Samsung Not Bailing On Windows MobileSamsung Not Bailing On Windows Mobile

Oh the dangers on blogging on rumors and speculation. Every once in a while, you get it completely wrong. Contrary to what I talked about last week, it seems Samsung is not bailing on Windows Mobile. Quite the contrary - they anticipate increased volume of device powered by Microsoft's mobile platform.WinMo site wmpoweruser.com noted that Samsung took notice of the incorrect report and senior VP Don Joo Lee spoke out to refute the claim. According to an interview in DigiTimes, Mr. Lee said that Samsung will continue to focus on Windows Mobile while increasing their Android presence and starting their new platform, Bada. What is missing from that lineup is Symbian. Apparently that platform is on the way out.

If you look at the charts that wmpoweruser.com has reposted, WinMo devices from Samsung are expected to double, even though the percentage of smartphones that WinMo makes up drops from over 80% to 50%. The rest of Samsung's torrid growth rate will be filled with Bada and Android. WinMo is projected to drop to 30% of 2011 volumes and 20% of 2012, but without knowing what Samsung's total shipments are projected to be those years, it is impossible to know if WinMo will continue to grow, level out or decline in those years.

Any numbers given today would be pretty meaningless though. The company appears to be committed to WinMo, but being able to project volumes four years into the future is impossible. So much depends on what Microsoft does and how well WinMo 7 is accepted when it launches next year, not to mention what the competition does. Four years ago, Android, WebOS and the iPhone didn't exist. Who knows what 2012 will bring?