Windows Mobile 7…Phone 7…Launches
By Chris Weiss
Phone 7 may not roll off the tongue quite as nicely as Mobile 7, but it indicates a totally new and fresh direction for Microsoft’s mobile OS, which is a good thing. Rather than just a new version, Phone 7 is positioned as an entirely new product from the code up to the user experience. As expected, Phone 7 borrows heavily from Zune HD in its look and feel.
Phone 7 includes a more purposeful focus on social networking. Integrated contact pages keep the user up to date with the gamut of social networking services. Other Microsoft products like Xbox, Bing and Zune also receive a strong place in the new OS. Xbox features that get integrated include LIVE games, avatars and profiles. Phone 7 features a fully operational Zune function, complete with video, music and FM radio. Bing gets a dedicated hardware button, which takes the user directly to the search service. Phone 7 also includes Windows Office.
The first Phone 7 mobile will be available for holiday 2010. A slew of partners have jumped into the Phone 7 business including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, Vodafone, HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Qualcomm. As expected, Microsoft will get more closely involved with the hardware and has a tight set of hardware specifications. It has also eliminated brand-specific UI variations like Sense. [via Engadget and Microsoft]
