Windows Phone Already Collecting Dust

Here's the thing about 1.5 million Microsoft Windows Phone 7 phones sold in six weeks - it doesn't mean 1.5 million people have bought Microsoft phones.

In an in-house question and answer session, Microsoft's mobile communications and marketing executive, Achim Berg answered what has been a big question hanging over the company's critical re-launch of its mobile phone software: How many Microsoft phones have been sold?

"We are pleased that phone manufacturers sold over 1.5 million phones in the first six weeks, which helps build customer momentum and retail presence," Berg said in an interview published by Microsoft Tuesday.

Berg is referring to "phones being bought and stocked by mobile operators and retailers on their way to customers." In other words, 1.5 million Microsoft phones have been sold into the sales channel -- that's the entire distribution system and all the participating stores around the world presumably.

The last time we checked in on Windows 7 phone sales it was the day after the Nov.8 launch and 40,000 Microsoft phones had been sold. That qualifies as an unusually slow start for such a heavily anticipated, and advertised phone.

Microsoft has been going against the tide as more Apple iPhones and Google Android phones fill the market. The Windows 7 effort is Microsoft's bold bid to reenter the smartphone game. Google's Android chief Andy Rubin recently announced that 300,000 Android phones were being activated daily, and Apple has claimed a 270,000 iPhone daily activation rate.

Superphones are a hot item right now, but not every player is cashing in.

Now that we know there are 1.5 million Windows 7 phones on the shelves there can be one or two possibilities. One, consumers could buy them. Or two, they pile up as inventory in warehouses.

Judging by the sputtering start, the later scenario seems likely.

And if there are a million plus Windows 7 phones unsold, there's probably less likelihood that Nokia would be willing to jump into the game with a Nokia version of the Microsoft Windows Phone 7device, as has been rumored.

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