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BW: Microsoft Exec Not Impressed with 6.9M iPhone Sales

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008 at 1:20 PM - by

Robbie Bach, head of Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices Division, was less than blown away by Apple's announcement on Tuesday that they sold 6.9 million iPhones last quarter, according to Peter Burrows at BusinessWeek on Wednesday.


Robbie Bach

Apple actually outsold the RIM BlackBerry for the first time in a quarter since the iPhone launched on June 30, 2007. "Apple had a big launch of a new product, and they launched at scale in a lot of new countries with a lot of new [wireless] operators. This quarter, RIM is having its big launch, and at some point we'll have our big launch. We'll have to see where things normalize" [for Apple], Mr. Bach said.

Mr. Bach went on to point out that the Apple iPhone isn't "about choice." Mr. Burrow's didn't disagree with that assessment, but left unsaid was that the iPhone is also about something that works in a world where great choice leads to great difficulties.

What Mr. Burrows did say was that while Mr. Bach suggested that the iPhone sales were a flash in the pan and we'll have to wait for sales to "normalize," the feeling he had was that the iPhone is just beginning to take off.

While Microsoft executives wisely take a nonchalant approach to Apple's success, Microsoft behind the scenes certainly is not these days.

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A guest said: (hide)

Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:40 pm

I suppose Robbie Bach needs to do some excellent talking to keep his job at Microsoft. Between Wii, iPod and iPhone, running Microsoft's entertainment business can't be that much fun.

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geoduck said:

member since 30 Dec 2003 with 1922 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:45 pm

I heard that they have several new game titles in the works. One is a computer version of Jenga. It's called BSOD. Another is a game where you try to fit odd shaped tiles together to fill the screen seamlessly. It's called Patches.

Oh they have some great things in the pipeline.

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A guest said: (hide)

Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:49 pm

"and at some point we will have our big launch"

the launch of what? the zune phone?

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A guest said: (hide)

Thu Oct 23, 2008 2:36 pm

"and at some point we will have our big launch"

So, MS does intend to screw their existing Windows Mobile partners. I guess wee will see a big shift from WM to Android over the next 18 months.

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A guest said: (hide)

Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:19 pm

Mr. Bach suggested that the iPhone sales were a flash in the pan and we'll have to wait for sales to "normalize.

And they said that about the iPod, now going 7 years strong!

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jimothy said:

member since 04 Jun 2004 with 612 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:35 pm

People speak of a reality distortion field emanating from Cupertino, but damn, there's something strong going on in Redmond.

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deasys said:

member since 08 Apr 2003 with 296 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Thu Oct 23, 2008 4:19 pm

Like the Bach-man, I hope something gets normal at the Redmond mothership too. Something. Anything.

But I don't think that's going to happen.

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A guest said: (hide)

Thu Oct 23, 2008 4:25 pm

Whatever Microsoft is saying I'll tell you this:my brother, who isn't interested in computers, tech, Apple, or oranges, started quoting Apple's recent sales figures at me in a phone conversation last night, just out of the blue. People are beginning to notice Apple on every level. I, like the other guest, hope that people embrace Android as much as they have the iPhone. Any move away from Windows so that real innovation can be at the forefront again, whoever it may come from, will be a welcome thing. Let's hope the dark ages really are over.

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A guest said: (hide)

Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:41 pm

Just had a friend come back from SE Asia and he says Apple has become the aspirational product over there. This is significant not because of the size of the SE Asian demand for Apple products but because what happens there is a reflection of what's going on here after you filter out all the extraneous noise. Because we're right in the middle of it, some may not see it, some may intentionally deny it (that means you, Microsoft executives!), but from afar it's obvious that Apple and Microsoft are going in opposite directions and it's not Apple that's headed downwards.

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A guest said: (hide)

Fri Oct 24, 2008 12:21 am

jimothy wrote:
People speak of a reality distortion field emanating from Cupertino, but damn, there's something strong going on in Redmond.

It's not reality distortion, it's reality denial.

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