Microsoft tells staff some WP7 rivals may win

Microsoft has a guide for its store staff as to devices and software that can beat its Windows Phone challenges, insiders uncovered on Monday. Staff were told to be careful about the weather challenge at the heart of more the recent incident, of getting temperature for two different cities, as Android users with the right widgets could win the test, according to The Verge. Similarly, iPhone 4S owners could win two tests, either by using a faster camera to post quickly to Facebook or by using a Siri trick to post to Facebook and Twitter at the same time.

Floor workers were even told about more specialized cases, such as using the #fb hashtag on Twitter to post to Facebook at the same time if the account was linked. HTC Status owners' special Facebook support also made it much faster to post to Facebook, and the TweetDeck mobile app could post to both Facebook and Twitter at once.

Other circumstances are known to let other devices beat the challenge. At Mobile World Congress, Electronista saw even the unreleased Nokia 808 PureView win in one of Microsoft's challenges.

The details raise the possibility that the weekend row over a shopper incorrectly being failed out of the contest came from his not being 'caught' running software that could beat the weather challenge before it started, not from an unfair advantage. While well-known to some, the findings also underscore the point that some of Windows Phone's advantages aren't as unambiguous as suggested and that Android widgets or iOS features can negate some of the advantages.

By Electronista Staff

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iPhone, industry, Microsoft, Google, Android, Facebook, mobile phones, Twitter, Apple, Windows Phone, TweetDeck