The Vodafone network in the UK has taken a long time to get Windows Phones on its network. The company officially put the Windows Phones on their available Catalog list on the 6th of February, 2013. Some time behind the other networks.
Vodafone Configurations :
Vodafone announced that the delays would be happening a long time ago. They stated that they wanted to ensure that the configuration of the network was correct for the phones and operating system to ensure a seamless experience for their users.
Vodafone don’t seem to be in a rush to get phones out when new launches come. Other networks such as 3 Mobile and O2 had phones available much sooner. However, Vodafone have compensated customers for this by having a larger offering of phones available. O2 currently has four phones as does the 3 Network.
The phones available from Vodafone include the Lumia 820, the Lumia 620, the Liumia 920, the HTC 8X, the HTC 8S, and the Samsung Ativ S. The phones provide a wide range to choose from and therefore Vodafone has done a good job in this regard.
How Well Will Windows Do?
The Windows platform has been quite well received already. Users have had positive experiences it seems and have enjoyed the interface and usability.
One negative for the platform is that it cannot re-skinned, or have a user interface placed on top of it. This will certainly be seen as negative for many as Android can be re-skinned by manufacturers and therefore can be enhanced for the specific characteristics of a handset. However, Microsoft has not taken the decision lightly and it follows that they are trying to protect their brand and ensure integrity of the platform that they have put together.
Certainly the Windows system will gain popularity in both the business and consumer market. It already has got reviews that have placed it at times ahead of the iPhone system—The Apple iOS, and it looks set to be expanded further in the future to add more functionality. Whether it can pull brand loyalty from the Apple iPhone series and from loyal Android users remains to be seen, but we are are at the start of the journey for Windows on the phone environment and certainly phones like the Lumia 920 will help to propel it forward and gain significant attention in the consumer market.
2013 and 2014 will be important years for the Windows operating system. Important and exciting years it seems. Some predictions have Windows Phones at 20% of market share by 2016, compared to 5% right now. Android are the big winners at the moment and look set to continue that way. iOS is currently at around 20% of market share and for many pundits the only way from here is down for Apple, with Windows the big beneficiary.
