Apple"s soon-to-be-launched iPhone is "a great music phone, and I"m sure it will be fantastic and have an interesting user interface. However, it"s a closed device that you cannot install applications on, and there"s no support for Office documents. If you"re an enterprise and want to roll out line of business applications, it"s just not an option. Even using it as a heavy messaging device will be a challenge." said Microsoft"s Asia-Pacific head of smartphone strategy Chris Sorenson.
While the entry of the iPhone into this market offers new options for consumers, Sorenson believes user familiarity with the Windows Mobile interface, and the ease with which companies can buy and develop applications for the platform, will sustain its increasing popularity and help keep the iPhone out of the lucrative corporate market. One hundred and forty phone models already run Microsoft"s Windows Mobile operating system, while Apple"s new device has yet to hit the market. While the iPhone will focus on integrating phone, Internet browsing and iPod features, WM6 adds enterprise-targeted features such as better synchronisation of data between mobile devices and office servers.
Well, the two types of devices aren"t really worthy of a comparison as they are simply aimed at entirely different markets. Right?