14 DAY TRIAL // Windows Phone, Microsoft’s mobile operating system, is about to make a splash at the entry-level segment, at least in some countries out there, and could finally start grabbing some market share from Android, which is already dominating the area.
Earlier this year, the Redmond-based software giant announced partnerships with a nice range of new mobile phone makers out there, and the first results of said deals are about to emerge on shelves in the form of very affordable entry-level handsets.
As a refresher, back in February, Microsoft announced that it had signed Windows Phone agreements with Foxconn, Gionee, JSR, Karbonn, Lava (Xolo), Lenovo, LG, Longcheer, and ZTE, while unveiling a few months later partnerships with Micromax, Prestigio, Yezz, BLU, and others.
In case you didn’t know, many of these phone makers are focused on designing cheap handsets, and they are already highly popular on some emerging markets out there, including China and India, though others are well known internationally as well.
Gionee, Lenovo and ZTE, for example, are all coming from China, but their smartphones are already highly appreciated worldwide. Yezz (their Billy 4.7 can be seen pictured above) and BLU have smartphones available in the US and are planning on releasing their Windows Phone handsets here too (in addition to Latin America and Europe).
And while LG needs no introduction, we should note that Karbonn, Lava (Xolo), and Micromax are popular brands in India, where they are expected to release their first Windows Phone devices in the near future.
Moreover, ODMs such as BYD, Compal, Pegatron, Quanta and Wistron have recently showcased prototype Windows Phones, which are expected to arrive on the market soon, built in collaboration with various handset vendors out there.
Overall, it appears that Microsoft has finally managed to get things moving when it comes to its mobile operating system, considering the fact that there were only three vendors launching Windows Phone devices last year, namely HTC, Nokia and Samsung.
Of course, the battle is not won just yet, as it appears to be just the beginning. And rival operating systems out there, especially Android, are already striking back.
This week, two phone makers in India announced Android-based devices priced below $50/€37, namely Celkon and Karbonn. Interestingly enough, both of them are also planning Windows Phone devices for the next few months.
The most notable feature of these two devices is the fact that they come with only 256MB of RAM inside, and I must say that I haven’t seen new smartphones released with less than 512MB of RAM for a few years now.
However, this low amount of RAM, complemented by only 512MB of internal memory inside either of said devices, and other very low hardware specs, has allowed the two companies to price them as affordable as feature phones are today.
On the one hand, this might prove an issue for Windows Phone, given the fact that devices running under it won’t be as cheap, even if Microsoft is offering the platform to said vendors at no cost.
In fact, Xolo and Celkon have already confirmed plans to release their handsets in July and August, respectively, with prices of around $168/€124 attached to them.
At the same time, Micromax is said to be planning on making two Windows Phone devices official as soon as this week, one priced at around $100/€75, and the other a bit more expensive, at $170/€125.
However, despite the fact that these new Windows Phone handsets are a bit more expensive than the aforementioned two Android-based Celkon and Karbonn devices, I still believe that Microsoft’s mobile operating system is actually starting to win the entry-level market, and here’s why.
First of all, the fact that handset vendors actually decided to release cheaper-than-before Android phones shows that Windows Phone is seen as a worthy competitor for the platform, and that something needs to be done to counter that.
Secondly, even the most affordable Windows Phone products come with minimum hardware specs that are actually much higher than the ones of these two smartphones.
They need to feature at least 512MB of RAM to be approved for market release, and they also pack at least 4GB of internal memory. Moreover, Microsoft has set specific rules regarding the screen resolution of these phones, and I doubt we’ll see one with a display smaller than 4-inch.
What this means is that even the cheapest Windows Phones will be able to provide users with good performance levels courtesy of said hardware specs, which will make them quite appealing, that’s for sure.
Thirdly, there’s the user experience factor that Microsoft is undoubtedly betting on big time, which is mainly related to the hardware inside smartphones.
Apparently, Microsoft built Windows Phone with a focus on entry-level devices, which makes it great on phones that sport only 512MB of RAM. Android, on the other hand, is only now being fine-tuned to better fit devices with lower specs.
Given that it has already been present on the market for four years now, Windows Phone is no longer a new product, but it is certainly different when compared to what Android and other platforms can offer, something that might be an advantage when said new devices start rolling out.
And lastly, there’s the fact that Microsoft has managed to attract to its side a great deal of manufacturers focused mainly on the entry- and mid-range market, which will certainly increase user’s confidence in the platform, yet another win for the company.
Of course, this win is only on paper for the time being, and things might turn out differently when these new Windows Phone devices start arriving on the market. They might not sell in large quantities, but their presence on shelves will certainly prove a great thing for the operating system.
Based on the success that cheap smartphones running under Microsoft’s mobile OS have registered so far, however, I do believe that the flurry of new smartphones expected this year will help the platform gain some more ground, at least on emerging markets.