On Black Friday, Microsoft announced that consumers would be able to buy one Windows Phone 7 device and get the second free for purchases at all AT&T stores.
These phones, which retail for $199, include the LG Quantum, HTC Surround and Samsung Focus.
Is this just a typically lowball Black Friday sale? Or is this indicative of lackluster sales for Windows Phone 7 devices? It could be both; we won’t know for certain until we have more information about Microsoft’s numbers for Windows Phone 7 sales.
Still, this sale, however conveniently timed, is reminiscent of an identical offer made for the KIN, the prematurely axed device that was Microsoft’s last big mobile attempt. In that case, low sales — some say as few as mere hundreds of units — prompted the price-slashing and rebranding of the phone in the same year it was released.
If a recent poll of Mashable readers, most respondents thought the Windows Phone 7 platform would be a success. Indeed, even though Microsoft execs were vague on Windows Phone 7 device sales in a November call with shareholders, CEO Steve Ballmer himself made optimistic statements about the platform, saying that Windows Phone 7 was “off to a great start… It marks the beginning, we think, of a new era in smart phones. The response has been really fantastic.”
What do you think: Is the promotion an innocuous marketing tool, or is Windows Phone 7 simply underperforming? We welcome your speculations and opinions in the comments.
Reviews: Mashable
More About: black friday, microsoft, Mobile 2.0, sales, windows phone 7
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