Remember when Windows Phone 7 was first announced and AT&T was one of the first carriers on board? We all know their iPhone exclusivity was going to end soon, but I found it almost comical how much AT&T wanted to advertise Microsoft’s rival OS so soon.
Not that I blame them, Windows Phone is so surprisingly well designed that even The Guardian had to ask if we’re sure Microsoft wrote it. Interestingly enough however, when AT&T started really pushing their 4G data speed ads, Windows Phone all but disappeared from their marketing.
This is likely because, quite frankly, there aren’t any Windows Phones available in 4G on AT&T. Or any other network for that matter. That’s right, the initial version of Microsoft’s updated phone OS has been rumored to be completely incompatible with 4G services. That’s why all the current models available here in the US are limited to 3G networks only.
Now, thankfully, this is all changing. The new Mango release of the OS finally has support for both LTE and WiMax, and future devices that support it are already on their way. But until the new 4G phones are finally out and available in stores, you have to wonder if this shortsightedness has set Microsoft back too far to ever be relevant in the public eye. When Sprint announced their version of Windows Phone, it was already taking a back seat in their advertising in favor of 4G superphones. Other carriers that offer Windows Phone have been rather quiet about their devices as well. If AT&T has now also shifted their aggressive marketing of Windows Phone in favor of 4G, this could be a major blow to Microsoft that they’ll have trouble recovering from.
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