Microsoft still dodging questions over Windows Phone 7 sales numbers

By Tom Warren, on 8th Dec 10 9:48 am with 9 Comments

Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 team is still dodging questions over Windows Phone 7 sales numbers.

Joe Belfiore, director of the Windows Phone program, spoke at the D: Dive Into Mobile conference in San Francisco on Tuesday. Amongst the discussion over Windows Phone 7, Walt Mossberg asked Belfiore for hard Windows Phone 7 sales numbers. “We’re not talking about numbers yet,” he told Mossberg. “It’s just too soon to talk about numbers.”

Belfiore isn’t the only Windows Phone team member who is refusing to talk numbers. Charlie Kindel, GM of the Windows Phone 7 Developer Ecosystem, spoke at LeWeb conference on Wednesday and also refused to talk Windows Phone 7 sales numbers. Kindel was pressed on expected sales figures for 2011 and the answer was “we plan to sell a lot in 2011″. Kindel said that Microsoft has “ambitious long term goals.” Microsoft is also promising to open up its app store download figures to developers. “We have not opened up our business intelligence aspects of our Marketplace and we’ll do that in the next month or so.”

Microsoft is planning to release a Windows Phone 7 OS update in early 2011. Microsoft is officially saying that the update is due in early 2011 but WinRumors understands Microsoft officials will detail the upcoming changes at CES. Windows Phone 7 is a key part of Microsoft’s long term mobile strategy and we expect the software giant to promise tethering, copy and paste, map improvements and a basic implementation of multi-tasking for third party applications. Microsoft will also make a number of changes to device settings to allow for further customisation by end users. Recently, a video emerged of Microsoft’s implementation of Windows Phone 7 copy and paste.

Microsoft’s refusal to speak about Windows Phone 7 sales numbers is telling. The software giant happily boasts its Windows 7 sales figures on a near monthly basis. Could the lack of sales figures mean that the company isn’t selling as many as it would like?

  • Anonymous

    Real question is, how many more did the Kin sell than WP7

    • GP007

      Lol, no. Maybe Joe doesn’t know what the sales numbers are anyways, it’s not like he works in the sales department or PR. It’s funny how everyone wants this platform to bomb so bad for no real reason it seems, what’s up with that?

  • Bnlf

    well i never saw anyone complaining about wp7 so i guess its just a matter of time for ppl to be confident to buy it. Many thinks the OS is still as bad as the old one. As soon as it releases here in brazil ill be buying it.

    • Arny Slapper

      Your mom thinks it’s as bad as the old one

  • peeder

    “Microsoft’s refusal to speak about Windows Phone 7 sales numbers is telling”

    No, it’s not actually. This platform has barely been out on the market for 1 month and is not debuting in a vaccuum as the original iPhone did. Palm did not disclose their numbers immediately after launch nor did Google with the launch of Android on the G1. The idea that any new platform or product has to debut to sales in the millions or have lines of zombies waiting for days to buy the product is preposterous. It took Android a few years to become the success it is today. The important thing is that Microsoft has continued to state that they are committed to this platform for the long-term. You don’t have to be the best-selling product in order to be successful or profitable.

  • Viruela22

    funny is, who said that phone windows 7 should sell more than the iphone or android? now would be a shame for those phones to a platform newly born do so in a single day, the important thing is that this wp7 sand and with that enough so that time is the best platform, these characters who call themselves writers are a few fans of apple and are afraid, should ask apple to remove sales of computers because they have a miserable market share, just ask a question what platform sold much in his early days? Android was a failure when it was released but followed-if not the figures given is because it is not spectacular and okay because nobody told that so serious in the first month, in the end, windows phone 7 will be the winner because it is much better plaraforma than all others

  • Hugh

    “The software giant happily ousts [sic] its Windows 7 sales figures on a near monthly basis.”

    You may find it helpful to look up “oust” in the dictionary…

  • Mookie

    Actually, the only people buying WP7 phones are developers of apps.

  • Mookie

    MS abandoned many loyal WM users, leaving them in the lurch by moving to zune, I mean WP7. There are three important questions:
    1. How many WM users will switch to WP7. My guess is less than half. I won’t. I’m done with MS and moving to Android.
    2. How many Android, Blackberry or iPhone users are going to switch to WP7 phone? Ha! Like zero.
    3. That only leaves new customers. How many new customers are going to choose a WP7 phone over and against all the other options? Well, in spite of boatloads of money thrown at marketing, and more boatloads thrown at developers trying to get apps created for WP7, customers just aren’t buying. (Surprise! Surprise!) Former WM users are frustrated because there is no new app development for them, so why switch to a WP7 that is dead in the water. Seriously, the only people buying WP7 phones are app developers hoping to cash in. Good luck to all of you!