Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore “happy with Windows Phone 7 sales”

December 8, 2010 | By Surur

Joe Belfiore, Microsoft Vice President in charge of Windows Phone 7, spoke to Ina Fried after his D:Dive into Mobile appearance.

More positive than he was on stage with Walt Mossberg, he noted that the Windows Phone 7 team was happy with sales, considering the platform was being rebooted, and that they still needed to get their message about the new platform out to buyers.

Interestingly he notes the most common complaint users have is the same we highlighted here, an inability to sync with desktop outlook, and it should suggest to Microsoft that they need a better solution than the current Connector solution.

Read more about the interview at AllthingsD here.

About Surur

Site Admin and Windows Phone enthusiast, he has been using Windows Mobile devices since before they were called PocketPC’s. He is currently sporting a HTC 7 Trophy.

Tagged microsoft, video, windows phone 7

Bob

He mentioned the camera first (again) as the most compelling feature of WP7. He needs to stop doing that.

http://wmpoweruser.com wmpoweruser

It is actually the easiest compellingly different feature that makes sense to regular consumers.

Guest

Yep, the camera is the key feature… wonder where I've heard that before… Oh yeah, the Kin phones had some kick ass cameras on them, and of course we know how well that product sold. http://wmpoweruser.com/the-kin-camera-one-of-micr…
http://twitter.com/AaronCT123 @AaronCT123

Eh… debatable. I think most people would be more intrigued by "Xbox Live Gaming" than they would by "hardware camera button" but to each their own, I suppose.

http://twitter.com/Burl_cleave @Burl_cleave

I guess I don't understand why people are so obsessed with syncing with Outlook. That's like a feature we needed maybe 5 years ago. Everything these days is about the cloud. Syncing with Outlook to get your info is like using stone tools to build a house.

euis

not if you work in the business sector, especially a big corporation.

hvakrg

Even if it's a big corporation it's still a really dated way of handelig things. The companies who are still syncing with Outlook clients need to get stuff like Hosted Exchange/Office 365 or similar products from other companies like Google

rsg

Agreed.

JT4

I have BB from work and HD7 for my personal use, and my company uses lotus notes. Outlook is the only way I can keep both BB and WP7 contacts synced. I was able to use live account to sync contacts with outlook and WP7 but miss my notes from the outlook.

Somehow I'm optimistic that MS is going to add multi-tasking, outlook sync and flash support in next update with copy and paste support. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed.
tommy

Microsoft is so "cutting edge" it forgot who is buys its phones. Its not people with MS exchange or 10 yr olds who are happy to have their whole life available for theft and spamming in the "cloud".

at least 80% of buyers would have to be people with personal outlook and need this basic privacy protecting/locally managed synch feature. Unfortunately the vast majority of microsof t employees and program managers like this one will never understand that until enough customers complain

Guest

Glad to you that you think you are clever enough to come up with analogies. Unfortunately you apparently aren't familiar with the "Tasks" feature on Outlook that used to sync practically flawlessly to Windows Mobile 6.5 and older versions via ActiveSync or WMDC. There are more customers than you are aware of that got into Outlook (an over $100 software investment) and because of tasks then in turn a Windows Mobile phone (I recently purchased my third – which aren't cheap either) because of their ability to sync with outlook. No, the cloud definitely has its benefits, but there are certain things Outlook can do that Hotmail simply cannot (again, possibly a benefit in investing over $100 in software opposed to Hotmail being free). To know know that Microsoft is cutting cords on syncing certain information is extremely disappointing, especially to the many consumers that got into Outlook because of tasks. Third party applications just aren't the same. Again, that's why many people got into Outlook, because their organizational features were far superior. That's one of the main things that sets them apart (organizational features in Outlook) Microsoft is really dropping the ball by cutting out many of their already loyal customers. It seams like their business strategy is resulting in cutting off loyal customers and then hopefully rebuild with a new customer base. Problem is Android and iPhone is so far advanced as far as apps and games go, Microsoft is really really behind. I commend them on what improvements (as far as ease of use and touchscreen responsiveness go – really helps the phone to be more user friendly), but they can do that without cutting ties with their already loyal customer base. Bad decision on their part. I work at a cell phone store. I have been selling cell phones since 2007. For a long time I have been the only Windows Mobile fan that works there (other coworkers being loyal Blackberry or Android fans). Since Windows Phone 7 came out last year our store has sold hundreds of Android phones, and not a single Windows Phone 7. Where Microsoft used to have features that Android didn't have (like Outlook sync without a third party) now there isn't one possible thing that our employees at the store can think of to suggest to customers a Windows Phone 7 over Android… with the possible exception of watching Netflix. And I ask every customer this, "do you really want to spend $200 to watch Netflix?" And then I make nice commission off of selling them an Android phone. Again, I have Windows Mobile 6.5, and recently bought my wife a 6.5 phone… but next time around, unless Microsoft does more to repair the damage they've done by cutting off their customer base, our family and the employees at my store may entirely be on the Android bandwagon (unlike free Hotmail at least free Gmail offers online tasks).

raidenn

Mossberg is an ass anyway.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=505515024 John Bascom

everyone knows where his mouth is permanently attached.

syrinx

Hahaha

Ktdan1

Yep, Walt is a total waste of time for any one other than IOS. I think he does more damage than good.

bch

He mentions that the #1 complaint is the lack of direct sync with Outlook. I interpret that as they are going to add this capability.

interframe

Yep, the guy who's running the engineering team in WP7 (Terry Myerson) led the Exchange team to world domination and knows all about what the enterprise needs/wants. Although it was smart for Microsoft to prioritize for the consumer for v1.0 of WP7, because most businesses are deploying Blackberrys anyways, for now.

http://twitter.com/jimmyfal @jimmyfal

#1 complaint is about Outlook. This is a HUGE deal that you can only see the depth of by reading the forums. http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/…
GP007

If you ask me, the local desktop sync or sync with Outlook if you will to WP7 can be fixed easily, two words, LIVE MESH! Just update Live Mesh to support WP7, then you can sync not only your Outlook data with WP7 and all your other PCs but also IE favorites AND you can then also sync your other Office docs right to the phone instead of having to email them to yourself like you do right now.

MS should get the Live apps team cracking on adding direct support for WP7 in Mesh and also Photo viewer so you can then use that snappy WP7 Camera more without having to go through the feature lacking Zune PC software to get your photos back to the PC.
Mesonto

He only mentions contacts to sync in Outlook, I want contacts, notes, tasks, and calendar.
Fritzo2162

Their phone is almost destined to fail-

1. They're way too late to the market. There was a need in the market for a trendy smart phone since not everyone could get an iPhone, and Android phones filled that gap beautifully. That leaves a pretty saturated market.

2. It does nothing new that people will value. The IPhone introduced Apps, Google gave Android an awesome browser and sync capabilities, and the Win7 Phone…well…it has squares that update themselves.

3. Microsoft is trying to patch together a back end to tie into it's phone. Apple had ITunes in place, Google had Gmail in place, and I think Microsoft was expecting you to still be either using POP3 Exchange, . They should have tied their phone into Hotmail or Live mail and set up a sync system.

Microsoft has always based their business model on taking someone else's idea, making their own version of it, then throwing a lot of money at it to make it the only product that people are aware of. With Google's cash and reputation for free toys, and Apple's "cool" factor, MS's model isn't working anymore, and they have no idea what to do with themselves.
snappring

I also think its a shame for windows that they can't even sync direct with their own software anymore. I've been using a windows phone from ever since they made the 2003 SE version. So far an upgrade was always better, faster, and easier with less confusions. But now with the new Phone 7, I've been working 2 complete days already, and I still don't have enough of my data in there that its ready to work for me. With all the rest of my windows phones, this would have taken me only 15 min. And when ever I wanted to fix an unwanted install or things that would slow down my phone, I would reset my phone and load it again in just minutes.
Now if I were a kid that only had music, pictures, videos and "all that stuff that don't even belong in a real work phone", then yes ; this phone could be reloaded fast.
I wish they would start making a separate phone for those who work and for those who play!!!!!!
To me the most important update is direct syncing between my PC!!!
Guest

There are many customers (myself included) that got into Outlook (an over $100 software investment) and because of tasks then in turn a Windows Mobile phone (I recently purchased my third – which aren't cheap either) because of their ability to sync with outlook. No, the cloud definitely has its benefits, but there are certain things Outlook can do that Hotmail simply cannot (again, possibly a benefit in investing over $100 in software opposed to Hotmail being free). To know know that Microsoft is cutting cords on syncing certain information is extremely disappointing, especially to the many consumers that got into Outlook because of tasks. Third party applications just aren't the same. Again, that's why many people got into Outlook, because their organizational features were far superior. That's one of the main things that sets them apart (organizational features in Outlook) Microsoft is really dropping the ball by cutting out many of their already loyal customers. It seams like their business strategy is resulting in cutting off loyal customers and then hopefully rebuild with a new customer base. Problem is Android and iPhone is so far advanced as far as apps and games go, Microsoft is really really behind. I commend them on what improvements (as far as ease of use and touchscreen responsiveness go – really helps the phone to be more user friendly), but they can do that without cutting ties with their already loyal customer base. Bad decision on their part. I work at a cell phone store. I have been selling cell phones since 2007. For a long time I have been the only Windows Mobile fan that works there (other coworkers being loyal Blackberry or Android fans). Since Windows Phone 7 came out last year our store has sold hundreds of Android phones, and not a single Windows Phone 7. Where Microsoft used to have features that Android didn't have (like Outlook sync without a third party) now there isn't one possible thing that our employees at the store can think of to suggest to customers a Windows Phone 7 over Android… with the possible exception of watching Netflix. And I ask every customer this, "do you really want to spend $200 to watch Netflix?" And then I make nice commission off of selling them an Android phone. Again, I have Windows Mobile 6.5, and recently bought my wife a 6.5 phone… but next time around, unless Microsoft does more to repair the damage they've done by cutting off their customer base, our family and the employees at my store may entirely be on the Android bandwagon (unlike free Hotmail at least free Gmail offers online tasks).