You’d think that being in the smartphone business a long time would give Microsoft an edge. Not according to Apple, whose recently introduced iPhone sold more than all the Windows Mobile devices combined in the U.S last quarter.

Canalys’s report on smartphone sales shows that RIM is leading in the U.S with a 41% share of the pie, Apple coming in second with 28%. But worldwide, Nokia has the lion’s share of the smartphone market, with a commanding 53%. Apple may only have 6.5% but that’s still good enough to give it third place behind RIM’s 11.4%.

Palm, it seems, has quietly dropped off the radar. How much longer can it survive, one wonders. With its latest offering, the Palm Centro, barely making a buzz in the market, its decision to incorporate Windows Mobile into its line may not be as wise a decision as initially thought.

Windows Mobile phones of late have been disappointments. The OS is almost as problematic as its desktop counterpart, with absurd hardware requirements, slow startup times and ridiculous pricing. Not to mention that most Windows Mobile phones are ugly as sin.

Along comes the iPhone to challenge what a smartphone should look like, feel like or do. With its mass consumer appeal, more people are open now to the idea of a phone that doesn’t just make or receive calls. Despite the phone’s shortcomings, there’s no denying its appealing design and functionalities have made convergence sexy again. No more boring grey handhelds or business-like thumb keyboards.

Where does this leave Windows Mobile? Unless Microsoft is bold enough to implement changes to the way WM phones are designed, the way Apple did, then expect the worst: irrelevance.

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Entry was posted on Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 at 12:35 pm under Cell phones, Microsoft.

Read more entries by Erna Mahyuni.
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