Microsoft Corporation today unveiled Windows Phone 7 Series, the operating system that will power the next generation Windows Mobile handsets.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona officially unveiled Windows Phone 7 Series. Mr. Ballmer told the crowd, “Windows Phone 7 Series marks a turning point toward phones that truly reflect the speed of people’s lives and their need to connect to other people and [accomplish other] seamless experiences.”
With the introduction of the iPhone, consumers felt Windows Mobile 6.5 was not only dated, but also not very intuitive compared to the simplicity and advanced functionality of the iPhone interface. Windows Mobile phones also had a difficult time in the enterprise segment as businesses opted for the BlackBerry platform that offered superior communication features, a simpler interface, and ultimately, a more reliable phone at the end of the day.
Today, Windows Mobile has essentially been completely revamped, adopting a look that is more familiar to the Zune and possibly even sleeker and simpler than the iPhone.
Microsoft has organized Windows Phone 7 Series into six “tiles” or “hubs”, including Games, Music/Video, Office, People, and Pictures.
The People tile is all about staying connected to your friends on the go. For each of your contacts, you’ll be able to view contact information, photos (including seamless sharing options), social status updates, and even your friends live news feed from popular social networks including Facebook, Windows Live, Twitter, Flickr, among others.
The Office tile includes traditional mobile versions of Office applications, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and SharePoint apps.
The Games tile essentially integrates your Xbox Live account, displaying your friends, your Xbox gamer tag, including your avatar, achievements, and other information. Very importantly, Microsoft has confirmed premium games (with multiplayer support) will later become available.
Apple continues to market the iPhone as a gaming device, but Microsoft truly has a significant competitive advantage since it owns the Xbox gaming console. There are currently over 23 million people that use Xbox live.
The Markerplace tile is essentially a competitor to Apple’s insanely popular app store, allowing you to find and download various applications such as music and games for your device.
The Music and Video tile essentially brings everything you love about the Zune, to this phone, including music, video, podcasts, and radio.
Microsoft has also announced requirements phone-makers must abide by if they are going to license Windows Phone 7 Series. Microsoft said all phones must use capacitive screens, and must have the standard hardware buttons on the front of the phone that include a dedicated Bing search button, and a back and home button.
Judging from current information, it appears Microsoft could be overly focused on competing with the iPhone, making the operating system interface less attractive for enterprise use. Personally, I don’t think that would be a problem. The new OS includes more advanced sync features (including cloud syncing), push email, and now, even real-time updates of your friends in a single, simple and attractive interface.
As of right now, I am shocked that Microsoft actually decided to overhaul Windows Mobile 6.5, and I bet, like me, no one else really expected this. This looks far more promising than I could have thought. Microsoft now just needs to ensure everything works for not only the busy business person, but the average consumer who wants to waste some time enjoying a premium game.
The first batch of phones to use Windows Phone 7 Series are set to launch by the end of 2010.
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