Windows Phone 8: Microsoft, now is a good time to be open

Posted by JoeRomeo on April 23, 2012 12:19 pm 17

Windows Phone as we know it now was only released in the U.S. in October, 2010. However, Microsoft had been talking up the new operating system as early as MWC that year, a full 8 months earlier. That's a significant departure from the approach Redmond is taking with the next big update code-named "Apollo." And it's a mistake.

1. If they are indeed going to start fresh (again) there needs to be some communication about what that'll mean to businesses and consumers. Launching a flagship device like the Lumia 900 a handful of months before an OS upgrade it can't receive will hurt the goodwill and evangelism Microsoft has been building for the last two years.
2. Ice Cream Sandwich is finally showing up on new devices, and it's a more balanced and powerful OS than WP7.5. If they can't launch before the fall they at least need to show where the new OS will meet or exceed the competition.
3. The Next iPhone can't be ignored. iOS may not have the lead in market share that it has enjoyed in the past but Apple is truly a mobile juggernaut right now. It's clear from iOS 5 that they don't mind aping the competition (notification drawer from Android and Fast Camera Launching from WP). But just like with Google, Microsoft needs to show that their next product is going to be competitive.

This market moves incredibly fast, now isn't the time to be hoarding information. All that does is feed the news cycle with one speculative report after another. And at this point Microsoft needs all the good press they can get.