It sounds crazy at first, but Google releasing Maps Navigation for Windows Mobile today, could help Android tomorrow. Read more to find out how.
Microsoft is in a bad way when it comes to mobile. While they’ve impressed folks with Windows Phone 7 Series, and its sliding panel user interface, their toughest problems are still ahead.
For example, Microsoft has refused to address a litany of software issues; from backwards-compatibility to deploying apps on both Windows Phone 6 Series and 7 Series… there absolutely are more questions than answers right now. One of the big elephants in the room is if Windows Phone 7 Series will be open or not.
Google likes open. Google wants Windows Phone 7 Series to be open.
And, Google Maps Navigation may be the change agent to force Windows Phone 7 Series away from the closed-minded likes of Zune HD and Apple’s App Store.
Now it starts to become more clear: Google tomorrow releases Maps Navigation for Windows Mobile 6.0 through 6.5; platforms Microsoft still provides “mainstream support” for.
If Microsoft were to close Windows Phone 7 Series to open development, users would cling to dear life to their Windows Phone 6 Series devices, because of the killer app of free, unlimited GPS navigation with live traffic. Or, switch to Android. Either way, Google wins.
Worse, for Microsoft, they would then be in the position of having to continue to parade 6 Series as the reigning platform, and admit that 7 Series is a costly, not-sure-thing experiment. And, they’d eventually be forced to open the platform up enough to give Google the strong, deeply-rooted APIs needed to launch Maps Navigation on 7 Series phones.
Google has always been coy about what “as many platforms as possible” meant for the future of Maps Navigation. Delivering Maps Navigation on 6 Series phones, but not 7 Series phones, would strike a crippling blow to Microsoft’s transitional strategy. If Maps Navigation on 6 Series phones commands enough of the marketplace, Microsoft will be speaking on Google’s terms for opening their own App Store up to developers. Not good for Microsoft, great news for Google.
And, there’s no indication Redmond has Bing Maps with Navigation anywhere near announcement, let alone off the drawing board of “things we need to offer because Google is now offering it”.
Google Maps Navigation for Windows Mobile? Great. Now, let’s see Google step up and offer something sorely needed — a decent Gmail app for WM.
Or perhaps you could switch to the wave of the future, like an Android phone or an iPhone ?
I’m doint quite well riding the wave of the past, thank you, with or without a stellar Gmail app.
Stupid article. Author says either people will cling on to WinMo 6 due to Google maps or they’ll move to Android. Lame conclusion. Why doesn’t the author think that Bing maps could be released with free navigation for Windows phones? The article is talking as if Google maps is the only navigation app on planet that is or will be free ever. Very hasty to run into conclusions. Sorry sir, you are a bad visionary.
Looks like Don did not read the whole article. Christopher clearly said that Bing could add free navigation, but Microsoft is so far in the crudster, that their priority now is on fixing the platform itself.
Google doesn’t need to save a platform, and this plan sounds like an easy way for Google to hurt Microsoft. Even if you’re right… have you used Bing on mobile??? That app can’t handle the basics, they are years away from nav. Google isn’t. Microsoft could do it, Google could hurt MS in the wallet big time for that kind of expediting.
Smart article.
Is the article suggesting that in the next few days Google will be releasing Google Maps Navigation for Windows Mobile? Or is it merely looking hypothetically, saying if they were to release it soon, this might be the effect? Thanks.
Only after reading Deng’s comment do I realize that he is right. THIS ARTICLE IS ENTIRELY HYPOTHETICAL AND HENCE ALMOST USELESS.
Please, Chris, if you’re going to write a blue-sky article about how you’d like the world to be, use words like “hypothetical” and “if this were to happen.” Don’t use words like “today” and “tomorrow.” I wasted time actually looking for this mythical application that will almost certainly never appear.