MWC 2010: Microsoft announces Windows Phone 7 Series with Xbox and Zune integration
Summary: It comes as no surprise that Microsoft revealed their next generation mobile operating system at MWC. They are showing that they are here to stay though with a rather exciting platform that should appeal to consumers and the enterprise customer.
It comes as no surprise to anyone that Microsoft finally made their Windows Mobile 7 plans public at MWC this morning. The name of their next generation devices is Windows Phone 7 Series. Microsoft started naming their device Windows Phones last year in a rather ineffective campaign that hasn't yet seemed to stick with consumers. By stating Windows Phone 7 as a series it gives us the impression that we will see multiple types of devices and platforms designed for a number of people. The press release is quite vague about what to expect in this next generation hardware, but we will see Xbox LIVE games, Zune music and video, and a dedicated Bing button on future devices. The experiences of Windows Phone 7 Series are organized around Windows Phone hubs that will bring you different content, applications and services. Check out the Windows Phone 7 Series image gallery that I will continue to update as screenshots and images are released by Microsoft and partners.
| Image Gallery:Check out some screenshots of Windows Phone 7 Series. |  |
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- People. This hub delivers an engaging social experience by bringing together relevant content based on the person, including his or her live feeds from social networks and photos. It also provides a central place from which to post updates to Facebook and Windows Live in one step.
- Pictures. This hub makes it easy to share pictures and video to a social network in one step. Windows Phone 7 Series also brings together a user’s photos by integrating with the Web and PC, making the phone the ideal place to view a person’s entire picture and video collection.
- Games. This hub delivers the first and only official Xbox LIVE experience on a phone, including Xbox LIVE games, Spotlight feed and the ability to see a gamer’s avatar, Achievements and gamer profile. With more than 23 million active members around the world, Xbox LIVE unlocks a world of friends, games and entertainment on Xbox 360, and now also on Windows Phone 7 Series.
- Music + Video. This hub creates an incredible media experience that brings the best of Zune, including content from a user’s PC, online music services and even a built-in FM radio into one simple place that is all about music and video. Users can turn their media experience into a social one with Zune Social on a PC and share their media recommendations with like-minded music lovers. The playback experience is rich and easy to navigate, and immerses the listener in the content.
- Marketplace. This hub allows the user to easily discover and load the phone with certified applications and games.
- Office. This hub brings the familiar experience of the world’s leading productivity software to the Windows Phone. With access to Office, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace all in one place, users can easily read, edit and share documents. With the additional power of Outlook Mobile, users stay productive and up to date while on the go.
It is good to see Microsoft finally focusing a bit on the consumer, while still also providing support for the enterprise user who really does need Office support on the go. I am excited to see more details on Windows Phone 7 Series and think it is way too early for people to count Microsoft out of the smartphone game. They have the resources and appear to now have rekindled desire to compete with the latest and greatest platforms. You can follow Windows Phone 7 Series and receive more information from the Windows Phone 7 Series site.
Unfortunately, we won't see any of these Windows Phone 7 Series devices until holiday season (November/December) 2010. I think Microsoft could have made a huge splash if they had devices ready to go at MWC or shortly after and a wait of 10 months is a bit frustrating for people like me who want to see Windows Phone devices with the latest and greatest operating system.
Partners committed to this platform include AT&T, Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange, SFR, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telstra, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone, and manufacturers Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC Corp., HP, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm Inc.
Check out the videos below showing off the different aspects of Windows Phone 7 Series.
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Talkback
DOA
If only you were. (nt)
I second that ! (nt)
Three times (nt)
when?
You can't make a silk purse out of a pig's ear.
Gizmodo, endgadget, and everybody else . .
Linux Geek of course) Your status as mindless
hating troll is now secure, well done Donnie
Boy
from Gizmodo:
"it's the most groundbreaking phone since the
iPhone. It's the phone Microsoft should've made
three years ago. In the same way that the
Windows 7 desktop OS was nearly everything
people hoped it would be, Windows Phone 7 is
almost everything anyone could've dreamed of in
a phone, let alone a Microsoft phone. It
changes everything. Why? Now that Microsoft has
filled in its gaping chasm of suck with a
meaningful phone effort, the three most
significant companies in desktop computing?
Apple, Google and Microsoft?now stand to occupy
the same positions in mobile. Phones are
officially computers that happen to fit in your
pocket."
Speak for yourself!!!
disagree with the manner in which the opinions were voiced, but
certainly not the sentiment! It's reasonably pretty*, but "...the most
groundbreaking phone since the iPhone" is a superlative too far. I fail
to see how any of the features are groundbreaking!
*Looking at it again, it isn't at all pretty. Speaking as a professional
designer, it's pretty atrocious IMHO! At least they made an effort I
suppose...
Re:
without apps? What about full Exchange support?
And did you notice the MS Office / Sharepoint
integration? How did the iPhone manage this kind
of functionality available from default in a WP7?
What about the calendar with data from multiples
providers (Exchange, GMAil, Live, etc)?
LMAO...thats not groundbreaking....
with its own products. If they opened up at
least the API's for all of these things any
phone could have them. And the multiple calendar
feed was done in WebOS in the Palm Pre already.
Social networking is integrated without apps
into any Motorola Android device sporting the
MotoBlur interface like my wife's Cliq.
As usual. This stuff is ground breaking for MS
fans because MS fans rarely take a look at the
world around them. For everybody else...again as
usual....MS has simply managed to catch up to
the rest of the world.
Re:
with its own products."
Is Facebook a MS product? BTW, next month in
MIX 10 the SDK will be available so 3rd party
can integrate their products.
"And the multiple calendar
feed was done in WebOS in the Palm Pre already.
Social networking is integrated without apps
into any Motorola Android device sporting the
MotoBlur interface like my wife's Cliq"
And now I have all the functionality in one
device. Isn't that nice?
Well there you have it...
You hear him Microsoft? Donnieboy doesn't like it. So that's it... be sure to turn out the lights when you shut your entire corporation down, OK?
And neither could your parents. Look what we ended up with...YOU. (nt)
impressive
one looks really impressive, i have to admit. the first real
competition to the iphone. color me impressed. by microsoft!
wow.
thank you Elllroy
Winmo 7 looks amazing, NOTHING like previous versions, total redisgn from the ground up and unlike any other OS - not a clone of anything!
innovation
is an amazing ui and lots of great concepts and innovation inside.
i especially like the software design. the clean, big typo 2d look on a
black background makes 3d icons, shadows and reflections look very
dated.
apple definitely has to step up its game with the upcoming iphone os
4. and as much as i think that the ipad is going to be a
groundbreaking device the design of the home screens looks awful in
comparison.
microsoft is back in the game. i am really surprised.
Seriously?
sitting here watching these vids and trying to
figure out exactly where its a phone like no
other. I mean if you've been asleep for the past 2
years then maybe it is. But I'm literally waiting
for it to do something my wife's Cliq doesn't do
when its not even a high end current generation
smartphone.
Cliq doesn't do
Here are they:
1. Support to Exchange, MS Office, Sharepoint services out of the box.
2. Support to multiple calendars. Only other platform that does is WebOS.
3. Support to Gaming Platforms. WP 7 supports XBOX.
4. Support to Zune.
Sorry storm14k, I know you are not like the other like LG and LATW, but
could not resist. ;-)
--Ram--
...
ridiculous, he seems he is much better than LG and LATW majority of
times. :-)
--Ram--
RE: MWC 2010: Microsoft announces Windows Phone 7 Series with Xbox and Zune integration