We are finally seeing Windows Phone 7 on the street.
I like.
  • Microsoft made the right decision in developing something completely new, rather than carrying forward the legacy of Windows Mobile.
  • Windows Phone 7 is geared towards consumer and I like the Xbox Live integration.
  • Windows Phone 7 is uniquely designed and stands out from competition in an innovative way.
  • Finally, Microsoft takes control of phone specifications and ensures a consistent user experience (that phone makers and carriers had a tendency to break).
I don’t like.
  • There is no global marketplace for apps. Saying that customers in unsupported markets have to register new international Live accounts just for apps is not a very good answer.
  • The platform is not feature complete. I miss tethering, copy & paste, multitasking, and a range of similarly missing features that competition has.
  • A zero market share.
In conclusion, the new phone has nice consumer potential, it is not yet a feature complete package (phone and marketplace) and the platform has a zero percent market share. Businesses wishing to explore the new app channel will be in a healthy wait-and-see mode. Wait-and-see will be the theme at least until 2012. By then Windows Phone 7 is likely to be feature complete, and businesses will have a market share number to consider and compare with competition. It’ll be an interesting year ahead!