Microsoft offers Barack Obama a free Windows Phone 7

By Tom Warren, on 15th Apr 11 6:15 pm with 38 Comments

How Barack Obama might look with a Samsung Focus Windows Phone

Microsoft has offered Barack Obama a free Windows Phone 7 device.

The software giant made the offer in a cheeky Twitter message on Friday. The offer was made as reports suggest that the U.S. president is disappointed with the lack of cool phones at the white house. “The Oval Office, I always thought I was going to have really cool phones and stuff,” he said, reports Fox News. “I’m like, c’mon guys, I’m the president of the United States. Where’s the fancy buttons and stuff and the big screen comes up? It doesn’t happen.”

Microsoft’s European team seized the opportunity to offer Obama a Windows Phone over Twitter on Friday:

Microsoft's Obama phone offer

Microsoft has previously handed out free Windows Phone devices to the ChevronWP7 jailbreaking team and promised a free device for notorious jailbreaker Geohot. The company has been pushing their marketing for Windows Phone with a number of TV commercials and adverts worldwide. Microsoft also revealed this week a number of key new developer enhancements for Windows Phone “Mango”, available later this year. “Mango” will also include an array of new features for end users, including multitasking and Internet Explorer 9 mobile. Visit our Mango section here for full information.

  • http://twitter.com/IanMitchel1 Ian Mitchell

    Oh man, if he took them up… my friends with iPhones and Android devices would shut up for a bit.

    • Fggu

      Yeah

    • http://twitter.com/anthonyleebaker Anthony Lee Baker

      why… does Microsoft giving away a freebie make it a better phone?

  • http://www.searingarrow.com AlienSix

    SAY YES!

  • Anonymous

    Eh. Why do they always offer free phones to the people that can easily afford them? I mean, I know why… but why can’t they give me one too!?! I would smash this p.o.s. Samsung Captivate on the ground in a heartbeat for a WP7.

    • http://twitter.com/Wheezle211 Wheezle

      Why are you taking this so seriously?

    • Anonymous

      Wasn’t really taking it “so seriously”. Just sort of airing my displeasure with my Android device. Can’t wait for my contract to be up so I can upgrade to WP7!

    • http://josedmorales.net Josè Daniel

      Try searching for giveaways for WP7! That’s exactly how I got my HTC HD7 :D Wait till a new WP7 comes out (i.e. Verizon WP7) then google/bing for giveaways for that specific phone and enter as many giveaway as you can! ;)

    • http://josedmorales.net Josè Daniel

      Try searching for giveaways for WP7! That’s exactly how I got my HTC HD7 :D Wait till a new WP7 comes out (i.e. Verizon WP7) then google/bing for giveaways for that specific phone and enter as many giveaway as you can! ;)

    • Anonymous

      Thanks for the tip!

    • http://josedmorales.net Josè Daniel

      A pleasure! ;)

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CLLYU6F2QSJDAWOQJ7AVQVIJDI Renzo

      I was going to say I got the HD7 for FREE (well, without the usual security deposit to the wireless company) through Newegg and I’ve also seen some WP7 phones on Amazon for like $0.01 every now and then. Just get outta the contract and you can get you some “free” WP7 action, just gotta keep an eye out.

    • Anonymous

      Yeah, I’ve seen them. I just don’t want to renew my contract yet, because then I won’t have an unlimited data plan anymore… and that’s not an option. LOL.

    • M_Lyons10

      I really hope that Verizon gets it soon… This is ridiculous.

  • http://twitter.com/TheRackow Andrew Rackow

    I dont think he would be able to get one even if he wanted it… Don’t phones need like iron clad security to be used in the upper ranks of government? The only one he was allowed to have was like a supped up Blackberry because they know security.

    • Anonymous

      damn Canadians

    • Narcosleepy

      Yes. They initially didn’t let him use his Blackberry until they had a special one made with the necessary security enhancements.

    • M_Lyons10

      Which were more than anything hardware related… And WP7 with it’s use of SD encryption is very secure…

    • http://www.facebook.com/wixostrix WixosTrix

      I’m sure if Obama said yes Microsoft would send their top engineer(s) to ensure the security of the device. They’d probably even take on the expenses of developing a custom Presidential version with enhanced security features just to tout that the President of the United States uses a Windows Phone. If there is anyone who knows security it’s Microsoft. Information in their datacenter servers can’t even be accessed by Bill Gates himself.

    • http://www.ryankearney.com/ Ryan Kearney

      It has nothing to do with how Microsoft secures their data centers. BlackBerry devices have very, very strict security policies (customizable, of course) that other phones just don’t have. For example, every email that leaves a BlackBerry is encrypted as it travels over the air. Windows Mobile, iOS, and Android do not do this. They just simply can’t do it without another service on the other end to handle that encrypted data (BES or BIS).

      To put it simply, Windows Mobile just can’t be as secure as a BlackBerry unless Microsoft rolls out another data center that would act as a liaison between users and the rest of the world. They would also then have to construct an entire new platform that people could install on their own hardware to use in-house to bypass Microsoft’s hardware completely.

    • http://www.facebook.com/wixostrix WixosTrix

      I see. I wasn’t aware of all that :)

  • http://www.cyber-punk.cz.cc/ ShadowRunner

    DONT DO ITS A TRAP!!!!!!!!!!

    • http://www.winrumors.com Tom W

      Haha, comment of the day ;)

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CLLYU6F2QSJDAWOQJ7AVQVIJDI Renzo

    He really should.

    Android and iOS especially are getting really, really stale. iOS still functions pretty much the same way it did back in 2007 and Android is just a (better) copy of all that.

    THE CHANGE WE NEED (is WP7)!

    bring in the clowns

  • http://josedmorales.net Josè Daniel

    I can already see Jobs offering an iPhone to Mr. President just like he did to Russia’s president. LOL Thankfully, MS did the offer first! :D

  • Just Visiting

    They should offer him a Nokia WP7 device with delicious Mango! Maybe the First Lady can rock one too….

    • Anonymous

      Nokia WP7 will not be available at least until his second term.

  • http://profiles.google.com/elambert302 Erik Lambertsen

    Getting a WP7 would actually be a downgrade compared to the phones he has now.

    • http://about.me/abhinavk Abhinav Kumar

      Currently he has a PDA running Windows Mobile. (probably a modded WM6.1)

    • Anonymous

      are you sure? I thought it was a heavily securitized blackberry

    • http://about.me/abhinavk Abhinav Kumar

      Yeah…but it ran Windows.

    • http://www.ryankearney.com/ Ryan Kearney

      No…. No not really.

  • Anonymous

    hehe… our president got iphone from another Steve )

  • Mister Twister

    Hopefully when mango comes out security on WP7 could compare to blackberry. That would really boost sales in corporation, and government jobs.

  • Mark

    Then he could wait around for updates like everyone else.

  • http://twitter.com/mcakins McAkins Online

    and Obama said “Can I have a cool Phone?”, and Microsoft said: “Yes You Can!!!

  • Tonious

    Obama will be happy with a “mango” WP7, I know!

  • ThaRebeliouZ

    Yea he needs a “Mango” WP7 to get the people talking.