Microsoft (NASDAQ:
MSFT
) is only days away from releasing Windows Phone 8, the mobile
counterpart to its long-awaited PC and tablet operating system.
Advertisements are beginning to leak online, but the general
public has yet to be exposed to the Windows Phone 8 platform.
Despite this, it seems as if the pre-release hype has gone a long
way in helping Microsoft raise the level of interest for Windows
Phone 8. In a new study by
ChangeWave Research
, researchers reveal that nine percent of consumers are "Likely"
to buy a Windows Phone 8 device. (Two percent say they are "Very
Likely," while seven percent said they are "Somewhat
Likely.")
"Considering marketing has yet to begin, these findings show
Windows Phone 8 will likely have a substantial impact on the
smartphone industry," Dr. Paul Carton, ChangeWave's VP of
Research, said in an e-mail announcing the results.
Among those who plan to buy a Windows Phone 8 device, 36
percent said that they are most interested in the way the
platform integrates with Windows apps and other Windows devices.
ChangeWave also found that nearly half (45 percent) of those
consumers do not know which Windows Phone 8 manufacturer they
will choose. But the majority of those who have decided (51
percent) said they will buy a Samsung device.
As a result, ChangeWave believes that Samsung is positioned to
gain the most from Window Phone 8's upcoming release. Nokia
(NYSE:
NOK
) came in second with 35 percent of the votes, followed by HTC
(seven percent) and the ambiguous "Other" category (six
percent).
Separately, ChangeWave conducted a
survey
to gauge the level of satisfaction among smartphone users. Apple
(NASDAQ:
AAPL
) ranked number-one with 71 percent of its users saying that they
were very satisfied with their current smartphone. Samsung came
in second, garnering a 49 percent satisfaction rating, followed
by Motorola (43 percent), HTC (41 percent), Nokia (37 percent)
and Research In Motion (NASDAQ:
RIMM
) (23 percent).
Thus, it appears that while the satisfaction among BlackBerry
users is relatively low, satisfaction among other smartphone
manufacturers -- including three key Windows Phone 8 device
makers -- is fairly high. This could help Microsoft in its
mission to push Windows Phone 8 into the number-three position
(behind Android and iOS) in 2013.
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@LouisBedigianBZ
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