SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A Microsoft executive says the company has tried to take advantage of the fact that it’s playing catch up.

Microsoft vice president Joe Belfiore, the director of the company’s Windows Phone program, says Microsoft Corp. had a chance to look at what its competitors — Apple’s iPhone and phones running Google’s Android operating software — were doing. It then tried to make unique, consumer-friendly software.

Microsoft’s older smartphone software lost market share against more modern competitors, and Windows Phone 7 was its stab at starting fresh.

Belfiore would not say how many Windows Phone 7 handsets have sold since they were released this fall.

Belfiore spoke Tuesday at the D: Dive Into Mobile tech conference, hosted by tech blog AllThingsD.