Microsoft: 1.5 million Windows Phone 7 handsets "sold" in first six weeks

Achim Berg, Microsoft’s VP of business and marketing for Windows Phones has revealed in a faux-interview with Microsoft News Center that partner phone manufacturers have sold over 1.5 million Windows 7 Phone devices to carriers and retailers in its first six weeks on the market.

Windows Phone 7 launched in Europe and the Asia Pacific region on October 21 and in the United States and Canada on November 8.

The news comes mere weeks after Microsoft explicitly declined to talk about sales numbers.

Unofrtunately, we still don’t know how many actual end users have purchased Windows Phone 7 devices, but this is a start.

Berg repeated that Microsoft realizes it’s far behind, reiterating that the company doesn’t regard things as a sprint and that it’s in it for the long run.

Just yesterday, IDC analyst Al Hilwa praised the fast growth of the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace, which has reached 4,000 apps just two months after its launch, dubbing it “one of the most rapid ramp-ups in recent times”, faster than Android.

So is Berg satisfied with the sales numbers? Why, yes, unsurprisingly:

Yes, and I think our expectations are realistic for a new platform. We started fresh with Windows Phone 7, and it’s a different kind of phone. Measuring for success is more long term than short term. We launched with many of the top mobile operators in the world, and even more in the coming year in 2011.

We have 18,000 developers who are developing for our marketplace. It’s just getting better and better.

Berg also says his team is on a path to start releasing the “first of several updates” to the platform in the next couple of months.

(Hat tip to @ScepticGeek)