Microsoft executive says WP7 needs 2 years to catch up with iPhone and Android

December 8th, Beijing Time -- According to foreign media reports, Joe Belfiore, Director of Project Management for Microsoft's Windows Phone, did not disclose the exact sales figures for Windows Phone 7 devices in an interview on Tuesday but stated that the Windows Phone 7 platform would need two years to catch up with Apple's iPhone and Google's Android.

According to a report by the tech blog Engadget, when asked about the sales of Windows Phone 7 handsets, Belfiore said, "It's going pretty well. There are ten Windows Phone 7 phones currently available on the market. We've increased our advertising support."

When asked about the specific sales numbers for Windows Phone 7 handsets, Belfiore responded, "I'm not going to give you exact numbers here," and emphasized that not disclosing the specific numbers doesn't mean that the sales of Windows Phone 7 are weak. It's too early to reveal the sales figures at this moment.

When asked about when Microsoft's mobile business might turn profitable, gain a substantial market share, and catch up with Google and Apple, Belfiore indicated it might take two years.

In October, Microsoft unveiled nine Windows Phone 7 handsets developed by Dell, HTC, LG, and Samsung. The launch of Windows Phone 7 handsets in the U.S. in November did not cause much of a stir. Although there were queues outside some stores on launch day, the number of actual buyers was low, with most people only interested in the free concert tickets being offered. An informal survey conducted by the media among retailers showed that the total sales of Windows Phone 7 handsets were approximately in the tens of thousands.

The user interface of Windows Phone 7 left a deep impression on most testers, but it is still considered to have some gaps compared to iOS and Android.

The sluggish sales of Windows Phone 7 handsets have made developers think twice about developing applications for this platform. Reports suggest that Microsoft does not allow developers to view application sales data and has postponed payments for application sales revenue until February 2011.