By Google IO is arguably Android’s biggest event of the year and that event takes place June 27th – 29th in San Francisco. We’ll be there. And apparently so will Microsoft… one week earlier. That’s right: Microsoft has just announced the Windows Phone Developer Summit which will take place June 20th to 21st in San Francisco.
This seems late in the game to announce a developer summit, not to mention one that coincidentally takes place in the same city, location, and time frame as Google IO. One can’t help but think Microsoft has something up their sleeve that they’re just dying to pull out. Allow me to speculate.
Windows Phone Developer Challenge?
Windows Phone needs developers and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Microsoft announce a Windows Phone Developer Challenge, knocking off the Android Developer Challenge that helped kick Android off so beautifully. Microsoft has obnoxiously deep pockets and they desperately need Windows Phone to make a big push in the next 12 to 18 months. They can’t do that without competing on the hardware AND software fronts. Plopping down a few hundred million in prize money could be well worth the investment.
Preview of new features?
We can practically guarantee that Google will get on stage at IO, flash a long list of impressive stats and accomplishments, give away some sick free stuff, and announce a boat load of new products and services that blow us away. I’m not sure Microsoft can wow us with something that Android and iOS haven’t already, not to mention what we’ll see this year, but don’t count out the possibility of Microsoft attempting. Whether it’s integration with Windows for Desktops/Laptops/XBOX, completely new services, or a look at the upcoming version of Windows Phone with developer access to the SDK, you’ve got to think they’ll show something new.
New hardware?
Android manufacturers are scaling back a bit on the number of devices they launch this year, choosing instead to focus on a stronger stable of products. With sales of Windows Phone devices slow to gain momentum, manufacturers are being especially picky here. Most are rumored to be waiting for the next iteration of Windows Phone, so I’d bet that new phone announcements don’t happen at this event.
But could they announce a Windows Tablet platform or Windows Tablet? Could they conjure up a Microsoft Surface or other upcoming device and give it a Windows Phone makeover? I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft used this opportunity to make public their initiatives outside of phones, simultaneously recruiting devs. But this would be on the slimmer side of the chance pie.
Your Guesses & Outrageously Crazy Possibilities?
I want to hear what YOU think will happen at this Windows Phone Developer Summit. Does it even matter? What if Microsoft announced they were buying RIM… then would you care? Or maybe you’d just consider that like HP buying Palm? Or maybe they’ll buy the open sourced WebOS?
I don’t know the answers, but I do know that this is very relevant to the Android world. When you take into consideration the event, the date, the location, and the entire dynamic surrounding the mobile space, you get the idea that this is about much more than having a dev summit. This is about a budding mobile rivalry.
We’ve already got Android vs. iOS… and now Windows wants in.
My guess is that we’ll see Steve Balmer prancing around the stage like a monkey, the way he’s known to do.
DevelopersDevelopersDevelopersDevelopersDevelopersDevelopers!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8To-6VIJZRE
Don’t forget this one. The intro is pure gold. “Give it up for me!!!!!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8M6S8EKbnU&feature=related
hahaha, priceless.
What a f.ck.
Hahahahahahahaha! This is such a joke. Good luck trying to upstage Google I/O, Microsuck. (Too much?) In all seriousness, I/O is one hell of an event and I wish Microsoft luck with their attempt at a duplicate. They’re going to need it. In the time that they have been out, Windows phones have not made close to enough progress, and definitely not as much as Android had made by this time in its career. I doubt Windows phones will ever beat out Android, or even come close to the same level of awesomeness.
I don’t think Windows Phone will ever beat out Android either but it’s still a damn good operating system. Had Windows Phone been out instead of Windows Mobile, I doubt Android or iOS would have such large share’s. I’m an Android user (since G1 was new) so don’t get me wrong. It’s not MS Fanboyism that makes me say that. I’m just giving a good system the credit it deserves.
Popularity =/= Quality. Remember that (and yes I’m looking at you iOS).
Also have an android phone but sure makes me drool on that new windows phone os, what more to the upcoming changes in their os. That makes me wonder how they’ll be managing fragmentation better than android?
Just here for geeks.
Yes, WP7 is a beautiful and smooth platform. The only reason I couldn’t stick to it is the limitations it has. Take those away and WP7 is a win. Till then, Android FTW.
Microsoft makes Windows. Windows runs on more computers than apple will ever hit. Oh and the richest guy in the world is Bill Gates who created Microsoft. Maybe the 3rd richest now? either way, they have a lot of great things, skills, and most importantly, money, to bring to the table. They very well could start owning android. Android is open source. They could take all sorts of cool stuff android does and iOS doesnt, put it into windows and add interopability between windows phones and the 10 fofillionmillionzilliion pc’s in the world. Everybody uses Word, excel, powerpoint and from a business standpoint that stuff doesnt work great on any mobile device. Im sure that is one of few things windows phone will do.
Dont get me wrong I LOVE android. But Windows is a huge force to be recogned with.
Would be pretty hilarious if they used Android just to make another competitive phone against Google themselves. ;)
What has Bill Gates got to do with anything? He doesn’t give his money to Microsoft nor is he actively involved with Microsoft. He works full time for his charity. He is a top guy but adding him to your argument is just lame. Android interoperates fine with my PC and I can open Word docs etc with Android phone also.
Yea I think people are putting a little bit too much stock in WP running Windows. For the most part your productivity apps are already handles in Android and iOS whether its true Office or not. And just because it will supposedly run full blown Windows doesn’t mean it can run the full blown apps or even fit them in the devices storage. And you’d also be paying full blown price unless they gimp them.
Microsoft has tried this tie in thing before and failed. Remember it was supposed to be the great Sharepoint integration. Then it was the great XBox integration. Now it will be great Windows integration. Problem is nobody actually cares about Windows or Sharepoint. Its just the default that’s there. Nobody is excited about them or runs out to buy products around them. I simply dont see these things pushing their phones the way people might think.
Apple vs. iOS…sounds competitive!!!
True… but not as competitive as Google vs. Android. That’s a grudge match!
Reminds me of a movie.
Hmmmmm……..
What was it????
Hmmmmm……
OH YEAH !!!
Dead Man Walking
Apple vs iOS Yep. Logical.
Give BIG ROB a break. He’s probably worn out with anticipation of Sammy’s announcement tomorrow.
Was a funny typo though.
We still luv ya Rob
Galaxy Nexus much?
probably hoping to get people already going to google IO to extend their trip by a couple of days
Microsoft will definitely do it and bring it on to compete with Google….Anybody who has used windows phone for a week know it…
My 2¢? Microsoft can take their time if they wanted. I see their future in the next generation of Windows phones when you can run full blown Windows on a 4.8″ 720p screen. As soon as they have seamless integration between desktop, laptop, tablet, and phone people can kick and scream all they want but they’ll still use it because it’s Windows and they have to. Microsoft might be waiting till Intel or AMD can deliver an x86/64 chip that won’t gobble down battery life like Sally Struthers at a Sizzler, and deliver a “single device/many shells” platform for Windows 8 or 9 and abandon ARM. Basically ripping off the Asus Padfone but doing it really well. Google could compete by optimizing the hell out of WINE and deliver an Android/ChromeOS hybrid for desktops and really push people towards its adoption, but only if Windows software could be run reliably.
http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/android
True the concept already exists but I don’t see it paying off more for Canonical than Microsoft. Motorola Webtop does the same thing more or less and that’s been available for I think around 13ish months without taking off. Thing is, if these types of devices came to market and became popular, Microsoft could essentially shift a tremendous portion of their Desktop market share over to the mobile economy by making the mobile run a proper version of Windows instead of an ARM port. That’s why they’re forcing Metro on everybody and calling computers without touchscreens “broken”. They’re banking on everybody getting used to Metro so they can eventually move x86/64 Windows to the cellphone market in what I’m guessing to be about 4-5 years. I’m a huge Android and Google nut and love everything Android is and does, but if someone put out a stand-alone device that ran vanilla Windows on whatever I docked it to I’d buy it in a heart beat. I’d still keep and primarily use my Android phone but most everybody else wouldn’t. That’s why I think the Windows 8 ARM tablets are a flash in the pan to Microsoft and don’t really expect them to market it heavily or care if it flops. I’m really hoping Google has a plan to zerg rush Android to the desktop and catch Microsoft off guard in all this. Phandroid also needs a way for me to respond to replys from the app…
Just what we need… BSOD on our phones!
Lol but we can already sync our devices with our desktops, all my bookmarks/ web pages/ music/ documents/photos and videos/ Chat and emails are completely synced between devices, Google was the first to even implement this on mobile devices.
I whish them success… a 3 horse race is way better for consumers than a 2 way race. WinMo looks really slick and smooth and may be worth looking at in a year or so…
Am I the only one who think’s the device shown is the galaxy nexus/S3?
i think so too. It looks like they photoshop WP7 on the galaxy nexus.
Apple’s WWDC is in June too, 11th-15th, which will probably have an IOS6 announcement. Here’s hoping Google have some amazing Android updates to announce at IO.
Yea apples hoping they do also, their running out of features to steal
That looks like agnex with windows buttons on bottom
WP Summit? Where is it going to be held, Lake Tardicaca?
It’s Windows 8 announcements. Possibly on computers, tablets, and phones, which would be a pretty big deal.
umm I believe this is windows being upstaged, not the other way around. Windows upstaging google would be holding it the same day or day after.
windows releases crap first that nobody cares about, then google comes out with interesting things. etc.
Thought this was an Android web site…
I think that the Windows 8 Release Preview will be released around that time. I thank that Windows Phone 8 will be previewed. I thank that Microsoft will announce that Metro Style apps will run on Windows Phone 8. Just thank about that; developers can write one app that can run on all Windows devices – phones, tablets (x86, x64, ARM), laptops (x86, x64, ARM) and desktops!
I thank that Microsoft will preview there revised music streaming service and announce there Music store. I also thank that they will preview something dealing with ebooks/textbooks/B&N.
Microsoft have unified and simplified there ecosystem and I thank they will show that.
You shouldn’t thank so much…
They don’t need to announce it that much earlier, because its only 25 or so people that are interested and will attend it.
I don’t know if Microsoft can pull it off. Many of us remember the Windows Mobile platform and how they left us hanging with no support, etc… I still have many hand held devices (scanners, etc.) that run the old Windows Mobile platform and they are awful. I think it is time Android looks at an industrial solution.
As mentioned by fredphoesh, a three horse race would be good. Personally, I believe Microsoft will succeed this time around and will be player. Sure, people don’t line up around the block for a new MS piece of software but they don’t cater to people attracted to shiny new objects with short attention spans. It’s the business world that will make it happen. While I’m definitely an Android fan myself, I’ve owned my share of MS computing devices including an iPaq Pocket PC which was a great device in it’s day and an Oqo handheld full Windows XP computer. Would I be excited about a full fledged Windows tablet? Yes! Why? Because of the business apps. I want a fully functioning version of Powerpoint and Excel. Even though there are some decent Android apps, none can deliver the full functionality of MS Office. Another area that I think will help MS is the C# language. Oracle is going to f-up Java, I’m convinced of that. It wouldn’t surprise me if Google is already working on a new language of their own. Even if they escape from the current lawsuit, Oracle is arrogant (and stupid) enough to try again and squeeze Java developers until everyone has moved away from it.