduggery?

    Reply

  18. AT&T is desperate to have a highly-promoted product – a “hot” product – to take the focus off the iPhone opening up to other vendors (I use “hot” in the sense of publicity, certainly not desirability). AT&T + Microsoft is a combination guaranteed to drive new purchasers absolutely nuts.

    Reply

  19. AT&T is desperate to have a highly-promoted product – a “hot” product – to take the focus off the iPhone opening up to other vendors (I use “hot” in the sense of publicity, certainly not desirability). AT&T + Microsoft is a combination guaranteed to drive new purchasers absolutely nuts.

    Reply

  20. Clearly Apple’s exclusive with AT&T will end in the next 12 months, and so AT&T is laying the groundwork for diversifying their product portfolio. Lucky for Microsoft that that is the case, because clearly Verizon is happy with shoveling its Droid line down its customer’s throats.

    Success in the cell market is sometimes just about timing. Apple was fortunate to catch Cingular/AT&T when it was looking for a hero phone, to rebrand its stodgy image. That’s not to say the iPhone wasn’t brilliant, cause it was, but no matter how brilliant, if the big carriers don’t sell it, it sells as well as a Nexus One, which means it doesn’t.

    Blackberry’s rise was really pushed by Verizon, and their subsequent fall out of favor has been due to Verizon, as Verizon puts their marketing muscle behind their own Droid line. Moto and HTC have been the beneficiaries, but their lives are tenuous ones as long as Verizon finds them useful. As soon as Verizon discards one, they’ll be in trouble again.

    The most important thing to accomplish is to disintermediate the cell companies and turn them into the dumb pipes they truly are. AT&T is mostly there, but Verizon is still holding out. As long as Verizon clings to their strategy, we won’t see the iPhone offered by them, because Steve won’t give in to their demands, such as having to put their crapware on the iPhone. Android has been the lifeline that has helped delay the transition of the cell carriers into dumb pipes. I think that probably bothers Sergey and Larry, but not Schmidt.

    Reply

  21. Clearly Apple’s exclusive with AT&T will end in the next 12 months, and so AT&T is laying the groundwork for diversifying their product portfolio. Lucky for Microsoft that that is the case, because clearly Verizon is happy with shoveling its Droid line down its customer’s throats.

    Success in the cell market is sometimes just about timing. Apple was fortunate to catch Cingular/AT&T when it was looking for a hero phone, to rebrand its stodgy image. That’s not to say the iPhone wasn’t brilliant, cause it was, but no matter how brilliant, if the big carriers don’t sell it, it sells as well as a Nexus One, which means it doesn’t.

    Blackberry’s rise was really pushed by Verizon, and their subsequent fall out of favor has been due to Verizon, as Verizon puts their marketing muscle behind their own Droid line. Moto and HTC have been the beneficiaries, but their lives are tenuous ones as long as Verizon finds them useful. As soon as Verizon discards one, they’ll be in trouble again.

    The most important thing to accomplish is to disintermediate the cell companies and turn them into the dumb pipes they truly are. AT&T is mostly there, but Verizon is still holding out. As long as Verizon clings to their strategy, we won’t see the iPhone offered by them, because Steve won’t give in to their demands, such as having to put their crapware on the iPhone. Android has been the lifeline that has helped delay the transition of the cell carriers into dumb pipes. I think that probably bothers Sergey and Larry, but not Schmidt.

    Reply

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