Windows Phone Apps Surpass 40K Mark

Microsoft has spent significant resources luring developers to the Windows Phone platform but is hurting them with its control over the hardware.

From offering phones to developers sans voice and data contracts, to giving away free T-shirts, and rebates for the $99 Marketplace registration fee, to releasing and iPhone / iOS to Windows Phone 7 API mapping tool, Microsoft has spent significant resources trying to entice developers to create apps for the Windows Phone platform. And the company's efforts appear to be paying off. But Microsoft is hurting itself and these developers with its strict hardware guidelines.

This past week, the All About Windows Phone website revealed that the Windows Phone Marketplace has exceeded the 40,000 app mark and could potentially break the 50,000 app mark before the end of the year.

From the piece, "After celebrating its first anniversary by passing the 35,000 app mark in mid-October, the Windows Phone Marketplace has now passed the 40,000 app and games submission mark. Content is being added at the rate of 165 items per day. In the last 30 days, 85% of submissions were apps and 15% were games; 68% were free, 23% were paid and 9% were paid with free trial."

Although sales of Windows Phone based devices continue to disappoint, especially in the US, the stars seem to be aligning somewhat for Microsoft on the Windows Phone software front. We've said on numerous occasions that for the Windows Phone platform to ultimately be successful, it must have a selection of quality apps competitive with competing platforms, most notably iOS and Android. While the Windows Phone Marketplace still pales in comparison to those two in terms of total number of apps available (there are close to 17x the number of iOS apps and 10x the number of Android apps), support for Microsoft's platform is trending in the right direction.

Apps are being added to the Windows Phone Marketplace at a rate of 165/day. Source: allaboutwindowsphone.com

With the software situation improving daily, and a good number of quality apps now available in the Windows Phone Marketplace, Microsoft now has a solid foundation on which to build. With additional promotions, continued support, and more incentives for developers to create apps for Windows Phone, Microsoft is setting a trajectory for success on the software front. Now it's time to address the hardware.

In attempt to ensure a solid and consistent experience across multiple devices, Microsoft has set strict hardware guidelines for its device partners. As such, many Windows Phones have similar hardware specifications. It's only just recently that faster 1.4 and 1.5GHz SoCs (System on a Chip) have made their way into newer Mango-based devices, but for the majority of Windows Phone's relatively short life, 1GHz single-core SoCs abound. All of the phones currently have the same screen resolutions as well. I understand Microsoft's desire to ensure a consistent experience from device to device, but it's time to crank things up a few notches.

People who buy Windows Phones today will likely be locked into a two-year contract. That means that Android (definitely) and iOS (potentially) users will have access to devices with much faster dual and even quad-core SoCs in that timeframe. There may not be a need for more cores on Windows Phones at this time, but it's hardly ever a good idea to maintain the status quo in terms of hardware specifications. Enterprising developers are going to write apps to exploit the more capable hardware. If that hardware doesn't exist, innovation is stifled.

There's also the halo effect to consider. If an insanely powerful Windows Phone was released that dwarfed any iPhone or Android device in terms of its hardware features and specifications, it may entice vocal technology enthusiasts-i.e. the opinion makers-to give the platform a shot. I know many enthusiasts personally willing to give Windows Phone a try, that aren't thrilled with either iOS or Android, but they're hesitant to take the plunge because even the newest Windows Phones seem to have antiquated specs in comparison to the latest competing devices.

Disregarding enthusiasts, I'd also argue that less savvy consumers who just like to compare numbers would be more likely to purchase a Windows Phone if its specifications were better. If you knew next to nothing about smartphones and saw one with a 1GHz single-core SoC, an 800x480 screen resolution, and a 5MP camera, would you buy it over a competing device with a similar form factor that's got a 1.5GHz dual-core SoC, a 960x540 screen resolutions, and 8MP camera?  Probably not.

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• Windows Phone 7
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