Windows Phone 7 – The “always delightful” phone
On October 11th, Microsoft and AT&T held a Press Conference in New York on the global availability of Windows Phone 7 (WP7). WP7 is portrayed as a game changer in the mobile space and described as a phone, which will offer a new and optimal experience for mobile life. As a result, expectations are high for the debut of WP7. Let’s dive into the details of the latest WP7 announcements and decide for yourself!
Window Phone 7 – The phone of choices
WP7 will be available in nearly 30 countries and on over 60 carriers worldwide. Microsoft has worked with four device partners, Dell, HTC, LG and Samsung for the hardware design of Windows Phone 7 devices. The first set of WP7 devices consists of 9 different devices; HTC Surround, HTC HD7, HTC 7 Mozart, HTC 7 Trophy, LG Quantum, LG Optimus, Dell Venue Pro, Samsung Focus and Samsung Omnia; each offering a distinctive set of features for your specific needs.
Image Source: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/windowsphone/imageGallery.aspx
The entire list of device capabilities and features can be found on the Windows Phone Newsroom – Devices at a Glance web page.
WP7 will be available starting October 21 in Europe and Asia, and November 8 in North America.
Windows Phone 7 – The phone that is “wonderfully mine”
The WP7 UI design offers you integrated experiences, which will help you find information faster and easier. The dynamic live tiles give access to everything that you most care about without any need for a touch, click, refresh etc. The Live Tiles and Start screen can be extensively customized and personalized.
WP7 brings all major Microsoft-centric experiences into one device; you have Office with SharePoint/OneNote integration, Bing Search, Bing Maps, Zune, Xbox, Tellme (speech recognition) services and much more. WP7 seamlessly combines business and entertainment. While you enjoy the extensive capabilities of Office Mobile, which is only available on WP7, you may also entertain yourself with Xbox Live and stream music via your Zune Pass. WP7 devices offer a delightful typing experience and a camera with which you can take snapshots, even if your phone is locked.
Besides integrated Microsoft services, highly anticipated WP7 applications are already available on the Zune marketplace. The following list will give you a taste of the app choices you have today:
Slacker: This is an alternative radio application for which you do not need a Zune Pass.
Netflix: The Netflix app will come with the awesome “watch instantly” functionality enabling you to watch HD movies anytime and anywhere.
IMDB: This application gives you access to the movie database on your phone.
GoVoice: Although there is no official Microsoft Google Voice application, with this third-party app you will not have to miss any Google Voice goodness on WP7.
eBay: If you are an auction fanatic, you will be able to search, bid and buy via the neat looking WP7 eBay app, while you are on the go.
Twitter: Facebook and Windows Live are already built into the WP7 OS, but there is no out of the box support for Twitter on WP7. So if you are a serial tweeter, this application is a must-have!
The Microsoft Feed website has put up a comprehensive list of 100 WP7 apps available; the list includes video demonstrations of each application.
Windows Phone 7 – The gamer phone
Electronic Arts Mobile (EA) joined the launch lineup of Xbox LIVE-enabled games to be released this fall. EA is going to deliver various titles from its award-winning game portfolio, the first ones announced as: Need for Speed Undercover, Tetris, The Sims 3 and Monopoly. Xbox LIVE-enabled games enable you to track and share scores with leaderboards, unlock Xbox LIVE Achievements, add to your Gamerscore, and communicate with your Xbox LIVE friends across Xbox 360, Windows-based PC and Windows Phone 7.
Further mobile game development studios for the WP7 platform are Microsoft Game Studios, Gameloft (Hero of Sparta), Konami (Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania), Namco Bandai (Tekken, Soul Calibur), PopCap (Bejeweled, Plants vs. Zombies), and THQ (Company of Heroes, Dawn of War II). Based on online reports, these studios will contribute over 60 games to WP7 including Assassin's Creed, Bejeweled LIVE, Castlevania, Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst, Frogger, Guitar Hero 5, Halo Waypoint, a new game titled ilomilo, Max and the Magic Marker, Rocket Riot, Splinter Cell Conviction, Star Wars: Conviction, The Harvest, Tower Bloxx NY, Uno, and Zombie Attack. The user will be offered try-before-you-buy-demos, turn-based game-play and new game releases each week through Xbox LIVE Marketplace. If you are a gamer, this is pretty exciting news!
Windows Phone 7 – The phone with the cool ads
WP7 ads have rolled out in Europe starting October 12; the US ads will start to air on October 25. But following the launch of WP7, these ads have also surfaced on the Web. The following is a rather engaging and “delightful” WP7 ad and you can find out more WP7 related video content on the Windows Phone Youtube Channel.
Microsoft is going to have the biggest TV marketing campaign in the history of mobile business. As the holiday season is coming up, expect to come across WP7 ads more frequently. Currently there is also a WP7 Facebook application, which lets you create your personalized Windows Phone demo. You may also catch up with the latest WP7 news on Twitter.
Windows Phone 7 – The missing pieces
Early 2011, there will be a software update for WP7, which will add “copy and paste” functionality to the phone.
So what is your take on the Windows Phone 7 release? Do you plan to change your phone? Which features would make you switch to WP7? Are you a developer planning to create apps for WP7? Share your comments and keep the conversation going!
About the author of this article:
Cigdem Patlak is Silverlight representative for SilverlightShow and a Silverlight MVP, sharing insider Silverlight news and reporting from events in Southern California and worldwide. Her blog may be reached via http://www.crocusgirl.com/ and you can find her on Twitter as crocusgirl.