Microsoft Says Windows Phone Will Dominate Chinese Market By 2016
March 22, 2012
Now that the Chinese smartphone market has everyone's attention, Microsoft wants in as well. And, somehow, company executives are predicting outright dominance. Regional CEO Simon Leung, in a Bloomberg report cited by BGR, told the news outlet that it plans to overtake Chinese majority marketshare by 2016.
Considering the head start enjoyed by Apple and Google in China -- and considering Microsoft's difficulties in establishing much relevance for its Windows Phone platform here in the U.S. -- Leung's assertions are irrationally optimistic. When asked how Microsoft meant to achieve this lofty goal, Leung said pricing is the most important factor:
We will continue to drive the price down. Our goal is number one. Having a goal to be number two is not really a goal.Maybe it should be. It's true that if Microsoft and its manufactory partners can indeed provide unsubsidized Windows Phone handsets in the promised $150 price range, they will dramatically undercut Apple's iPhone (which sells for a reported off-contract average of roughly $800). But what's going to happen when Apple finalizes its long-rumored deal with China Mobile and brings the iPhone to 650 million eager subscribers? And keep in mind, Android phones currently sell at fairly low MSRPs across Asia; it will be no small task for Redmond to overtake Mountain View's mobile OS marketshare. Personally, I don't think Microsoft stands a chance over there. But I don't think they stand a chance over here, either. [Image: engadget.com]
