It seems as if Microsoft only managed to offload a total of 1.5 million Windows Phone 7 devices during the new platform’s first six weeks on the market.
Of course, this paltry number doesn’t even reflect actual end-user sales, as it is only reflective of the units shipped to handset carriers and distributors.
This begs the obvious question: how many lonely WP7 devices remain on the shelves while holiday shoppers ooh and aah over the sexy iPhone 4 or the latest Android handset?
Now, I don’t know for certain, but I would guess quite a few.
Think of it this way.
Apple sold more than 1.7 million iPhone 4 handsets just three days after the popular smartphone hit store shelves in June.
And Android’s (hyper) activation rate now clocks in at a cool 300,000 per day.
Sure, you could argue that both Android and the iPhone have been around for a long time and have thus hit critical mass.
But even so.
Windows Phone 7 sales have definitely fallen short.
Even MS corporate VP Achim Berg concedes that Redmond faces “tough” competition in the mobile sphere.
Nevertheless, Berg remains optimistic, insisting that Microsoft is “certainly” gaining momentum in the smartphone race.
“We’re in it for the long run. I think our expectations are realistic for a new platform. We started fresh with Windows Phone 7, and it’s a different kind of phone.
“[Yes], we all know that the competition is extreme in this industry, and we have to compete on multiple fronts. We have to deliver a great product that people want to use.
“[But] we have a different point of view than just delivering apps, and we have received great customer feedback on our approach. We are working on updates that will take us to the next level.”
But will it be enough?
Although I personally suspect it won’t, only time will tell for certain.
