AT CES, Microsoft is offering $100 for users of smartphones to smoke out Windows Phone. The challenge has two smartphone holders search for the same thing at the same time to see which smartphone wins. Announced new Windows Phones include the HTC Titan II , Nokia Lumia 700 and Lumia 900.
In 2011, Windows Phones appeared on only a few of the top ten best lists of the year. We predict, next year Windows Phone will gain in popularity. The videos posted shows how Microsoft will succeed playing the software card beating out the Droid Bionic, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Palm Pre Plus, c and iPhone 4S (many appeared on the best of 2011 list by Wireless and Mobile News). The BlackBerry owner surrenders without a fight.
A video posted on YouTube shows the Windows Phone neck and neck to Samsung Galaxy Nexus, while the Windows Phone wins with software trickery. Nexus Google voice search and Local Scout search gave results just about as fast. But Local Scout gave the PC Guy (Ben Rudolph) reviews, apps to use to make reservations and instant directions. Galaxy Nexus Guy didn’t have a quick way to do that on his Galaxy Nexus.
This is the first inkling of how Microsoft plans to market Windows Phones with a mega budget. Microsoft is a software company, Google is a search company. To give Windows Phone the edge, they are not talking specs or hardware but software ease of use.
Another guy, Josh says that his BlackBerry won't even come close. He surrendered and won an HTC Titan.
The Windows Phone wins the music identifying challenge with its music app. In a Twitter test, Windows Phone beats out the Galaxy Nexus again. Windows Phone new tile posts messages to all social networks faster than Android Phone. The iPhone 4S wins in only one challenge.
The Windows Phone smokes out a Palm Pre Plus, iPhone 4S, Droid Bionic and Galaxy Nexus. Microsoft announced it is the last year it will appear at CES and is using it for many video opps. We find it interesting that Ben doesn't identify the phone model and just calls it Windows Phone. Windows Phone appears to be superseding the hardware makers.
It has been reported that Microsoft, Nokia and AT&T are planning to spend $100 million marketing the Nokia Lumia 900.
The next major version of software for PC’s, Windows 8, will look a lot like Windows Phone, which Microsoft hopes will help it work better on tablets.
Microsoft claims that Windows Phone puts people first. Here's what Microsoft claims in its Windows Phone 7.5 marketing materials
Microsoft listened to customers, who revealed that many things they do on their phones were still too complex. For instance, arranging dinner out with friends shouldn’t require starting from scratch in several apps: email and text messaging to see who’s free, a search app to find local restaurants and read reviews, yet another app or website to make a reservation, and then figuring out how to let everyone know the plan.
Similarly, sending a message to a group of friends or family members shouldn’t require selecting the recipients one-by-one. And staying on top of what’s new with a few close friends shouldn’t require slogging through hundreds of posts from other contacts who, while you may have “friended” them to be polite, make you wish you had a way to view updates from only the people you really care about.
Based on research, Microsoft identified three fundamental areas where people want more from their phones — communications, apps and the Internet — and found opportunities to innovate in each. They saw how communication could be improved by bringing together the many ways people communicate on their phones into a single experience. They envisioned apps that could work together on your behalf instead of forcing you to work in ways that they define. They also found ways to make browsing the Web faster and easier — and to harness the power of the Internet without launching your browser.
With Windows Phone 7.5, you s get touchscreen Web browsing and all the apps you love. You also get everything that makes a Windows Phone unique, including Windows Phone Hubs, a Start screen you can make your own, Windows Phone Live Tiles that provide updates at a glance, and Xbox LIVE, Office Mobile and the award-winning Zune entertainment experience built-in. In fact, through our focus on modern communications, a smarter approach to apps and making the Internet work for you, you get everything you liked about Windows Phone 7 and more, including hundreds of new features, enhancements and under-the-hood improvements — all designed to put people first, so you’ll never miss a moment.
With Windows Phone 7.5, modern communication is built-in, not bolted-on, so the people you interact with and your conversations with them are front-and-center.
Windows Phone 7 took a different approach to apps, making them easily accessible when and where it made sense, such as all your games showing up in the Games Hub. Live Tiles on the Start screen gave you updates at a glance — without the need to start the app first. And we made it easy for developers around the world to build compelling new apps so that you’ll always have plenty to choose from.
What?!?!?! This article should be titles "blowing smoke up everyone's *)!#$" WP7 sucks just like the rest of the products Windows has made. I doubt very seriously that ANYONE will pick one of those up over a iPhone or the Galaxy Nexus. The hardware/software is nowhere near iOS or Android 4.0
Back into your basement fanboy
I'll bet you're a christian also, nhowelll143.
That was awesome. The thing with windows phone is that you don't need 500,000 apps to do the tasks an avg. user would do on a daily basis. Nice job Ben.
windows phone is simply best phone out now.
Those are completely bogus demos. That Microsoft guy was an expert and he know his shortcuts and already knows what he was testing. Those random competitors had no such advantage. I have a Bionic w/Eclipse and I can setup shortcuts to do all that stuff just as fast and who cares if it's a millasecond difference. It's the overall phone and what can it do.
Those demos were great! @Phone User: From the look of a lot of those who he challenged, they appeared to be "experts" at their fanboy devices. You could also see how fast some of them were typing on their phones. They weren't slouches. I just attended an MEC Microsoft Experience Center event and had another student showcase his Windows Phone. And the process & tie-ins were amazing! Not too mention the autocorrect blew away any other phone I've tested. He even typed with his eyes closed and it corrected it!