Microsoft aims to sell 100 Million Windows Phones per year.

I think this was something running for a couple of days around Windows Phone blogs and other tech blogs. The snippet and soundbite is the target for 100M Windows Phone sales per YEAR.

“We have dreams and aspirations that we can get to 100 million units per year with that single deal.”

Note. This is something Nokia does ON THEIR OWN with Symbian (albeit Symbian being amongst a variety of price ranges, many low priced handsets).

However, sales of current Windows Phones handsets have been less than stellar with Samsung, LG, Dell and HTC combined. Despite the high satisfaction rate amongst users, it’s all been a little bit uphill for windows phone.

1) Extreme competition from iOS and Android

2) Inconsistent device availability

3) Poor Language support

4) limited market place availability

5) Store clerks not keen on selling WP handsets (it’s pretty unknown to them, even more so to the consumer, and easier to sell Android/iPhone)

6) Lack of new devices on sale (Android constantly having new goodies at various price ranges. iOS has the magic bullet of one phone to entice the drones…er masses)

Despite all this, Microsoft is supposedly aiming for 100M in sales per year. With possibly less than 10M since October, it seems quite difficult to see how this could happen. However:

1) Mango changes a lot of things to Windows Phone. For one, it has 500 new features, and has received golden praises from reviewers. It is a GREAT OS for mass market. Not perhaps ready for hardcore, feature expectant users, but for the majority, it does the important things they would need really well.

2) App Store growing quickly, tighter integration to the Nok-MS ecosystem (+ new wave of Windows 8 devices). Operators are looking for another ‘ecosystem’ now looking to be Windows Phone, so carriers aren’t growing overly dependent on just iOS and of course Android.

3) New Windows Phone handsets, with new manufacturers, Fujitsu, Acer and ZTE. Samsung’s upping their game on Windows Phone finally with a SGSII filled with Mango and of course Nokia. HTC might bring a Sensation version? We know there’s at least a 12mp ‘contender’ to the N8.

4) Nokia’s ‘unique’ partnership with Microsoft, bringing mapping, Improved languages, operator billing relationships, huge scale and distribution and brand recognition (in certain areas). Nokia’s direct singular focus on Windows Phone to produce best work on Windows Phone. Nokia’s also reported to push 120M USD/80M GBP marketing campaign to improve the Nokia brand, coinciding with the release of the Nokia Windows Phone family (which will be released at regular intervals, eventually flooding the market with many options for Windows Phone)

5) More Microsoft stores to sell Windows Phone handsets.

6) Metro’s catching on. See Google’s new Tile based swipy app store. :p

Nothing is certain, and it will be a tough ride for Windows Phone. Mango might still not be up to scratch to meet the even stronger competition. New handsets might till not be good enough. Nokia might continue to forget about the importance of mindshare in pimping out their phones to have the best of the best, making way for old-style compromises. Worse, Nokia might not even get these handsets out in time. Other manufacturers might turn their back on MS and focus more on Android.

It’s make or break over the next 12 months. According to early ‘analyst’ views, some saying displacing iOS to take second place behind Android, and one even saying totally ruling in about 5 years.

Well, for Nokia’s sake, Windows Phone better work and Nokia better be the one leading the pack, at the very least to buy some time for their next disruption. Nokia should be taking a significant chunk of that 100M, especially as it transitions sales (not users) from Symbian to Windows Phone.

Sources: Mobiletechworld via wpcentral

Cheers crisscross for the tip.

Category: Nokia, Windows Phone