Did Windows Phone 7 only sell 40,000 handsets on launch day?
Summary: Did a $100 million advertising budget only manage to generate 40,000 Windows Phone 7 sales on launch day?
Did a $100 million advertising budget only manage to generate 40,000 Windows Phone 7 sales on launch day?
This according to TheStreet:
Even with a glitzy media intro last month hosted by champion inside-seller and company chief Steve Ballmer, Microsoft, which spent a reported $100 million on the phone's advertising campaign, sold a mere 40,000 Windows 7 phones Monday, according to a market research source who tracks phone sales.
Time to put that 40,000 figure in perspective. Apple had some 600,000 pre-orders for the iPhone 4, and is selling some 270,000 a day. Google says that some 200,000 Android handsets are being activated daily. Microsoft gave away some 89,000 handsets to employees, a figure not included in the sales estimate.
UPDATE: Actually, the Microsoft deal is with employees is more complex than that - employees will be offered up to $220 towards off contract, or $550 for those on contract and outside their upgrade cycle. Pre-orders start November 8th and delivery won't be until after November 18th.
Are potential customers playing a wait-and-see game? Did the marketing campaign fail to excite people? Are there too many Windows Phone 7 handsets to choose from? Is it going to take time for people to take Microsoft seriously in the mobile sector?
Personally, I think it's going to take time. But I also think that there are too many WP7 handset OEMs scrabbling for attention, but again time will thin down this herd, and the real winners and losers are revealed.
Microsoft had better be in this for the long haul ...
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Talkback
RE: Did Windows Phone 7 only sell 40,000 handsets on launch day?
Windows Phone 7 is headed in the direction of KIN
RE: Did Windows Phone 7 only sell 40,000 handsets on launch day?
Nodoby want to hear your crap.
Well, 40,000 the first day is not quite as bad as Kin was.
Android has issues with secure WiFi with hidden SIDs.
People still buy them by the droves. Given 40,000 on opening day is far above where Android started and it is rocking along pretty well, give it time to start catching on.
RE: Did Windows Phone 7 only sell 40,000 handsets on launch day?
BS.
Just the initial in the US is slow.
Think XBox....
Then come back after year 1......
RE: Did Windows Phone 7 only sell 40,000 handsets on launch day?
It's more than likely that the issues some are seeing when trying to connect via WiFi are caused by them trying to connect to a corporate WiFi which is protected with certificates which haven't been installed on their phones.
Microsoft is coming from behind and it'll take a few months before the groundswell gains sufficient momentum to overcome all the negativity and general ignorance about this brand new platform.
Windows Phone is essentially where Windows 7 was when it was following on the heels of all the Vista negativity. Once Copy and Paste is shipped and a few key improvements have shipped, the handsets improved a little, we'll see far greater adoption.
Just to expand on gyepera's FUD
[i]There are bugs with the Dell and some other WP7 handsets, that cannot connect to secure Wi-Fi networks.[/i]
Like any good FUD, there is just enough truth in his statement so that you can't call it an outright lie but for those interested in the [b]real[/b] story, here it is:
http://wmpoweruser.com/dell-shipped-engineering-samples-cause-venue-pro-wifi-problems/
[i]According to XDA-Dev poster dacunto Microsoft has admitted at its store that Dell had seen shipped out engineering models. The Microsoft store fixed the issue by swapping the Venue pro for a HTC HD7, without the WIFI problem of course.[/i]
So this is not an issue with WP7 nor is it an issue with the Dell Venue Pro in general. No apologies though, this is a stupid, stupid mistake for both Dell and MS to make. Shame on you both. I just figured that you guys deserved the context behind the story instead of just the headline and the blatant attempt to make it seem like this was a design problem with either the OS or the hardware.
not a WiFi bug... Win Phone 7 doesn't yet support con to hidden SSID's
this one of the many things that MS hasn't gotten around to implementing is like copy/paste, mutli-tasking etc..
RE: Did Windows Phone 7 only sell 40,000 handsets on launch day?
Very good points. I sure wouldn't take a chance of getting burned like with Kin or Plays for sure.
RE: Did Windows Phone 7 only sell 40,000 handsets on launch day?
And also there's the problem that initial sales are based on initial "excitement", which should've been higher considering the excellent press WP7 got. This could worsen as people start fiddling with the phone and start getting the usual point-release bugs (aka what happened with the original iPhone, the iPhone 4 and the HTC G1).
I think MS is in for the long haul, but is the market ready for a 4th competitor. Don't think so...
RE: Did Windows Phone 7 only sell 40,000 handsets on launch day?
i think you are wrong. wp7 can connect to secure wifi it just won't locate hidden SSID
RE: Did Windows Phone 7 only sell 40,000 handsets on launch day?
I just picked up a WP7 and it is great so far. I've connected to two secured networks with no problems at all. It will not find a hidden SSID, but no security savvy person would call such a network "secure" (it's more like you're kidding yourself).
Anyway, so far the handset is great. I got the Samsung OLED so it is easy to read in bright light and very smooth touch control (similar to iPhone; much better than the Android). I like the navigation/tiles also.
Great GPS/maps, great browsing, and it I've got it sync'd to my Outlook on my desktop.
I've only had it a few days, but so far it is exactly what I was looking for.
RE: Did Windows Phone 7 only sell 40,000 handsets on launch day?
Yawn.
Since, in Australia, I had to wait two weeks for my Windows phones, due to the warehouses selling out on the first day, I think we'll reserve judgement.
Oh and my HTC Mozart is working perfectly thank you, but please more FUD from people who haven't touched one yet ;-)
Still, the failure to attract any attention on opening day is a HUGE
RE: Did Windows Phone 7 only sell 40,000 handsets on launch day?
All WP7 devices sold out in Europe within 48 hours.
All HD7s available on launch day in the US have been sold.
None of the ATT stores in a 100 mile radius of us have any Samsung's (as of end of Tuesday Nov 9th).
The Dell is yet to arrive as are the phones on Verizon and Sprint.
Rest assured - WP7 groundswell will continue to rise as word spreads so you'll have plenty to continue to irrationally hate.
RE: Did Windows Phone 7 only sell 40,000 handsets on launch day?
I don't know why everyone keeps reporting that WP7 phones (stupid name) sold out in Europe.
That's simply not true.
They're still in stock on all carriers and there's no supply shortage at all.
I think it's Microsoft trying to create buzz, but the reality is, WP7 phones are not sold out anywhere.
RE: Did Windows Phone 7 only sell 40,000 handsets on launch day?
"None of the ATT stores in a 100 mile radius of us have any Samsung's (as of end of Tuesday Nov 9th)."
That's nice but if you only get 1-10 phones I'd say it's easy to sell out. And you can still get them online.
Face it, WP7 is DOA.
RE: Did Windows Phone 7 only sell 40,000 handsets on launch day?
My problem - it took 3 days to get it due to low stock availability. Optus = 2 week wait - had to cncel my order and get one from the two optus stores (in all of melbourne), that had stock.
I'm miffed with the vendors - not microsoft, for underestimating demand in such a big way. 40,000 handsets? I wonder how many they would have sold if the bloody carriers / vendors got their act together.
RE: Did Windows Phone 7 only sell 40,000 handsets on launch day?