Comments on: Windows Phone 8 – Thirsty horse?

By: Black Friday – All online. | Radio Free Mobile

Black Friday – All online. | Radio Free Mobile — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 07:30:56 +0000

[…] What is more Microsoft has been labouring for 16 years to make any real headway in mobile and so man doubt that it ever will despite its chances being the best that they have ever been. (see here for details) […]

By: windsorr

windsorr — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 08:16:32 +0000

Operators have done so in the past and I think that they will again as they are so desperate to avoid becoming bitpies that they will try anything. Look no further than the doomed RCS initiative for evidence of that. Operators do not seem to study history and therby seem to be dooomed to repeat it.

In this instance I think Tomi is totally wrong. The operators are VERY keen to have Microsoft in the fold as I have said before. Nokia is suffering becase of its own galacial slowness to do anythig with Symbian before it was too late and because users are unfamilar with Windows Phone and at the moment see no reason to learn. Windows 8 may encourage them to do so but its going to be a slow education.

By: tatilsever

tatilsever — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:09:33 +0000

I still don’t think carriers will support MS wholeheartedly if it will not be good for them in the long run, while unable to customize WP8 phones as much as Android in the short term. (Even the prized MS partner Nokia does not seem allowed to customize WP8.) “Not as good in the short term, no better in the long term” does not sound like a very attractive proposition to carriers.

I agree with you that weaker players will treat them better, but I think it makes more sense for them to support weaker *hardware* makers in Android ecosystem. Some such as LG and Sony are struggling in the mobile phone business, but they are reliable enough thanks to being part of bigger holding companies and some like ZTE and Huawei are growing rapidly, but eager to get a foothold in western markets. Why push a new OS with uncertain prospects? Waiting until WP gains some traction in the marketplace could be the more prudent approach.

Besides, Tomi Ahonen believes Nokia is suffering because Elop and MS is very bad at forging good relationships with carriers at the moment, so there is that, too.

By: windsorr

windsorr — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 11:02:29 +0000

Its not going to help them in th elong run but MSFT will be nice to them now because it needs their support…as soon as MSFT is strong it will toss them contemptously to one side…..thats why the operators alsways root for the weakest players…everyone else will treat them like crap!!

the problem is that theeir is only a certain amount of loyalty to go round and the vendors / ecosystems have by far the strongest hand when it comes to gaining the user’s attention…thats where all the clever poeple are…operators tend to think like the utilities that they really are!..they have no chance…bit pipe future beckons…

By: tatilsever

tatilsever — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:50:11 +0000

Sure, I agree, loyalty to the ecosystem may be stronger than the loyalty to the carrier, but most of the smartphone users were voice & text only customers until just a few years ago. I doubt they have less loyalty to the carriers now. Besides, how is WP8 going to help in that respect? That is another ecosystem tied to the OS, not the carrier.

The carriers cannot really ask for major concessions from Google, expecting it to compromise its main business plan in giving away a sophisticated OS, with the threat of pushing WP8, which does not grant them those concessions, either. Besides, Android OEMs has been shown to be able and willing to give carriers hidden background capabilities (without user opt-outs) to track their users in fine detail (i.e. Carrier IQ software tracking URLs visited, search terms, location, when the screens get locked…). Carriers may not know how to monetize this knowledge very effectively, but that is not Google’s fault.

By: windsorr

windsorr — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 08:01:40 +0000

I disagree completely. Google’s reason for existance is to categorize traffic patterns and to sell targeted advrtising on the back of that. This is best served when everyon eis using Google Applications. This is why they are free and why they have been heaviliy invested to make them great. If eveyone is loyal to Google applications then they will not be loyal to whatever applications and services the operator is trying to win user loyalty with. Google is effectively trying to steal the customer out from under the operator and the fact that it doesent really sell handsets makes it even more dnagerous as there is no rod to beat Google withto make it behave. It may look like a partner now but the end game is value for Google and bit pipe for operator…

By: tatilsever

tatilsever — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 22:06:26 +0000

Boot of Google??? It is a very cooperative partner for carriers. It disables features, lets them earn revenue from Android’s app & media stores, even in its flagship handsets and allows OEMs to make further customizations for each carrier. MS is much closer to Apple in this regard than Google. Carriers may prefer a viable third ecosystem as a long term risk mitigation strategy, but calling them “desperate to get out from under the boot of Google” does not fit reality all that well.