Bach: "Windows Mobile will outsell the iPhone"

Robbie Bach, Microsoft's Devices Division president, has said Widows Mobile is on course to outsell the Apple iPhone.

In an interview with SFGate, Bach explained how he believed more phones equipped with Windows Mobile would sell than either iPhones or Blackberrys. This comes as Apple is expected to unveil a new iPhone - with 3G capabilities - at The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference later today.

"We ship lots of 3G phones already on Windows Mobile and have for some time. So we continue driving the path we are driving with Windows Mobile and we are very excited about the approach we have taken this year," said Bach.

"About 20 million devices will ship with Windows Mobile on it. We will outsell the iPhone. We will outsell the BlackBerry."

The iPhone has been tipped to challenge the Nintendo DS as the lead handheld gaming console - something Microsoft hopes to do with future plans to offer downloadable games from the Xbox 360 to Zune MP3 players.

During the interview, Bach also denied claims that Microsft were gearing up to introduce a Blu-ray player in the next generation of Xbox consoles.

"There is nothing to even talk about right now with regard to the next generation. That is so far out that there isn't anything to talk about," he said.

"You have to look at how fundamentally compelling the difference is between a progressive scan DVD player and the picture that it can produce and what you get on a high-definition player. The reality is there is some difference, but most people look at it and say, 'I am not going to pay extra for that.'"