See this ? This is Windows Phone 7 Series. It was announced just a couple of weeks back in Barcelona. It’s the all-new mobile OS from Microsoft and addresses a lot of the issues of Windows Mobile. Microsoft have taken more control and, although there’ll still be a range of handsets and types, there won’t be the same level of customization. No manufacturer GUI’s, no home-screen replacements. It will however mean that Microsoft will have a more standardised platform to update, reducing the current support headache for the many variants of OS and custom builds.
Yesterday Microsoft Asia stated that there won’t be any Windows Phone 7 Series upgrades for existing Windows Mobile 6.5.x owners. This effectively means that all the Windows Mobile 6.5.x handsets available now and appearing over the next few months will be stuck on 6.5.x, with only incremental updates.
We wanted to get a brief snapshot of your thoughts on this, so last night we conducted a straw poll. It’s by no means scientific but it is a good indicator on the strength of feeling in the community. We asked you, “What OS will your next mobile run?” These are the results after just 17 hours with 690 votes…
Android – I currently have an Android Phone – 187 votes (27%)
Android – I am moving from WinMo – 168 votes(24%)
I am going to wait until Windows Phone 7 Series – 156 votes(23%)
Windows Mobile 6.5.x – I currently use WinMo – 88 votes (12.7%)
Android – I am moving from another OS – 67 votes (10%)
Windows Mobile 6.5.x – I am moving from Android – 13 votes (1.8%)
Windows Mobile 6.5.x – Moving from another OS – 11 votes (1.5%)
As you can see, 27% of people have already chosen Android and are sticking with it. What’s concerning for Microsoft is that nearly a quarter of those polled are moving away from Windows Mobile and switching to Android. However, what does show through is the fact that the Windows Phone 7 Series launch last month worked. People are prepared to wait for a Windows Phone 7 Series handset – a whopping 23% of people, and nearly 13% are prepared to buy another Windows Mobile 6.5.xx phone even though it’s not upgradeable to Windows Phone 7 Series. Those are some good numbers for Microsoft, but let’s not forget that quite a few customers are moving away too.