In yet another sign of the wide gap between Microsoft’s product plan and the needs of actual consumers, Steve Ballmer has dismissed the iPhone’s widespread popularity. Ballmer suggests that Windows Mobile has more market momentum with carriers and device makers, but who’s buying?

The iPhone hasn’t even existed for two years and is already the single most talked-about phone on the market. That’s not to mention the fact that the iPhone shipped more units during the third quarter of last year than all makers of Windows Mobile smartphones combined.

The iPhone has also sparked a huge trend of mobile Web usage among its fans. Two-thirds of people surfing the Web from a mobile device do so from the Apple iPhone.

For Steve Ballmer to dismiss the iPhone while his market share is being torn out from under him by the iPhone and Google Android devices is foolhardy at best. While it’s possible that he’s trying to feign confidence in Windows Mobile’s future, he comes off sounding arrogant and ill-informed.

To be fair, his exact words do have some merit if taken in terms of carriers and device makers. However it’s unwise to take a view of the market that ignores consumer demand.

Windows Mobile and Android have more momentum with device makers because they can license the operating system. Apple has no plans to work with handset makers to license the iPhone’s operating system, so it’s hardly an apples to apples comparison.

Since there are a number of handset manufacturers licensing Windows Mobile, there are numerous options for carriers to choose from. That combines with Apple’s exclusive AT&T deal mean that there are bound to me more carriers selling Windows Mobile phones.

However, in terms of the broader market view, iPhones are still outselling Windows Mobile phones in the market with only one version out at a time, and handicapped by access to one carrier’s subscriber base.

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Entry was posted on Monday, March 2nd, 2009 at 11:21 am under Apple, Cell phones, Microsoft.

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