back to article Microsoft adopts invisible mobile pitch

Microsoft will pitch Windows Phone 7 as the handset you don't use all the time, highlighting how people disappear into their current handsets and miss out on the real world. Redmond is already spending a lot of money promoting Windows Phone 7, which is expected to launch in a month or so, and now it has an angle too - …

COMMENTS

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  1. Miek
    Linux

    Comical

    The implications for this are just comical ... "Is you phone just too useful that you cannot peel yourself away from it ?" -- Then why not buy a windows phone and get your life back.

    1. CraigTheGeek
      Grenade

      Hysterical fanbois...

      ...will be frothing at the mouth to give it a good kicking. And the first thing they'll do is try to find a deathgrip.

      "See! See! It wasn't just the iPhone!"

      Bless.

      *ducks and covers*

    2. Giles Jones Gold badge

      New slogan

      Windows Phone 7 - Get your 'Kin life back.

      Why not go the whole hog, have a pin through the phone that you can pull out and have the phone self destruct?

  2. LinkOfHyrule

    Snore zzzzz

    zzzzzzzz ugghh zzzzzzzzz windoze (get it!) zzzzzzzzz phone zzzzzzzzz so zzzzz boring zzzzzz!

  3. Cunningly Linguistic
    WTF?

    In the video?

    Was the last image of the phone being lowered meant to have an image composited on its screen? The tracking marks were there.

    So is this a a typical Microsoft faux pas (trans: bug/feature)?

  4. Shadowfirebird
    Flame

    Either that or...

    ...the thing is so buggy that their only hope of shifting units is to sell it as the phone that you don't use?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    Title

    >Microsoft reckons it can help users avoid them by presenting everything important on the home screen

    Wow, does that mean the yet-to-be-release phone from MS will actually be able to... um. Well. Do something my Android already does?

    C'mon MS, at least go for some honesty points and admit you're playing catch-up.

    Mine's the one with the Android in the pocket, with my calendar, to-do list on the home page with a live streamed video in the background. (And a stupid data bill)

    1. Monty Burns
      FAIL

      you mean like

      "Wow, does that mean the yet-to-be-release phone from MS will actually be able to... um. Well. Do something my Android already does?"

      You mean like Sync'ing tasks out of the box?

    2. Rob Moir
      FAIL

      The title is required, and must contain letters and/or digits.

      If we're talking "catchup" then earlier versions of Windows Mobile were able to present a good amount of information on the home screen long before android ever existed. And I'm sure they were far from the first to do so...

      In the IT world, If you think your favourite toy was the first to do something then this is far more the sign of insufficient research on your part than it is a sign that you own a really unique device.

  6. Chris 211

    battery

    Battery life, still defining what phone PROPER business users use.

    1. Monty Burns

      really?

      I consider myself a business user and I don't crave battery life. The HD2 batteries are actually really slim and easily fit in the pocket or wallet. Add to that I have a craddle at work and at home and I have never had an issue with battery life, ever.

      Having said that, we don't know what the battery life of WP7 will be like but i'm guessing like all other constantly online devices, it won't be brilliant - sad fact of reality.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Troll

    The parody versions are much more fun

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUUERKq0IA0

  8. The BigYin
    Joke

    Glance interface?

    Cool! Then again, it doesn't take long to read "A fatal exception has occured..." before switching it off and on again.

  9. DB_lanky
    Thumb Up

    Not a bad advert

    As far as adverts go its not that bad, especially Microsoft ones, this is far less cringe worthy than their previous ones.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    I like the ad.

    I just wish it was an ad for not being on your phone all the time, rather than being on a different brand of phone. Boo.

  11. Rogerborg

    Agreed, epic fail

    The assumption seems to be that all the "comical" people are using their phones because they have to, rather than because they want to, and WinCE 7 (or whatever) can rescue from that nightmare.

    I guess if you're marketing to people who don't really like phones, then that's one way of doing it, but isn't that like trying to sell oil soaked baby seals to ecomentals?

  12. dave 93

    So, no passcode lock then?

    I'm guessing that you still have to wake it up, then key some passcode in before you get everything on one tiny screen (good luck with presenting all my unread mail, SMS, IM, Skype buddies, stock quotes etc. in one go).

    IMHO, people fiddle with their phones all the time to avoid having to talk to people or think.

  13. Brian Gannon
    Gates Halo

    Great angle

    The mobile phone market is saturated with copy cat ideas so I really like the approach of a better family / work balance. On more than one occasion I have been chastised by my wife for staring at my iPhone. All though in truth I think the true answer to a better work /life balance is to switch your phone off when you leave work.

    I appreciate the sentiment will be lost on most reg readers as their most intimate relationship is with the pizza delivery boy. There is a reason Microsoft is the World’s most profitable tech company. Maybe it’s you who is in the wrong? Ever stopped to think about that?

    1. Chris Harden
      FAIL

      I dont think that's the point

      So when your staring at your iPhone getting chastised by your wife, you mean your scrabbling through it's user interface trying to find the status of your phone (what MS is suggesting) or are you just being damn rude and actually reading something?

      Well done trying to be superior, try taking your own advice.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      FAIL

      Umm...

      "There is a reason Microsoft is the World’s most profitable tech company."

      That's easy when you hold a monopoly strangle-hold on the IT market by breaking standards and making it nigh-on impossible for other systems to inter-operate with you. When fair competition did arrive (e.g. early days of netbooks) MS got bitch-slapped and had a panic push for XP before they re-asserted their lock-in.

      In other markets with fair(er) competition, MS is absolutely nowhere (mobile phones, PMPs) as there are so many systems already inter-operating to a large degree, MS simply cannot do their usual standards-breaking tactic and have to compete on merit. Something they lack..

      Interestingly enough MS's revenue has been falling, whilst the likes of Google and Apple have been increasing theirs. Apple's market cap is also higher than MS's. So maybe we are seeing the beginning of the end? Although the idea of Apple (even more controlling and prohibitive) taking MS's place is worrying.

  14. Peter 39

    battery life?

    "That also means constant connectivity, which in turn requires (effectively) unlimited data and impacts battery life, but neither of those should be a problem for the corporate executive who'll likely be Microsoft's the first target."

    I'll agree that the corporate types don't have an issue with the data plan. But battery life? Seriously, that's always an issue.

    As Apple has shown, battery life is as much about the software as the size of the battery. If MS has the application support architecture right then battery life becomes a manageable problem. If multi-tasking is just what's done on desktop/laptops then WinPhone7 will soon join its Kin.

    1. leexgx

      re: battery life?

      i also hope the bat life is good

  15. stim
    Thumb Up

    looking forward to it...

    i love it! nice different angle, with some truth to it.

    i for one will be purchasing the WP7 on it's release day - can't wait.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Hey Hey!

      Nice to see someone else being excited, everyone else seems to be moaning about something.

      I too am looking forward to WP7, I won't be buying on release (I have a N1 atm), but when I've saved a few pennies I'll get a low range one, get the SDK and go from there.

      There's far too many fanboys when it comes to phones and not enough people who just enjoy the technology. iPhone, Android, WP7, WebOS... they're all just toys (or tools if you *have* to be serious about it).

  16. The Indomitable Gall

    Lots of info on the home screen?

    Nope. There's still curvy edge blue boxes with a lot of padding inside and out. Reduce the chrome, increase the content.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    When you've got a boring product to market...

    ...advertise boring as a feature! Marketing at its finest.

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Alert

    Reasons why you will not get lost in Win7 Mobile...

    1. The O/S is so ropey and "squeezed" down it will run at snail's pace, so don't worry, you'll have plenty of time for the kids while you wait for the O/S to load an app!

    2. The O/S will drain the battery so fast, you'll spent 75% of your time looking for the charger / wall socket to re-charge it.

    3. The death-grip, which all phones suffer from acorrding to Lord Jobs of the Church of Apple, may well appear so you'll have plenty of time to spare to talk to iPhone4 users about a shared experience.

    4. You only bought the Win7 Mobile Basic package, so you can't run any apps unless you upgrade to to Win7 Mobile Ultimate Premium Super-Duper All-Singing and Dancing Edition, well alright you can run the clock, notepad and calendar, but no phone-calls or browser they only come on the top end edition!

    5. WGA Mobile will check you have a genuine edition of the O/S and fail 4/5 times, even though you paid full price for a genuine key, you will still have to call MS support at least 4 times a week to revalidate!

    6. Patch MS7474630395 fails to install, so you will have plenty of time to talk to the family while you drive to the nearest Argos/COMET/phone shop to get the O/S reloaded from scratch!

    7. The first release of any software is always crap ( even iOS ), so even more time while you constantly reboot it to keep it going.

    8. You didn't carry a paper clip to reboot the phone when it jammed?! Even more time to spend with the kids, while you wait for TESCO/Office World to open so you can buy some paperclips to reboot the damn thing!

    Enjoy!

    ( Disclaimer: No I don't own an iPhone what's more up until 6 months ago I still owned a Nokia 3310. It worked as a phone, that's all needed! It went to the great mobile graveyard in the sky and I have to suffer a very annoying LG phone with 95% bloatware! )

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Up

      LOL

      I have no clue what twits down-voted you.. I found this hilariously (sadly?) true!

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Flame

      seriously !!

      ( Disclaimer: No I don't own an iPhone what's more up until 6 months ago I still owned a Nokia 3310. It worked as a phone, that's all needed! It went to the great mobile graveyard in the sky and I have to suffer a very annoying LG phone with 95% bloatware! )

      As you have only just purchased a smartphone and a low end smart phone i dont think you really know what your talking about.

      using htc touchpro 2 and i have the following comments

      1. I use custom roms that MS are happy to allow you to customize something you bought to how you like !

      2. Have over 1 day battery life and most of the morning and all of the evening is spent searching for signal as i dont get any :/

      3. Death grip only applicable if i hold the phone in both hands and try and cover as much of the phone as possible (cant imagine phoning is possible in said position )

      4. Goto 1

      5. WGA, I duno if ive been lucky but, i have never had a problem with WGA or know anybody using a legal copy to have a problem with WGA.

      6. you patch the phone yourself. and it being MS refer to point 1 do it yourself its easy enough

      7. refer to point 1 if you dont like windows 7 go back to 6.5 or just use android. MS dont care.

      8. try using the stylus, pen, your tiny dick ???

      (Disclaimer: yes i use a windows mobile device & since using a smart phone i have realized what a usefull tool it can be, always thought they were pointless before. E.g. i absolutley love the WAP funtionality for testing vpns etc.)

      RE your LG

      http://forum.xda-developers.com/ they have a couple of LG phones there i dont know if yours is listed. if it is you should be able to get a naked ROM without anybloatware

      that would be the Bloatware from the Mobile phone Provider NOT Microsoft.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Megaphone

        @seriously!!

        >>1. I use custom roms that MS are happy to allow you to customize something you bought to how you like !<<

        Seriously? Sweet. So where's the Linux rom at?!?

        >>2. Have over 1 day battery life and most of the morning and all of the evening is spent searching for signal as i dont get any :/<<

        Not sure where this came from.. but signal issues typically are part of hardware issues, not software. I got easily 8+ days out of my blackberry when I had one. Got roughly 2 days out of the Android each charge too. Now I get easily +1 day on my Samsung Galaxy. Plenty.

        >>3. Death grip only applicable if i hold the phone in both hands and try and cover as much of the phone as possible (cant imagine phoning is possible in said position )<<

        Wow, you and every other phone owner in the world except those iPhone 4G users!

        >>4. Goto 1<<

        Don't need to. See, patches for 98% of the phones out there are not required since.. well.. they're released in working form. Shock, awe!

        >>5. WGA, I duno if ive been lucky but, i have never had a problem with WGA or know anybody using a legal copy to have a problem with WGA.<<

        Excellent, so if you, your mom and your grandma have any issues I'm sure you'll let us know. Until then, 38-48% of users get disabled every year - more so with WAT - even though legal. Many of those are corporate users.

        >>6. you patch the phone yourself. and it being MS refer to point 1 do it yourself its easy enough<<

        Yay, so while ALL THE OTHER PHONES ON THE MARKET can be set to automatically update IF you choose, MS require you to do it yourself. Whoa I'm getting hot and heavy for that mobo right about now!

        >>7. refer to point 1 if you dont like windows 7 go back to 6.5 or just use android. MS dont care.<<

        Um, yeah actually read your license...

        >>8. try using the stylus, pen, your tiny dick ???<<

        Thanks, I have a working touch screen that DOESN'T need anything other than my fat fingers; funny enough it's not MS.

        >>(Disclaimer: yes i use a windows mobile device & since using a smart phone i have realized what a usefull tool it can be, always thought they were pointless before. E.g. i absolutley love the WAP funtionality for testing vpns etc.)<<

        Wow, you have WAP? That's like, totally 2004 man! Rock on!

    3. Dave Lawton

      Reasons why you will not get lost in Win7 Mobile...

      Why not buy another 3310 then, plenty about in good nick, or even upgrade to a 6310i

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Nissan Almera

    Anyone remember the original ads for the Almera? ... "The car they don't want you to drive". As someone who drove one I found out why they didn't want you to drive it - because it a was a complete pile of poop (any car that can't make it up the hill on the M5 approaching the M42 at 80mph in 5th gear with one person in the car is poop in my opinion).

    Maybe MS are trying to tell us the same thing....

  20. labberdasher
    IT Angle

    That's it?

    So they've definitely decided to go with this, and not with the one thing they're actually good at, which is more or less tightly integrated business solutions? Well, I'm sure they thought it through very thoroughly aforehand, and it'll all be a roaring success just the way they wanted it.

  21. Robin Szemeti
    Gates Horns

    And how will it give you your life back?

    Easy,

    because it will be crashed for 90% of the time, with the battery flat for the next 10%

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    anti-ms

    'el reg seems very anti-microsoft these days, i wonder how many people posting have actually used the product...? i'm guessing none.

    let's wait and give it a chance, you all sound like a real bunch of old moaners!

  23. stuhacking
    Coat

    Microsoft will sell you...

    ... the phone you don't want to use.

  24. Pirate Pete
    Troll

    That's nice

    but I have my Android home screen set up so all I need to do is glance at it to read my RSS feeds, unread mails, missed calls, new text messages, etc etc etc. I could even set that stuff up in the lock screen if I really wanted to cut down the precious seconds wasted looking at it...

  25. rhydy
    Thumb Down

    windoze

    how do you tell the difference between a m$ status screen that has no new info, and a m$ status screen that locked up and froze 4 minutes ago? I blackberry already has a solution for this with a display that I can read when it is face down or in my pocket..a little red LED for message status.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Happy

      "m$"?

      Oh, wait a second... Oh yeah, I see what you did there! Instead of putting an S in MS you put a dollar sign for the S. Ha ha ha! Oh my gosh that's funny! That really is so funny! Do you write your own material? Do you? Because that is seriously fresh and original. It is funny because MS has money and likes money unlike Google and Apple, who are all just here to make us happy and fill our likes with candy floss dreams and shiny trinkets full of joy. What a clever, smart girl you must be, to come up with a joke like that all by yourself. Amazing. A+

      1. Bilgepipe
        Gates Horns

        Get over it

        It's as fresh and amusing as "fanboi," son, get over it.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Unhappy

        @"m$"?

        Dear God in purgatory not another armchair English Professor. Save us from these grammar Nazi Pope-loving erectile-dysfunctional twits.

  26. leexgx

    Phone

    nice how reg say "We’re sorry you didn’t like this post." when you vote down some stupid posts (that i guess is going to happen to me :) )

    just hope they get the Bat life sorted out with this phone (like make it last maybe 2 days Not 4-7 hrs{iphone} ) also hope the Bluetooth works correctly as blackberry's BT sucks an little (fails to reconnect it if have wandered out of range and back in only 30% successful and even then it mite not work correctly then)

    my main phone has always been an widnows phone as i used it for business use (C500, M600, HTC HD1 touch {with the Buggy touch Flow off} was currant phone BB 8520 testing), the google phone is not an option for business use as appointments takes to long to enter and does not show the calender same as an windows phone when adding an new appointment using an Wheel to Find the day is Pure annoying as it does not update the Day as you are moving the date around (at least the blackberry does this)

    i got an BB 8520 as an Test at the moment (only £100 so not braking the bank) use wise i find it ok (apart form the Bluetooth been bit flaky but ok as long as i sat with with phone) i am used to the windows phone moving to the date i have Moved an appointment to, on the BB i have to move to the date or day after i have moved an appointment around, also the buttons are bit hard to press (but the 9700 i have tested buttons are softer and the 5 main buttons are also softer to press as well) got to admit the hold up on low signal on the BB 8520 is quite good as well hardly have to use the UMA function as that's the main reasion i have got the phone but as orange and tmobile are merging soon that may not be needed (But very useful if i go out side of the UK)

    i like the blackberry but they need an proper touch screen phone (storm seemed like an fail to me) even if the currant phones was touch screen it be nice use, as you can use the bb track pad for small movements as that's what i find its useful for as it does not have faster movement the faster you move (like in windows for your mouse faster you move it faster the mouse goes across the screen the BB track pad Needs it)

    i can wait it out thought as longer i do not renew my contract the more stuff i get when renew me phone and contract, at the moment i am Bent between an BB 9700 (or its refresh if there is one coming, copy and paste is faffy on the blackberry) and the windows 7 Phone (lack of Copy and paste is what's really putting me off), my backup phone is an HTC Desire that on t-mobile for the next 1.5 yrs (orange phone diverts to my t-mobile phone if no response (network cant connect to phone) or busy {hang up} or ring out )

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Spelling

      Spelling.

      Grammar.

      Punctuation.

      Hello? Have you ever heard of any of those?

      Oh yeah - 4-7 hours battery life from an iPhone? What?

    2. ColonelClaw
      Thumb Down

      Make more of an effort

      I down-voted you not because of anything you wrote, but because of the non-existent spelling/grammar/punctuation.

      Your post is essentially unreadable, so any good points you might have made are lost in the horrible writing.

    3. Lionel Baden
      Thumb Up

      Hey Hey

      I downvoted you because i didnt wat to feel left out.

      Plus its kinda fun kicking somebody when their down :D

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Don't mock his spelling or brainpower

      He's just a windows user!

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Troll

    Internet Posters

    People who post comments on the web are mentally ill egotists. Especially those who use the word Fail.

    Just a thought.

    1. Lionel Baden
      FAIL

      AC TROLL FAIL

      YOU FAIL !!!

  28. YumDogfood

    "M$"

    Well, it all comes down to that old saying: "Fool me once,.."

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