Forbes: Surface sales <1M and Windows Phone still struggling...2013 will be tough for MS

Posted by Maceo3121 on December 4, 2012 06:26 pm 72

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2012/12/04/microsoft-dec-qtr-surface-sales-below-1m-units-analyst-says/

Here is one analyst's take on MS Windows/Phone 8

Surface:

The research firm estimates that sales are trending in the 500,000 to 600,000 range, below previous estimates of 1-2 million units...the bigger issue is that a lack of retail exposure at Best Buy and other retailer outlets is “severely depressing sales”

Interestingly:

On a brighter note, Detwiler points out that touch-screen enabled Win 8 laptops are outselling the Surface RT by a wide margin; they still see better prospects for Intel-based Win 8 tablets ahead.

Windows Phone:

Windows Phone 8 devices are off to a “relatively strong start” at AT&T, but that the platform is “struggling to gain traction” at Verizon. One issue: A lack of interest in the Nokia 822 and HTC Windows 8x phone...Verizon sales reps are not having much success selling “inferior hardware and mobile platform that is unfamiliar to the average user.”