Windows Phone 7 delayed for Verizon, Sprint, other CDMA networks until 2011

September 16, 2010 8:56 PM
Devindra Hardawar
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MobileBeat 2013
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San Francisco, CA
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In what will certainly be looked at as a blow for Microsoft, the company revealed today that its upcoming Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system won’t support CDMA networks like Verizon and Sprint until the first half of 2011, CNET reports.

So if you want to snag a Windows Phone 7 device this year in the US, you’ll have to opt for AT&T or T-Mobile’s GSM (a competing cellular standard) networks. Microsoft prioritized development of the OS for GSM networks because the technology is used more widely worldwide — particularly in Europe. The decision to delay CDMA support was apparently made earlier this year, but Microsoft chose not to reveal the news until now — most likely as a response to Verizon’s announcement today that it won’t offer Windows Phone 7 devices until 2011.

Regarding the delay, Microsoft senior product manager Greg Sullivan told CNET: “Look, we could do more things, or we could do fewer things really, really well. We chose intentionally to do fewer things really, really well.” Microsoft previously used similar reasoning for Windows Phone 7′s lack of copy and paste capabilities at launch.

AT&T claimed in July that it would be Microsoft’s “premiere” launch partner for Windows Phone 7. Sullivan wouldn’t confirm to CNet if T-Mobile would also have devices at the platform’s launch.

I’m of two minds about the news: It’s certainly better for Microsoft to hold off on releasing an operating system if it’s not ready — particularly since the specter of Window Vista is still fresh in many users’ minds. At the same time, Microsoft should have had plenty of time to prepare Windows Phone 7 for CDMA networks. Such a delay — albeit a partial one — seems inexcusable for a company that desperately needs to prove its competence in the mobile marketplace.

The news is also interesting considering Microsoft launched its woefully misguided Kin phones on Verizon. Sullivan issued a statement to press regarding the potential link between the Kin failure and Windows Phone 7′s CDMA delay, saying simply that “Verizon continues to be a key Windows Phone partner going forward.”

Microsoft is expected to announce Windows Phone 7′s official launch date, along with other news, at an open house event in New York on October 11.

  • Crowd_Sorcerer

    There is something fishy about Microsoft's no-CDMA announcement.First, the delay in the announcement. It would have been better for Microsoft to get all the bad news over and done with early, rather than to wait until close to release time to issue bad press. The announcement delay doesn't make sense.Is it a matter of saving face?Did Verizon lose interest in Windows Phone 7? Did Microsoft then say that Windows Phone 7 can't do CDMA, as that looks better in the press than to be deserted by a key partner?When Windows Phone 7 was first announced, earlier this year, Microsoft announced that Verizon was a key partner. Why did Microsoft announce this, if it didn't have immediate plans to introduce CDMA?Developing a CDMA product would have been mostly for Verizon's sake, as it is the world's biggest CDMA network. Most of the world uses GSM. If Verizon didn't want Windows Phone 7, it may not have been worth it for Microsoft to continue developing a CDMA product at the moment (preferring to get other features finished, and return to the CDMA issue at a later time).To me, it looks like Verizon Wireless got cold feet about Windows Phone 7, preferring to hold back for another year and take a wait-and-see approach, and Microsoft PR is spinning things around to save face.

  • http://twitter.com/quite_hostile David Bish

    Just switched back to Sprint, only to be told they won't get a WP7 until next year? Been waiting since February for this phone to come out. I've been with Microsoft since the HP Jornada PDA days. Time to move on. EVO or Epic?

  • http://www.devindra.org Devindra Hardawar

    The Epic is a sweet device, you can't really go wrong with that one right now. I used the Evo for a bit and found it to be a bit too clunky (both in terms of hardware and software) for my tastes. The Epic looks like a far more elegant solution.

  • http://www.devindra.org Devindra Hardawar

    I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. There really is no reason to push CDMA except for Verizon. I'm also wondering if Verizon's planned marketing for Android this fall would have gotten in the way of a Windows Phone launch–

  • http://cellphonetrackers.org Cell phone tracker

    Verizon is said to sell iPhone as well, I think Android could not save Verizon, so could that be the reason?

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