Samsung lukewarm on Windows Phone 7

September 2, 2010 | By Surur

Samsung is releasing a number of Windows Phone 7 devices, but have their reservations regarding its success.

Unlike LG, is seems Samsung does not have as much high hopes for the success of Windows Phone 7.

YH Lee, head of marketing at Samsung Mobile has told Reuters at IFA they will be concentrating on Android and Bada as their main platform, stating:

“We are Prioritizing our Android platform. Android is very open and flexible, and there is a consumer demand for it,”

She was much less positive about Windows Phone, saying:

“There is still some professional, specialized demand there,”

Of course things could be worse. On Symbian she said “We are not seeing visible demand for Symbian,”

Of course, like all mobile operating systems, except maybe the iPhone, Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 will have to prove itself in the market, and hopefully in 6 months to a year Samsung will be singing a different tune.

via Mobileburn.com

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 samsung, windows phone 7

dropqube

That's what some people were talking about – the fear that not enough effort is being put into the devices.
Samsung now has stated they don't care so much, so expect lame devices from them.
Very dissappointing

Danny

Yeah this is what the initial devices have had me worried about. They seem like basic reference designs without too much investment put into them which is exactly what you would do if you didn't have confidence in a platform but wanted to hedge your bets. I mean you can just see it in what they are offering. Bland. Not even trying to really wow anybody. It is going to hurt if Dell and Asus, who seem like they have something a cut above to offer, are not their at launch.

I've been glad MS is taking their time but now we are seeing that each month counts – since Samsung has sold a million plus android devices in the last few weeks which obviously make it easy to believe in.

l3v5y

"Windows Phone" may be referring to WP6.5 rather than WP7.

I suspect the initial demand for WP7 will be fairly high, and that will make OEMs rethink their strategies. We shall see in a few months though.

chinch

The quote seems out of context for sure. the OEMs getting caught up sticking to bada and android forgoing WP7 are going to hurt themselves.

GearSecond

All of these OEMs that are getting cold feet now about WP7 are going to be caught with their pants down once it takes off after its release. After a few months when WP7 looks more promising then OEMs like Samsung will have to kick-start new phones to bring to market which will only make them very late to the party.

I don't understand why so many manufacturers are worried about WP7 while citing how strong Android is. Android was a big gamble when it was first released over a year and a half ago and yet they all seem to forget that. In fact, the Android OS didn't become increasingly popular until Verizon blasted out all of those Droid commercials prior to the Motorola Droid's release. HTC was on board with Android from the start and was able to capitalize on that and look at where it's gotten them.
HG23

A year from now, expect an article that reads something like "Consumers lukewarm about Bada"…. 2 of my first 3 cell phones were Samsung and I loved them. Samsung is really falling off these days…
http://twitter.com/MistaWet @MistaWet

Of course Samsung would say this. Samsung does provide phone hardware but they also push something called "Touch Wiz" which is a skin or shell they put over top of the android OS. Much like HTC's sense. These shells allow OEMs to create an alternative environment to the original OS that is tailored to condition and expose users to things that favor the OEM. So you may have a android phone but your experience and exposure comes via whichever skin you are using.

Android = Touch Wiz ability

Windows Phone = Metro interface only. No skins allowed.

If you were Samsung, which one would you push? It will be interesting to see what changes the "Gingerbread" OS brings and if Google is really interested in pushing it's own OS, then I will be surprised if these skins from Samsung and HTC even last much longer. We will see.
http://twitter.com/MistaWet @MistaWet

Ooops. I almost forgot their own OS called Bada. I think MS is gonna have to do what Google has done and that is create a one of phone like the Nexus One. Totally blow it out to create their own excitement.
efjay

Does Microsoft really need such friends/partners as Samsung? If they had nothing good to say they should have said nothing. This is what I and others have thought was the reason for the poor WP7 hardware we have seen to date, OEM's unable to see beyond their android love. I really hope MS becoming a licensee of ARM means they are going to be making their own hardware in the future, This statement from Samsung makes it clear that no matter how amazing MS is able to make WP7 they are vulnerable to OEM's partiality. Only by making thier own hardware can MS GUARANTEE that the software and hardware are the best they can be and I really hope MS takes full control of their mobile platform.

Lennard

I have the same sentiment. it really erks me when I see those "leaked" devices…so bland. where is the flare to go along with the OS? I mean even the first reference model that Microsoft showed off when they unvailed the OS looked way better than them. I'm getting real pissed at these OEMs if those are all they have to offer for the first batch. it makes it real hard to want to be an trailblazer/early adopter….

http://wmpoweruser.com wmpoweruser

Guys, remember, the first Android device wasnt that great either. Windows Phone 7 will survive this.
l3v5y

I think the devices we haven't seen leaked yet will look better than the ones we have seen.

Note how we've only seen a few pictures of an HTC device, and the LG devices that look very like early prototypes to me. We will see some great looking devices at launch.

efjay

Sorry but I'm not buying this. Its hard to believe that OEM's have a secret stash of superphones in their closets but instead preferred to leak (if it was them) mediocre looking devices. They are no strangers to building up demand from early hype and all the devices we've seen so far have been almost universally condenmed for looking poor. If there were hot hardware designs those should have been leaked first to generate excitement, not the drab, nondescript devices we've seen so far.

Dan Ardelean

It's obvious they say that as they invested a lot in Bada also but they cannot loose the train so they are releasing WP 7 also
BCH

Reading the original source, it's not clear that Lee was talking about WP7 and phones. It seems more likely that he was referring to Windows 7 tablets in the context of the article. Who would describe WP7 as having a "professional, specialized demand." While this might be true of a full-bore Windows 7 OS tablet, it really does not describe WP7 very well.

Fredrik72

My thought excatly. It is not possible to label Windows 7 as a phone for professionals or specialization, the spokesperson must be thinking about Windows 6.5. I think this story is just based on a mistake by either the reporter or the spokesperson.

BCH

The story as retold on the tech sites has taken on an unambiguous quality that Lee was bashing WP7. I really doubt someone in charge of marketing at the #2 would make such a gaffe less than 2 months before WP7 debuts. The original source seems pretty ambiguous, as thought a quote was handily inserted to fill out the story. We also know that Lee and Samsung are pretty excited yesterday about the Galaxy Tab, an Android-based tablet heading to market in a few weeks, so it seems likely to me that the reporter conflated tablet and phone OS's. If Lee was talking about Samsung having no real interest in a Windows 7 (not WP7) tablet, this is not really news, and her off-hand remark would make sense in that context.

danny

Can you show me what you are referring to? Because the quote I see (directly from Reuters) is this exactly:

Samsung will introduce a *smartphone* running Microsoft's *new* Windows version later this year.

"There is still some professional, specialized demand there," she said.

How is that not referring to wp7? I'm telling you can see this ambiguity in their lame designs (something both efjay and I have been warning about) but looking at the original article…frankly any other interpretation is simply wishful thinking. It is best not to engage in that – lets support the people who are truly behind wp7 and not bother defend the half-assers like Samsung.

Jim

This is just silly.

First of all, I'm convinced she was referring to Windows Mobile, not WP7 (based on her comment).

Second, OF COURSE there is more demand for Android right now… Android is available and WP7 is not.

I know you are trying to stir the pot with the headline, but come on…
http://twitter.com/chmun77 @chmun77

I'm do not give a damn about Samsung…. They can go ahead with their DumdDroid dream. They can customize the UI all they want and I'm glad that they will make Dumb-droid more fragmented as much as possible.

Where is Dell? I want a Dell Lightning in my pocket…..
Chelcs

Think they can't say anything about WP7 … till official Launch … same procedure as every year …
Max

I doubt she meant WP7, her answer only makes sense if it's about WM 6.x.

Samsung has the Cetus WP7 device.
GP007

When WP7 sales start to take off and Bada goes nowhere I can't wait to see Samsung come up with how they now love WP7 and how it's so great.
Hatorade

Well LG which is a subsidary of Samsung is a huge WinPho7 partner so naturally they are trying to use LG for Winpho7 and Samsung for Android, thats the game plan IMO.

l3v5y

LG and Samsung compete in the phone market directly (and release similar phones targeted at the same market). They won't be doing something like what you suggest.

BCH

Evidence that there might be something got lost in the translation where Samsung is concerned.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/the-samsung-ga…
roblo

Samsung has been a LONG time partner with MS, so dont bash them. They have stuck around waiting on MS to actually do something and have watched like everyone else past MS by, but still remain loyal to MS. With the failure of Kin and not so successful Zune and extinct WM 6.5. Microsoft needs to prove that they can succeed in the mobile market. if you owned a business, you would be concentrating on what makes the most money for you. over 250k activation daily come on. This is good business for them , and which they do have Quality WM7 phones coming out just in case WM7 takes off. Smart business sense. And this is coming from a loyal WM mobile user, I will be waiting for the the WM7 to come out, but have a Samsung Captivate hold me up for the mean time. BTW check out the new EXOPC coming out, this is a REAL Pad.