LG in an interview posted Friday said its Windows Phone 7 launch was disappointing. Without disclosing its exact numbers, marketing strategy director James Choi admitted that expectations were high but that sales of phones like the Optimus 7 “wasn’t what everyone expected.” Choi told Pocket-lint he didn’t expect a significant kick until Microsoft’s known plans to open support to low- and mid-range WP7 phones came to bear.
He noted that the OS could paradoxically be too easy to use and consequently unappealing to the power users that normally make up early adopters. “For tech guys like us it might be a little bit boring after a week or two, but there are certain segments that it really appeals to,” he said.
In spite of the letdown, Choi reiterated LG’s commitment to the platform and noted that it was as much a question of having the diversity that carriers wanted. Leaning too heavily on one platform was “not beneficial,” he said. He wouldn’t say what balance would be struck but implied that the mix before last fall was too focused on Android alone.
Microsoft has been hesitant to say how many WP7 devices have been sold to real customers. CEO Steve Ballmer avoided quantifying results at the CES 2011 keynote, despite numbering other sales stats.
