Apple helps Microsoft: iOS 7 flatters Windows Phone 8

I've always considered Microsoft's WindowsPhone a darkhorse competitor to iOS & Android. Microsoft has boatloads of cash but has never been able to get a meaningful market share in mobile against iOS & Android.

But when I saw the new iOS 7 screenshots on Matt Gemmell's blog, the first thing I thought to myself was "wow, iOS7 looks a lot like WindowsPhone8." So I dug a little deeper. Here's an example:

The new iOS7 as shown on Matt's blog:

Incoming video call on Skype (which MSFT owns) on WindowsPhone:

(For more about Skype integration into WindowsPhone, check this blog out).

And it's not just on the incoming call screen. Check out texting on iOS 7 vs WindowsLive Messenger as per UberGizmo:

I fully believe that Jony Ive's new integrated design approach was not meant to look like Windows. As John Gruber of Daring Fireball noted, iOS 7 is not about software or hardware design specifically, but rather an integrated design philosophy that's "just design". And I love it, it's beautiful. I can't wait to have it on my iPhone. So I'm not saying that Apple copied Microsoft here.

However, it certainly seems that Apple is flattering Microsoft with iOS 7. In fact, with iOS 7, Apple may have done more to help WindowsPhone's chances of success than anything Microsoft itself has ever done. And that's saying something.