Mobile Device Exec Sees Dark Days Ahead for Microsoft (MSFT) Windows Phone (NOK) (AAPL)
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Amid speculation that Huawei might make a run at Nokia (NYSE: NOK), Huawei consumer business group chairman Richard Yu also took a shot at Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) at a launch event for the Ascend P6.
The Financial Times piece focused mainly on speculation of a takeover, but Yu also issued the following comment: "Whether Windows Phone [will be] successful is difficult to say – it has a very small market share. [Windows Phones] are weak but still require a license fee. That’s not good. [Google (Nasdaq: GOOG)] Android is free."
Clearly Huawei isn't planning to move into Windows Phone anytime soon. That's good news for Nokia, but bad news for Microsoft. Despite the Redmond, WA-based tech giant launching tablets and potentially smartphones, it shares the basic trait of Google: it really just wants to get more software into more hands.
Or does it? Charging a licensing fee for an operating system seems a little unusual, particularly when your operating system isn't popular. If Google started charging even a modest fee, handset makers would be more likely to pay-up given the user base that is now on Android.
If Microsoft is planning to go the Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) route of making money from hardware, well that's bad news for Nokia and unlikely at this point. Apple started with both in hand, not trying to make one and add the other in. Microsoft has been solely software-focused from the start and, really, probably wants to continue that way.
Shares of Microsoft ended the session down modestly.
The Financial Times piece focused mainly on speculation of a takeover, but Yu also issued the following comment: "Whether Windows Phone [will be] successful is difficult to say – it has a very small market share. [Windows Phones] are weak but still require a license fee. That’s not good. [Google (Nasdaq: GOOG)] Android is free."
Clearly Huawei isn't planning to move into Windows Phone anytime soon. That's good news for Nokia, but bad news for Microsoft. Despite the Redmond, WA-based tech giant launching tablets and potentially smartphones, it shares the basic trait of Google: it really just wants to get more software into more hands.
Or does it? Charging a licensing fee for an operating system seems a little unusual, particularly when your operating system isn't popular. If Google started charging even a modest fee, handset makers would be more likely to pay-up given the user base that is now on Android.
If Microsoft is planning to go the Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) route of making money from hardware, well that's bad news for Nokia and unlikely at this point. Apple started with both in hand, not trying to make one and add the other in. Microsoft has been solely software-focused from the start and, really, probably wants to continue that way.
Shares of Microsoft ended the session down modestly.
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