The battle between iOS and Android is heating up, but people seem cool on Microsoft's Windows Phone. The company is, of course, hoping to change that. But will a $25 gift card good for mobile apps and Xbox Live games really help?
The deal is being extended to anyone in the U.S. who buys a Windows Phone before December 31, confirmed Microsoft's Michael Stroh. "If you're thinking of leaving your current smartphone (I won't mention any names) for a Windows Phone, the new offer also makes it easier to replace apps you've already paid for," he said.
The Windows Phone OS launched a little over one year ago, immediately facing staunch competition - and hitting a few bumps of its own - out of the gate. This past February, the company's first patch release rendered one out of every 10 attempts a failure.
Microsoft's unenviable launch, however, placed it in good company. Apple's iOS 5 roll-out caused its own share of problems, including a battery-draining bug which continues to plague its latest smartphone model, the iPhone 4S. Electronic assistant Siri can't help anyone if her battery is dead.
A September report from The NPD Group found Windows Phone 7 trailed both iOS and Android-powered products in the all-important consumer excitability department. The market researcher's survey revealed mixed feelings: 44 percent of prospective smartphone buyers said they were thinking about buying Windows Phone 7, and 45 percent were strangely ignorant of its existence.
"Windows Phone 7 has a way to go before consumers really understand what it is," said Linda Barrabee, research director for NPD's Connected Intelligence division. "But with the right marketing mojo, apps portfolio, and feature-rich hardware, Microsoft could certainly improve its standing and chip away at Android's dominant market position."
New research showed Windows Phone 7 lags far behind its rivals with just 40,000 free and paid apps. Apple and Android offer 500,000 and 400,000 apps, respectively.
Microsoft has not released phones pre-loaded with its latest 7.5 update, though many continue to clamor for it. Considering the company's Windows 8 OS is rumored to release late next year, consumers may just tide themselves over with a competing device (or just keep texting on their old phones) than purchase a soon-to-be-outdated model - free gift card or no. (via Windows Team Blog)
Is waiting for the next big thing preferable over instant freebies? Let us know in the comment section.
