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For this post I’m taking a break from my regularly scheduled Google+ critiques to critique one of the other hot news items of the modern technology age: That would be Windows Phone 7.
Where are all of these devices running Windows Phone 7? What is this elusive “Mango” build I’ve read about? They must be selling like hotcakes because Microsoft won’t give me one to review.
Here is my request from one month ago today:
Microsoft’s interference runners Waggener Edstrom wrote back June 28: “Thanks for your email and I would be happy to look into this for you. Please give me a chance to connect with my colleagues, and I’ll be in touch when I have more information to share.”
Fair enough. Several hours later, the spokesperson wrote me back:
Wow, I’m thinking Mango must be a hot item for review. The OS build must be snapped up by tons of other reviewers. Maybe so many people are reviewing the early preview that there are none available. Okay, I thought, let me give them some time.
I waited three weeks, then wrote July 20:
Surely there would be one device available for me? Nay, Wagged said:
In other words, don’t call or email us; we’ll contact you. Of course! I smacked my forehead. How could I have been so stupid? It’s not as if Windows Phone has about 1 to 2 percent market share and has buckets of phones to go around from its OEMs.
I mean, these things go like hotcakes.. Oh wait, I just got WP7 confused with the iPhone and Android handsets, which do sell well.
What gives? It’s not like I’m some schmuck that asked for a free phone. I’m a professional journalist and blogger who has played with or reviewed dozens of Android smartphones, tablets, Chromebooks and other gadgets.
I even reviewed the darned TwitterPeek. In my office today, I have a Motorola Droid 3, RIM Blackberry PlayBook, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and a Toshiba Thrive tablet. I know my way around mobile gadgets a tad.
Maybe I’ve reviewed too many Android phones for Microsoft’s liking. The fact is that I’ve tested both of Apple’s iPads for hours and compared my wife’s iPhone 4 side by side with Android handsets galore so I know how they measure up.
I have no idea how WP7 devices measure up to Android or iPhone because Microsoft won’t give me one. You’d think I had asked for three iPhone 5s!
I’ll live. I’ll just keep reviewing Android handsets and checking out iPhones as the two platforms combine to grab 80 percent of the addressable smartphone market, rendering Blackberry, webOS and WP7 obsolete.
One wonders how long before Microsoft’s mobile efforts begin to look like the loss leader it’s online services division has proven to be.
Bing and WP7: the flip side of the coin that is Google search and Android.