Pandora gets cold feet: no plans for a Windows Phone 7 client [Updated]

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

Update: Pandora is walking back the earlier Tweet a bit as can be seen above. Like always, we need to treat Tweets as extension of customer service, but not necessarily the company line. Here's to hoping that Pandora has something in the works.

In a nasty blow to Microsoft and despite their wooing, it looks like Pandora is going to sit on the sidelines for Windows Phone 7--that is until demand makes it hard to ignore.

In a recent Tweet, the developer said that "they don't have any plans for a WP7 app" which is sort of strange since they were announced as a launch partner. One would think that no-background play may be an issue, but they certainly had no problem kowtowing to Apple over that one.  We also know Microsoft often offers to pay for the development of high-demand apps, so we don't know what went wrong here.

Alas, the saving grace is there are alternatives on the market e.g. Slacker Radio. Once Windows Phone 7 gets "Smart DJ" functionality, we'll see less need for Pandora anyways.

Source: Twitter, Update 1, Update 2; via Pocketnow

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

15 Comments
  • Developers love to say "we have no plans for X-project", then 1 to 6 months down the road X-project appears out of the blue. I'm going to take it with a grain of salt. Pandora is available for just about every smartphone platform so I don't see them skipping this one.
  • your loss pandora. zune and last.fm will be getting my business
  • They already got mine too..
  • I wonder if they're not waiting for the update to hit first to see if MS gives devs access to the background audio API that Zune uses so they can code their app for that on the go and not have to rush out a v1.1 or w/e to add it after the fact. Guess only time will tell, I don't live in the US anyways so I can't use Pandora regardless.
  • If Slacker & Last FM are willing there's no reason for pandora to be a holdout apart from ego, anti-MS sentiment or plain holding out for more cash. In fact their statements right from the off have seemed to be designed to damage the image of WP7, trying to make it seem unworthy of their application. Hopefully MS can make Zune a better alternative and then pandora wont be needed and they can continue sucking up to apple.
  • Either Zune updates with the DJ for mobile or let's blow up Pandora's twitter for requests like the hooligans us winphone people can be lol!
  • You can cancel your Free Pandora account by emailing pandora-support@pandora.com and let them know why you are canceling.
  • I've never used Pandora. Is Pandora's service any better than the other streaming radio apps? If there are other comparable or better streaming services, users should be ok. Microsoft may be between a rock and a hardplace - having to bend to some of the developers because the WP7 phone users want or demand certain apps; although giving some of the developers the middle finger is something that I'd like to see Microsoft do! Pandora's comments remind me somewhat of Rovio's comments with regards to Angry Birds, and as such, I will not be using either of their apps should they be ported to the WP7 platform.
  • Who needs Pandora when you have soon to be released SmartDJ on Zune. No commercials too!!!
  • Pandora will wake up as wp7 user base continues to rise!!!!
  • Anti-MS sentiment by the management is most likely. All it takes is one MS hater or iFanboy in the CEO position and there are many in the Silicon Valley where this company is located. It's a bad business decision but I think they will come around fairly soon because WP7 will keep marching on to get a significant market share with or without Pandora. They can't afford not to be on WP7 even if it's a relatively small market near term.
  • Who cares about Pandora the ads are obnoxious, the music is limited and they never play anything good. I switched to Slacker a long time ago and had no intentions of getting Pandora ever again... they can keep their crappy music off of wp7 for all i care. Slacker FTW
  • I have Pandora installed on my Android phone. I haven't used it in a long time. I don't care if Pandora comes to WP7. I'll be using my Zune Pass anyway and soon to have DJ.
  • Last.fm is my app of choice in this arena. Who needs Pandora. The desktop version always played music out of the genre I selected..even with careful seeding.
  • All the Zune experience needs is SmartDJ... Once that hits why do I need Last.fm, Pandora, or any one else's? I do like Last.fm... however, it's not necessary.