"In the face of strong competition, Evangelism's focus may shift immediately to the next version of the same technology, however. Indeed, Phase 1 (Evangelism Starts) for version x+1 may start as soon as this Final Release of version X."

--Microsoft, internal document [PDF]

Summary: Microsoft uses vapourware tactics in the mobile space, just as it did when it came to Vista 7

SEVERAL days ago we explained fragmentation in Microsoft's mobile business, having already remarked on fragmentation in general and shown that Apple, Microsoft, and Linux/Android all have some level of 'fragmentation' in their products/operating systems. Alastair Otter explains why another important factor among Microsoft's mobile problems is the delay and vapourware tactics (Microsoft showing and bragging about products that don't exist yet).

The long delay in releasing mobile phones running Windows Phone 7 is damaging Microsoft's mobile opportunity.

It's been six months since Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer officially announced Windows Mobile 7, now called Windows Phone 7. And now, well and truly into the second-half of the year, Microsoft's answer to the iPhone and Google's Android OS is still nowhere to be seen.

[...]

The HTC Photon, Trophy and Tera are expected to ship in the third or fourth quarter of this year.

That's an awful lot of noise over something that's not even in the market yet. Shades of Vista 7, right?

Microsoft mobile strategy is as "clear as mud," argues Tim of OpenBytes.

So we’ve moved on from Windows Mobile and today we are consuming Apple and Android based phones with a veracious demand, equalled only by the amount of applications developed for the platforms. I think that the key to a successful mobile product it todays market is a diverse catalogue of 3rd party apps and (at least) perceived complete customization and personalization of the phone for the consumer. Todays world seems to have (in many cases) the mobile phone being a creative expression of its owner, be it ringtones, wallpapers or anything else. The article on the Kin posed the question that firstly a phone allegedly designed for a social generation seemed to lack some key features, but also to me the personalization of what was touted as being a “social phone” was not part of its feature. The Kin also brought up the issue that it was another OS that Microsoft had developed for the market and it doesn’t appear to offer support for either the upcoming new Windows mobile platform nor the older version either.

Microsoft has at least 6 operating systems (most of which descending from a common root) for mobile devices. It's a mess. 6 different attempts don't add up to one good effort. ⬆