Windows Phone 7 Series Officially Announced

[zalbard]

Source: http://www.ubergizmo.com/

[MWC 2010] What was all the hype about the “Windows Phone”? Was it going to be a new Microsoft-branded phone like the Google Nexus One? As it is, today Windows Phone 7 Series has been unveiled, which certainly looks like the whole Windows Mobile experience has been redesigned from the ground up, and it will bring together Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music and video experience to your mobile phone. In case you’re too hyped up to read till the end of the post to find out when you’ll be able to get it, the first batch of Windows Phone 7 Series devices will be available by holiday 2010.

Windows Phone 7 Series plans to offer a different experience via Windows Phone hubs, which bring together related content from the web, applications, and services all into a single view, allowing you to simplify common tasks. The OS includes six hubs that are built on specific themes that reflect various important activities to people, such as:

People: The increasingly popular social experience, which brings together relevant content based on the user, such as live feeds from social networks and photos. It also allows you to post updates to Facebook and Windows Live easily.

Games: The official Xbox LIVE experience that we’ll all been waiting for. It includes Xbox LIVE games, Spotlight feed and the ability to see a gamer’s avatar, Achievements, and gamer profile.

Pictures: Easily share your pictures and videos on your social network. It’ll bring together your photos by integrating the Web and PC.

Music & Video: Bringing together the Zune media experience, including the content from the PC, online music services and built-in FM radio all in one place. The experience can even become a social one with Zune Social on your PC.

Marketplace: To satisfy your app hunger, by offering you certified applications and games

Office: With access to Office, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace, this opens up the potential to turn your phone into a mobile workhorse.

With all those software services in place, Windows Phone 7 Series will still need strategic partnerships with various mobile partners in order to make the whole thing work, and the partnership includes a healthy line of operators and manufacturers. Mobile Operators AT&T, Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange, SFR, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telstra, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone are already on board, as well as manufacturers Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC Corp., HP, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm Inc. With such a line up, it certainly looks like Microsoft is going all out with Windows Phone 7 Series.

Interface pictures here.

[OutSider]

i`m glad we are seeing improvements in UI

[Russian]

No Flash, No memory card installation of apps, Marketplace only Apps(crappy marketplace at that), No modded OSes, No multitasking.

Thats just the short list of things that are wrong with it.

[zanzabar]

No Flash, No memory card installation of apps, Marketplace only Apps(crappy marketplace at that), No modded OSes, No multitasking.

Thats just the short list of things that are wrong with it.

i think that makes it not winmo anymore

[rado992]

What?? They actually removed half the features they already HAD? Good thing they didn't call it WinMo then, it definintely doesn't deserve that name. iPhone OS copycat, here we come. Bling Bling! Why is it that these days everyone prefers form over function? I just don't get it..

[XS2K]

It will support flash,u can't have flash for something that has yet to be tested and developed on by the guys at Adobe.
As for modded OSes and other places for apps I think that depends on the community and not Microsoft.
I suggest to some of you to read more about it and stop with the mindless bashing bandwagon since there are a lot of things that are not announced about it.

"Microsoft and Adobe are working closely together. While the newest version of Windows Phone won't support Flash at initial availability, both companies are working to include a browser plug-in for the full Flash player in future versions of Windows Phone. More details will be shared at Microsoft MIX next month."

[zalbard]

What?? They actually removed half the features they already HAD? Good thing they didn't call it WinMo then, it definintely doesn't deserve that name. iPhone OS copycat, here we come. Bling Bling! Why is it that these days everyone prefers form over function? I just don't get it..

WTF, looks like I missed this...
No multitasking = screw this OS, I'm not going back to Win 3.1 times. Hell, or even DOS times...

[MrMojoZ]

I like the Zune based UI, but tightly closed phone OSes are for the general public. If thats what this ends up being, I'll stick to Android.

[Nedjo]

there's absolutely nothing that this long name mobile OS offers that hasn't been offered by other and in much better package: http://ecn.channel9.msdn.com/o9/ch9/wp7_source.wmv

[rado992]

No multitasking is the biggest deal braker for me, and by far. I constantly have at least 5 apps open at the same time on my WinMo 6.1 Omnia.. The other big issue I see with it is the apps-from-our-store-only policy copied from Apple. 90% of my apps are untested, beta versions or back from 2006-2007. I am absolutely sure they will break compatibility with those old apps. After all, they say they've completely rewriteen the OS. Without flash initally, i can live, without installing apps to my mem card - no biggie, but with no multitask and no open app support, it's no better than iPhone OS, which I happen to dislike for those exact two reasons. Seriously, what were MS smoking when they made this?? They killed the ONE advantage they had over Android and the rest - a very open and tweakable OS and now they aren't better at anything..then why not just go Android (or Bada, it's an iPhone clone, too, but done right IMO, thanks to Samsung)..

[MrMojoZ]

Seriously, what were MS smoking when they made this??

Are you saying that the iPhone hasn't been successful? You do seem to be berating MS for following a working strategy. I wouldn't touch a phone with these limitations, but millions of others will.

[rado992]

Are you saying that the iPhone hasn't been successful? You do seem to be berating MS for following a working strategy. I wouldn't touch a phone with these limitations, but millions of others will.

Well, good for them in that case, but you and me gain absolutely nothing from this, do we? They wanted to have an easy and light OS, which i fully understand and agree with, but they've gone a bit too far IMO. I can't stress enough how big of a drawback the lack of multitasking is for me, and probably most of the people visiting these forums. But you are right about the fact that average Joe will neither know nor care about any of this.. they all want just a shiny interface.

[ottoyu34]

so here is the so-called " zune phone"

[Ghigo]

It's a mainstream phone for compete vs the leader on the market the iphone.

People want a working product not wipe the phone montly cos stop boot like easy happen with winmo.

Right now is only iphone leading with blackberry as a far follower, rest is comparable to linux market size on home pcs

The real mistake they making is no make themself the hardware.

[MrMojoZ]

It's a mainstream phone for compete vs the leader on the market the iphone.

People want a working product not wipe the phone montly cos stop boot like easy happen with winmo.

Right now is only iphone leading with blackberry as a far follower, rest is comparable to linux market size on home pcs

The real mistake they making is no make themself the hardware.

iPhone isn't leading, Symbian is.

[Ghigo]

Apple Q1 2010 portable revenue (USDm): 2,758 + 3,391 + 5,578 == 11,727
Nokia Q1 2010 Devices & Services (EURm): 8,179 ~ 11,300 USDm

This all cellphones of nokia from the 20 bucks ones to the high end smartphones vs just iphone+appstore+itunes .

Sure they sell a lot of pieces but also make really little money from them.

Apple is the most profitable mobile phone maker. Nokia ships the most devices.

[Starscream]

Apple Q1 2010 portable revenue (USDm): 2,758 + 3,391 + 5,578 == 11,727
Nokia Q1 2010 Devices & Services (EURm): 8,179 ~ 11,300 USDm

This all cellphones of nokia from the 20 bucks ones to the high end smartphones vs just iphone+appstore+itunes .

Sure they sell a lot of pieces but also make really little money from them.

Apple is the most profitable mobile phone maker. Nokia ships the most devices.

It says Apple Q1 2010 portable. Wouldnt that also include Ipods?

[Ghigo]

Just copied it from a long discussion, not mine, that's was the end of it, can be but really not change much the global figure when nokia use maybe 1 hundred of models for make it and more than a decade of great quality products and happy costumers.

Nokia are really good cell phones that's no discussion, iphone all know is so so as a phone.

[Jamesrt2004]

It says Apple Q1 2010 portable. Wouldnt that also include Ipods?

yeah i read it online its like everythign apart from server and the imac...

all portable stuff they do including accessories. laptops itunes ipods iphones etc. etc..

[ryboto]

eh, I'm more interested in samsung's Bada, or Android, assuming they don't keep releasing new versions every 2 months.

[Power5]

Just copied it from a long discussion, not mine, that's was the end of it, can be but really not change much the global figure when nokia use maybe 1 hundred of models for make it and more than a decade of great quality products and happy costumers.

Nokia are really good cell phones that's no discussion, iphone all know is so so as a phone.

So it was a completely worthless post to say apple is above symbian yet it proves nothing about the iphone.

Don't see why they cant have multi tasking. If it is not tied to a single computer for sync, I would love to throw away my iphone. I just want to be able to sync with my home computer and work computer. If the phone has changes from one to the other, it updates the missing information at the new location or phone. Also, would like to see some sort of thumb drive ability, so I can grab stuff from network and take with me.

[gallardo]

Had windows 6 and it was slow and it crashed, and it had a lot of features I never needed and when I actually needed a simple feature that most other phones have.... it didn't (try copying your messages to your simcard so you can put them on another phone). I couldn't put my contacts and messages on my computer because it told me the phone didn't have Outlook and when I tryed to install it, it said the phone had a newer version (than the most recent on microsoft's site).

I bought a cheap LG with a 5MP camera and their own OS. It's fast, I get to the apps I need quick, the connection to the computer works and I can manage my contacts and messages there (AND copy to SIM) and it doesn't slow down or crash or anything, even when I have multiple apps open on it. Bloody LG made a better OS than Microsoft! The only problem is there aren't a lot of apps for it since it's not as popular as MS phones or the iPhone. I have to make due with java apps (which kinda suck and are slow).

And by looking at the features, this might be worse than WM 6.1! Hopefully not. Win 7 is a great OS, but for phone OS.... they actually do need to look at the iPhone and copy it (offer a lot more form with hidden functionality for geeks).

[zanzabar]

the iphone isnt really a smart phone its a feature phone. without being able to have officially supported homebru or a 3rd party dev platform and having firmware instead of an operating system. as of now the only 3 real smartphone os are siyban, linux and winmo with this move MS is taking their hand out of smart phones and moving more to the iphone, now thats ok for some people i would guess most people with dumb or feature phones will love this but its just going to force people to android or nokia.

@ gallardo what phone did u have there are alot of lower end ones that suck and except for a select few devices unless its from htc it will not be up to par, the other thing is that they are just like store bought pcs u have to install a clean os on most of them or its going to be slow and or crash. i have an incite and the original rom sucked (was slow and crashed affter 2-3 days) but lg has a mostly clean one and its much faster and ive only had a couple of crashes and im 99% sure that i caused them by overloading the ram or bad coding on my side

[gallardo]

@ gallardo what phone did u have there are alot of lower end ones that suck and except for a select few devices unless its from htc it will not be up to par, the other thing is that they are just like store bought pcs u have to install a clean os on most of them or its going to be slow and or crash. i have an incite and the original rom sucked (was slow and crashed affter 2-3 days) but lg has a mostly clean one and its much faster and ive only had a couple of crashes and im 99% sure that i caused them by overloading the ram or bad coding on my side

Had an old i-mate JAMin with a flashed ROM with some modded WM6 and then a HTC Touch Dual with WM6.1 from a store. Both were slow sometimes and both crashed randomly. The i-mate actually crashed less and had less bugs, but the hardware was pretty slow.

[FischOderAal]

Somehow I knew Microsoft would screw this up... again... They should just abandon smartphones. Too many good/better alternatives: iPhone OS, Android, webOS, Maemo (Meebos or how is it supposed to be called now?).

The UI looks not bad, but you need more than that.