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With iOS and Android, two major mobile operating systems taking up a valuable share of the market and becoming increasingly popular, it may be easy to disregard the new kid in town, Windows Phone 7.
Windows Phone 7 is practically a total rebranding of what used to be Windows Mobile. A system that served us well early on, but began to show its age as newer mobile operating systems started taking the spotlight. Eventually, the stylus began to be phased out, making ways for screens that used our fingers for input. Many of the applications for the older Windows Mobile OS were designed with a stylus in mind, and quickly became frustrating for users.
There were some problems. It tried to capture the look and feel of the desktop version of Windows, and perhaps that wasn’t the best route in the end. Even Steve Ballmer himself was once quoted as saying that the company “Screwed up with Windows Mobile.”
Still, lessons have been learned, and other mobile OSes have tested the market, and Windows Phone 7 may end up being the product of learning from past mistakes.
Either way, we think Windows Phone 7 is worth keeping an eye on.
1) Xbox Live integration - Gamers who love the Xbox brand will also love the direct integration with LIVE. The games are already looking awesome, and thanks to Microsoft’s strong position in the online gaming space with Xbox LIVE, they already have the strong advantage of a user-base that already enjoys the service. Add in the management capabilities (such as setting up their Avatar and managing their friends).
The ability to jump an from an XBLA (Xbox LIVE Arcade) game on your Xbox to the same game on your phone, when you have to leave the house should be another great feature, as well as the Avatar tools such as flashlights and levels (as in the tool, not the part of a game).
That also leads into….
2) Developers with lots of content! - There are already plenty of Apps confirmed to be coming to the the system. We’ve already seen that many of the essential applications such as Twitter, Netflix, OpenTable, Travelocity and Flixter are on their way. Not to mention, the company announced last month that the platform would bring more than 50 XBLA games to mobile. We don’t have a concrete number, but that already sounds like a strong first few months. The developers are on board.
3) Marketing dollars – Microsoft has the marketing dollars to push this thing out the door and make everyone know it’s coming. How much do reports say they are spending on marketing alone? Analysts estimate that they are spending about $400 million for the product’s launch. If they can make the OS look as great through their commercials as it does in the demonstrations we’ve seen, they have a great shot at becoming one of the big names in the mobile OS market. Of course one may argue that it takes more than a few good ad campaigns to sell a product, it definitely gets them the attention they need from consumers. If they can scream the loudest when you walk into your local Sprint store, they can definitely rack up the customers.
4) Much more useful interface for touch, built for thumbs and fingers. - Let’s face it. A lot of us, especially the guys, have big ol’ fat thumbs. Previous versions of Windows Mobile had many applications that felt as if they were designed for stylus input. Sorry, but our chubby fingers don’t have the precision of a stylus.
This lady doesn’t have fat fingers, but that’s okay
Luckily, this time around, the Tiles make navigating quick and easy. You can place various objects on your homescreen. For example, if you want to add a favorite contact, you can have them within easy reach on a Tile, and the icon is large so that even bigger hands can easily navigate.
5) Availability right out the gate - We already know that carriers in the US already include AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon. Meanwhile, HTC, Dell, Asus, HP, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and LG are backing it on the hardware side. This obviously makes it much easier to distribute phones to people on various carriers and users can find a piece of hardware the suits their tastes and needs.
In the end…
Ballmer actually wasn’t wearing pants when this picture was taken
it will be a long journey for them to take a top place in the mobile OS world. it will take a serious marketing push. but remember, many of us laughed at the thought that Microsoft could ever build a successful gaming platform. By this holiday season, Windows Phone 7 will be in consumer hands. From there, it’s a push to be regarded at the best.
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Good points. These consumer features alone are too much for other mobile devices to contend with, which puts WP7 ahead already.
That iPad musician really needs to dump that thing and find an actual instrument to play because she really won’t get much donations since passers by will assume she is simply playing music from her iTunes playlist on the street as opposed to possessing actual instrument playing skills.
Um. No. Remember the iPhone launch? Everyone piled on Apple for not having copy/paste or multitasking and years later Microsoft makes the brilliant decision to NOT include them right out of the gate. Take away the file system, lock it to an app store, crap on Flash in favor of Silverlight (that won’t even have support for it in the browser) and it’s obvious that this is a major step backwards to iPhone 1.0, but without the fashion appeal that made the iPhone what it is today.
I haven’t ever owned an iPhone, but I do have an iPod Touch and iPad. What I can say for certain is that apps are far cheaper via Apple’s model than WinMo’s has had. People actually complain about a $2.99 app! Look at any useful WinMo app and you’ll shell out minimum $20. Add the fact that it’s Windows and will come with glaring performance penalties and a severe lack of polished integration across the entire OS, plus the fact that WP7 will release in October and have very few hardware devices available for the holiday season and it’s clear that the launch will be muted, at best. Heavy rumors persist regarding iPhone on Verizon after the first of the year which will take even more steam out of WP7 and Android continuing to ramp up will make it obvious that Microsoft missed the boat… again. WP7 should have been out the door two years ago if they hoped to actually compete in the space.
If they can’t win over business, they are toast. They will never win over the consumer in any meaningful way. How many Zune owners do you know? How many XBox gamers do you know that even carry smartphones? WinMo phones? Put down their controllers long enough to leave the basement? I rest my case.
No shit
I’ve had a Verizon Samsung Omnia with Windows Mobile for a little over a year. I wouldn’t trade it for an iPhone, or any other smart phone I’ve tried. That’s partly because of Samsung’s touch navigation button, but mainly because of the touch. I can click anything on the phone with the touch of a fingernail. After reading this article, I guess that’s due to Windows Mobile being designed for use with a stylus? Whatever the reason, I much prefer it to trying to type on a virtual keyboard by touching the keys j-u-s-t r-i-g-h-t . If Windows 7 does away with that feature, I will be very unhappy.
BTW, Windows Mobile already has several Twitter apps. It doesn’t have the plethora of apps that the iPhone does, but I do have some really nice features on my phone that my iPhone friends don’t. All of the apps I’m running are freeware, other than those that came with the phone. I’m still happy with my choice, and glad to know that the OS is finally getting some attention.
Windows Mobile ist tot und wird auch nie wieder kommen. Wieso meint Microsoft sich immer in Sektoren einzumischen wo sie nichts verloren haben?
Windows have some catching up to do. If they can pulled the phone off and make it dynamic, they’ll once again dominate Apple… maybe.
Talk about marketing. MS is taking down its own commercials due to copyright. “We don’t want any one to see our commercials. How dare you view our commercials.”
These points are irrelevant. Win 7 will grow quickly because of one thing: Microsoft’s Monopolistic tactics.
The will attempt to muscle their way to the top not because of quality of features but with business connections.
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/09/10/will-nokias-new-ceo-strengthen-relationship-with-microsoft/
http://techcrunch.com/2010/09/15/will-microsoft-and-nokia-team-up-to-take-on-apple-google/
Windows 7 is making a come back? Woop woop!