By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
I've gone back to using Windows Phone after a few months of setting it aside for iOS and hoping that the ecosystem would evolve and the much needed and long awaited Mango update would be available. Well Mango is still en route (September, Fall?) and the ecosystem is growing but not as fast as we would have liked. We still think Windows Phone is an extremely viable competitor to iOS and Android but some radical steps need to be taken to give this promising OS the advantage it needs to step up.
Graph from SplatfF (http://www.splatf.com/2011/07/mobile-satisfaction/)
What Windows Phone has going for it is the simplicity of the OS, it is without a doubt the easiest smartphone OS to pick up and learn. This and the speed and apparent quality of the included apps makes it a very compelling contender for the no. 3 mobile OS spot behind iOS and Android.
Nokia's Symbian OS is all but done, at least in North America and while RIM has steadfast followers, it is undeniably in flux and leading up to a big reboot in 2012 when the first new QNX OS BlackBerries are released.
HP's webOS on phones is currently in limbo, at least in Canada where only one model, the Palm Pre 2 exists, that's some serious momentum lost. Windows Phone is in a great position to exploit this and pull away but it has to move quickly.
The good news is that Microsoft realizes the potential of Windows Phone so much so that it is basing a lot of the US (user interface) of the upcoming Windows 8 on the mobile OS. Here are ways we feel Windows Phone can be further promoted.
1) Get the major Apps on WP7 ASAP - You have Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies on WP7 but that isn't enough. Microsoft has to move mountains to get the most used apps from other mobile devices on its mobile OS.
Whether it cuts better profit sharing deals with the developers or finds a way to promote them better, Windows Phone needs an explosion of useful and engaging applications to rival the competition. It doesn't need tens of thousands of crappy apps but a hundred really awesome ones will help adoption and keep them affordable.
2) Bundle the phone hardware with Windows 7 PCs - Microsoft is giving away XBox 360's with some PCs for back to school if it gave free Windows Phone handsets or even heavily discounted handsets with each new PC, we think it would get more people excited. If users were to buy a new Windows 7 notebook and had the chance at a discounted Windows Phone then you're opening up the opportunity of getting more loyal users.
3) Support the Early Adopters - Love your evangelists and they will love you back. It wouldn't hurt to sponsor some user group events and contests for Windows Phone focusing on different features and functionalities of the OS. Give the loyal users exclusive insights, special apps or even software previews for a beta-testing program and they will be on Twitter getting the word out. Apple was sustained during its lean years by their users who spread the gospel far and wide. Microsoft needs to stay in touch with its foot soldiers if it plans to win the war.
4) Differentiate the Product - Windows Phone is different enough from the app-focused iOS and its Android doppelganger but it needs some further differentiation and this needs to be made loud and clear.
The games angle as well as the exclusive connection to XBox 360 is one way to position Windows Phone. The cloud and Windows 356 connectivity is also something that Microsoft has over its competitions so it should promote Windows Phone together with this advantage.
5) Exploit the Nokia connection - Nokia is expected to be the biggest Windows Phone maker once it starts shipping its new post Symbian devices. If Microsoft can successfully migrate existing Symbian Nokia users towards Windows Phone it will have inherited a staggering user base and gain an instant jump in marketshare
Microsoft and Nokia need to figure out a smooth way to 'switch' old Symbian customers to Windows Phone Nokia devices (trade in promo, discounts. loyalty promos). The audience is there, waiting, they just need to get them on board.