It’s no secret that Microsoft has not had too much success in the mobile space recently. Even though the Metro interface on its mobile devices receives decent reviews from users, Windows Phone still lacks a lot of the major apps wanted by users to enjoy their smartphone. Despite only holding roughly three percent of the mobile market share, a Microsoft executive recently took the stage at an event to trash the company’s biggest competitors, Apple and Google.
At the AllThingsD Mobile conference, Terry Myerson, the head of Microsoft’s Windows Phone division, knocked both Apple and Google’s mobile offerings, but he must not know too much. Regarding Android, Myerson said that the operating system is a mess and that Chome O.S. is not flexible enough. “With Android … it’s kind of a mess,” Myerson said. “Chrome [OS] and Android coming together, Chrome [OS] does not offer the flexibility of Android.” Myerson went on to trash Chrome O.S. even more, saying that it is “as locked down as any locked-down pre-regulation version of Windows ever was or is,” and that Google is planning to merge it and Android, and Google’s claims that it isn’t are “just BS.”
Myerson went on to trash Apple and said he senses a lack of urgency. “With Apple, I sense a lack of urgency,” said Myerson. “When iOS 5 came out and there was a fifth row of icons and not much else, you say, okay, are they running out of steam, is iOS getting boring?”
Finally, Myerson was asked if Microsoft would ever allow Facebook Home to run on its devices, but he dodged the question. We’ll want to work with them [but] our goal is to provide a platform such as our partners can achieve their differentiation.”
While we can agree with some of what he had to say about iOS, these are some pretty strong words for someone who doesn’t even hold 5 percent of mobile market share. I also really question how he knows that Google is planning to merge Chrome OS and Android. Why would Google (or anyone) tell him anything?
Maybe its just me, but I think he needs to spend more time recruiting app developers than trashing the more successful competition.