Windows Mobile 7 delayed again: Game over for Microsoft?

The iPhone now outsells Windows Mobile devices as Microsoft struggles to release a compelling upgrade

The iPhone has leapfrogged Windows Mobile to jump into the number two position for smartphone platforms in the United States. That news could be the straw that breaks the proverbial camel's back for the floundering Windows Mobile operating system.

The latest ComScore report shows that Windows Mobile market share is stagnant for the year. After climbing to 7 million users in May, Windows Mobile market share dropped precipitously to 6.6 million in July, then scratched its way back to 7.1 million in October--most likely due to the release of Windows Mobile 6.5

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Contrast Microsoft's struggling numbers with the fact that the iPhone's market share has gone consistently up, an increase of more than 50 percent from where it was in May, and that the dominant player, BlackBerry, has also climbed nearly 20 percent since May and the trend line does not favor Microsoft in the least.

Windows Mobile 6.5 breathed a little life into the Windows Mobile platform, but it was hastily tossed together as a stopgap for the real heir to the Windows Mobile throne--Windows Mobile 7. Windows 7 was supposed to be the big release of 2009, but repeated delays forced Microsoft to release Windows Mobile 6.5 to give handset vendors and consumers something to stay excited about.

Speaking purely for myself, I can say the life support didn't work. I have seriously considered the HTC Pure, a Windows Mobile 6.5 device, but I have held off because Windows 7 is supposed to be coming soon and I don't want to be locked into a two-year agreement with a Windows Mobile 6.5 device when it does.