When compared to Apple and Google, no one has any sort of hesitation to label Microsoft as a player who is still struggling to gain respectable share in the smart phone ecosystem. But Microsoft is not giving up the hope and is looking to various partners like Nokia who has a worldwide reach to help it come up from behind. Recent event like Nokia introducing two smart phones the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710, both based on Windows mango OS proves this.
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| Smart phone OS Market Share |
Nokia too, a pioneered and dominated player until Apple and Google showed up is looking for image makeover. With Google said to buy Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc in a bid to introduce hardware to the Android system and with Apple already a maker of both the iPhone hardware and the operating system (iOS). Some analyst sees the availability of variety of Windows Phone models as one of Microsoft core strengths, but at the same time avoiding the "chaos" found in Android (a Linux based system operating system, developed by the Open Handset Alliance led by Google to work on the hardware from HTC, Samsung, Motorola, Sony and LG) by controlling the operating system and working directly with multiple operators and manufacturers including Nokia. This unique strategy of Microsoft’s partnership programs are something to watch for in the smart phone space in the coming days.
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| Events influencing Smart Phone Market |
While Apple, Google and Microsoft battle it out, what amazes equally is the technological growth in the industry in the last few years.
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| Apple Humor |
Nokia Lumia 800 phone for example feature a 3.7" screen, 1.4GHz processor, 16Gb of internal memory, 8MP instant share camera based on top end Carl Zeiss optics and runs on high-speed 4G networks that use a technology called LTE, or Long Term Evolution, as well as on older(!!) 3G networks. Only a year back, BSNL and AirTel offering 3G in India was big news and 5 MP cameras were considered a symbol of lavishness.
In such a high competitive smart phone ecosystem the question everyone has in mind is will Microsoft with its never ending innovation and past experience in wooing the customer be able to project itself as a tough competitor to Google and Apple with the help of once the innovative force in mobile phones market - Nokia. It is unlikely that Microsoft will be able to pull this off without fighting really hard in the coming years.
