Filed under: OS Updates, Windows Mobile, Microsoft, Mobile
But enough about the new name. What's actually new in Windows Phone 7 Series? Quite a bit, it turns out. Microsoft has completely retooled the user interface, with the biggest difference being that the OS is now finger-friendly, which means goodbye stylus.
The home screen is new, the program launcher is new, and there's no desktop-style Start Menu. Overall the UI looks a lot more like the Zune HD user interface than it does like previous versions of Windows Mobile.
Windows Phone 7 Series also features integration with the Zune software for media playback. Basically, you get all the features of a Zune HD baked right into your mobile phone OS. You also get Xbox Live integration for gaming and management of your profiles, avatars, and other information.
Engadget reports that Microsoft is also taking much more control over the hardware requirements for the operating system. Among other things, Windows Phone makers such as Samsung and HTC will no longer be able to develop their own UIs to replace Microsoft's default user interface. In other words, while the hardware may vary a bit from phone to phone, the user experience should be quite similar no matter which Windows Phone 7 Series device you pick up.
In terms of hardware, that means each phone will have three buttons on the front, a high resolution touchscreen display.
One of the most surprising things is that there's no desktop synchronization software for contacts, email, or appointments. Goodbye ActiveSync and Windows Mobile Device Center. Hello over-the-air synchronization with the cloud. Music and video synchronization comes through the Zune Desktop software.
There are still some things we don't know. What will the web browser be like? Will Windows 7 Phone Series support multitasking? And when will you be able to buy a new Windows Phone? All we know for now is that it should be available before the 2010 holiday season.
This is the most radical change Microsoft has made to its mobile operating system in at least 10 years. What do you think? Is it enough to fend off competition from Apple, Google, Palm, and others?
Microsoft unveils Windows Phone 7 Series originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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