In the Battle Between Giants, is There Room for a Titan?

With Android dominating the smartphone space, and Apple holding an 84 percent retention rate, is there any way Microsoft can do what it hopes, and surpass one of them? I think so, and there may be a correlation between this and the browser war.

Since 2006, two players have dominated the browser battle; Internet Explorer and Firefox, Android and iOS in this scenario. Then came Chrome, which has quickly grabbed market share since its launch in 2008, surpassing Firefox in November. Windows Phone has the potential to be s Chrome-like player in the near future.

Most people would agree that WP7 is, at the least, aesthetically pleasing, but the interface is so different from what we are used to, many do not know if it is practical. You can have all the integration with Microsoft Office and the Xbox 360 you want, but if the device is too complicated, it will not gain enough traction to be a long-term success. The web app can help alleviate some of these worries.

As an iPhone and Android (I prefer the iPhone), The web application was a pleasant surprise when I heard about it last week. The first thing that caught my eye was the integration. ON WP7, contacts social outlets are brought together, seamlessly combining text, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn updates in one place. (A full breakdown of WP7 features can be found on Engadget)

While the interface is elegant, and there are enviable features if you are a smartphone owner on another platform, the main challenge for Microsoft to grow its platform is the lack of similarity. People don't like change, especially when it comes to their phones. Windows Phone is an immense departure from the squared app and widgets that Android, iPhone, and even Blackberry users are accustomed to. This air of unfamiliarity may change in the near future.