[Windows Phone 7 General] vnvman:
So the roadmap for 2012 has been on the table for a while: Tango for Q2, bringing basically "only" Skype and lower end devices, and Apollo for Q4, bringing multi-core phones, HD screens and more. Probably Windows is thinking about eating something of the huge marketshare owned by Android in the lower-end side getting ready for a big bang at the end of the year. Good, I'd say, but not too much. Let me explain.

Right now people have gone crazy for dual-core phones and huge HD screens: the fact that the GS2 is right now the top selling Android and it's not some cheap low end thing, but a huge and quite expensive superphone might actually mean something.

Android made something good and terribly bad at the same time: it turned many normal users into spec whores. This can be good because pushing the envelope is never a bad thing itself, but it also sucks because it draws attention from the software part, which is equally or even more relevant, and a major selling point for something like WP7.

So here's my point: there's a lot of Galaxy S2 wannabes right now, many people I know right now tend to buy every Samsung phone, especially low-end ones, with some "Galaxy" in its name because of the Hype created by the GS2. And not only that: sooner than later some cheaper dual-core Android phones will start hitting the market, and pretty sure they'll sell like hotcakes because of the same hype.

My question is: what do we have NOW, or at least coming out in the nearest future, to endure that? We don't need low end phones now to take over the market, we need a top dog, we need something able to create a similar hype around WP7.

I know some people will mention the Lumia 900 here, but IMHO hell no, this is not enough: it comes late, we should have gotten it worldwide before Christmas to make a splash, and guess what? It's not even out yet NOW: most likely it will come out right in time to be put in the corner by the GS3, which will be, guess what? Another Android top dog, able to create another massive amount of hype throughout all the platform. Here's what I think: if WP superphones, with hd screens, console quality gaming, and some truly effective marketing by Microsoft will wait so long to come out, they'll be late again and the platform will most likely be doomed forever: at the end of the year the iPhone5 will come out and that will be the tombstone for this beautiful OS.

Long story short, Microsoft has to step up, and has to do it before it's too late, if it's not too late already. They have what it takes to change the mobile world scene once and for all, why don't they just use it? Right now the XBOX feature in nothing more than a gimmick, but guess what it could be when loaded with Microsoft's exclusives like Gears Of War or Halo, with console quality graphics and addictive online gaming? Can you imagine the impact upon the masses of some ads showing people that they can REALLY have their XBOX in their pockets, and not just a stupid gimmicky avatar with no use? This amazing gaming experience, coupled with the unrivaled effectiveness of the Office integration and other features for business oriented users would really take WP7 to the next level.

You may see this as a pointless rant, I don't care, I believe in this platform as much as I used to believe in Android before it became mainstream and failed at being what I would have liked it be. If you took the time to read all this stuff, or maybe even if you didn't, I'd like to know what you think.

Agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts.