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Matthew Miller & Joel Evans
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Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?

By | September 27, 2010, 7:36pm PDT

Summary: Microsoft may be officially unveiling Windows Phone 7 on October 11th. Hopefully the company will also show off its strategy to pry iPhones and Droids away from the public.

The word on the street is that Microsoft is going to be showing off some gear in both London and New York City on October 11th. So far we’ve been able to confirm that it’s a bunch of products, and while the company isn’t specifically confirming that it’s going to show off Windows Phone 7, it does list Windows Phone 7 along with a bunch of other products, when talking about how the company is releasing a bunch of gear this holiday season.

Earlier this month I wrote about my experience with Windows Phone 7. In short, it’s a nice interface but I’m still not sure why someone would switch to Windows Phone 7 or even choose it over iPhone, Android or BlackBerry at this stage.

Also, it appears that even though Microsoft is launching Windows Phone 7 in Europe first, the company is already set to launch with AT&T, according to the video below that SlashGear dug up. If you haven’t seen it, it’s definitely worth watching since it shows you how your current phone requires you to miss life’s moments–in a very comical way.

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Topics

Microsoft Windows Phone 7, Microsoft Windows Phone, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, Joel Evans

With more than a decade of mobile, Internet and wireless experience, Joel specializes in taking existing brands and technologies into the mobile and wireless space.

Disclosure

Joel Evans

Joel is a serial entrepreneur with his most recent business, CronkSoftware (cronksoftware.com), focusing on consulting and building games and applications for mobile devices. Joel has consulted for Microsoft’s Windows Mobile division and advises other companies on how to incorporate mobile into their existing brands and products. Joel purchases many of his devices and others are sent for review on a 30-day loaner basis and then returned to the supplier. If any devices are provided as “keeper” Joel will clearly disclose this in his reviews.

Biography

Joel Evans

With more than a decade of mobile, Internet and wireless experience, Joel specializes in taking existing brands, technologies and services into the mobile and wireless space. Joel is currently serving as the Managing Director of Cronk Software, Inc., a company he founded to offer full-service, end-to-end mobile strategy, design and development services.

Joel is the former founder and "Chief Geek" of Geek.com, a website praised by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and others as one of world's best sources of information for technology professionals and enthusiasts.

Joel also serves as a technology expert for a number of well-known publications and regularly advises corporations, analysts, journalists and bloggers on what the future of technology will bring. He brings decades of relationships with leading game publishers, online communities and publishers, along with both hardware and software product management and delivery expertise. Joel can be found online as "JoelGeek" and you can follow him on Twitter @JoelGeek.

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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
robomatic Updated - 28th Sep 2010
@athynz I hear it almost every day! people seem to buy the iPhone (or Android) mainly because of the number of apps available! Sure iTunes has 200,000+ apps, but what people don't realize is that most of these apps are useless. The rest are duplicates, hundreds and hundreds of apps that do the exact same thing.
I don't need to install 100 app on my iPhone. It's a freaking phone, not a Gameboy. I have a few favorites that I always use (Stanza, Dictionary, Local Concerts, GuitarChords..), and I try one or two every once in a while but I don't waste my time on useless junk.
Tell me, since when app reviews were any good?! most apps have a score of 2 or 3 stars! The first guy would say: amazing app!! the next: this app is stupid!

Android is to iPhone what Hyundai is to Honda. Get it?
It's not exactly a replica (or is it?).. IMO it's more like a 3rd beta of an iOS.. it has the same downfalls of iOS and the app store. Everyone hails that it's open source! so what?! what does it change for you as a user? you're still paying the same amount of money for the phone and for a data plan.. and you're getting the familiar (and much imitated) interface of an iPhone. What's so amazing about Android?

In contrast, this is exactly what I like about WP7!
it's like nothing else!
it is refreshingly new!
View in thread
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There's a lot out there
tonymcs@... 27th Sep 2010
Every WinMo user (and yes there are still a lot of us out there), every person sick of the crowded desktop ui with siloed applications and those interested in buying a modern phone.

There are also (shock, horror) a large percentage of existing Android and Apple users who are dissatisfied with their phone for a variety of reasons. Those who have struggled with older iPhone versions and are yet to update to 4 are also a good market.

Then of course there are the majority of the public who have never owned a smartphone, have no fascination with Android geekdom and regard Apple as a company selling overpriced toys.

I think there's enough of a market wink Looking forward to October.
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You can count me in
Cylon Centurion 28th Sep 2010
@tonymcs@...

Although I will not be purchasing one until next year when my contract expires.
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
Pete "athynz" Athens 28th Sep 2010
@tonymcs@... As a former WM user (and now iOS user) I'm interested to see how WP7 will work. Not that I'm going to give up my iPhone for one but I am curious to see the differences.
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
imsimsj 27th Sep 2010
Why is microsoft launching in Europe first? I thought they were a United States Company. They do hang out with the Liberals in washington, help russia screwing people out of there human rights, and keep the feds all over google. Great company! Even if they make good stuff they are the worst!
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
SmoothDouglas 27th Sep 2010
@imsimsj Most handsets are released for GSM first. With 90% of the world on GSM it makes common sense. In addition, the handset manufacturers release in Europe typically first. GSM companies, such as AT&T, will be getting devices in November and CDMA I'd expect in the first quarter of 2011.
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
nothingness 28th Sep 2010
@imsimsj Do you happen to have a bunker stocked with canned food, firearms and whitehoods? Just saying....
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
razzledazzle 27th Sep 2010
With the iphone being too restrictive for some, and android quickly becoming one be tangled cluster... hopefully wp7 will find the sweet spot. More open, yet still controlled enough to maintain a nice user experience across a wide range of phone. Still plenty of market share up for grabs.
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Really? You, a mobile tech blogger, can't think of any reason?
Johnny Vegas 27th Sep 2010
Here's a few to get you started.
Best ux, best performance, most secure, best social integration, best email/calendaring, best camera experience, best multimedia experience, best office/sharepoint integration, best quality apps, best app dev platform, best integrated cloud services, best games, best enterprise management.
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
Pete "athynz" Athens 28th Sep 2010
@Johnny Vegas All of that praise and information on a device that has not been released yet... wait don't tell me you are from the future! So have they invented flying cars in your time? Is food in pill form? What, wait... you AREN'T from the future... then how do you know for sure what you wrote is factual as you present it to be rather than your own subjective opinion based on a love for anything Microsoft?
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
robomatic 27th Sep 2010
I'm an iPhone user and I am switching to WP7.. iOS 4 did nothing to change my mind. It's still look the same since it first came out back in 2007!! Same applies to Blackberry. Boring! And don't get me started on Android.. what a mess! Also I'm tired of the thousands of apps on iPhone / Android that serve nothing! I'd rather have 100 useful ones..

WP7 has a modern UI, it's elegant and practical.. that's what a 2010 OS should look like! and I'm very impressed with Live Tiles and the notification system!

I can assure you that I'm not the only iPhone user who is switching! Whoever claims that the current iPhone 4 was innovative is delusional!
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Robomatic, you have the perfect name...
ShazAmerica 28th Sep 2010
@robomatic

Because just like those robocalls that politicians send out filled with lies and propaganda you sound like a Microsft plant. So, you own an iPhone, a Blackberry and an Android phone? That's how you've able to judge them all and tell us that you're going to buy aWinMo 7 phone? Something you've never seen or used, yet you're calling it better!

What's the serial number of your iPhone? What's the version number? What's the wifi and Bluetooth and IMEI number?

Robomatic is now scrambling to find someones iPhone. Then it will take him a few minutes to find the info as he's probably never touched one.

Oh yeah, robo, aren't you one of the ones that said the iPhone was crap because it couldn't copy and paste or couldn't handle apps running simultaneously? Guess what, you're great imaginary winmo phone can't do it!
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
Badgered 28th Sep 2010
@ShazAmerica What's the serial number of your iPhone? What's the version number? What's the wifi and Bluetooth and IMEI number?

Why don't you just ask for his SS# and home address while you're at it....
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
Pete "athynz" Athens 28th Sep 2010
@robomatic While you are correct in that the iOS has the same look it had since the beginning the same thing does NOT apply to the Blackberry OS - they did change the look from OS 4.5 to OS 5 and 6... somewhat.

And your complaint about the thousands of apps on iPhone / Android that serve nothing! Ummm did you take a look at the library of apps for WM? Tens of thousands and some of them duplicate functionality of other, some are useless fart apps (yes just like the Apple App Store), some are useless... indeed a lot like what you consider the Apple App Store to be - tell me have you ever bothered to try to read reviews on apps, try out free versions or do you just drink the kool aid. Do you really own an iPhone?

And HOW is Android a "mess"? In what way?
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
robomatic Updated - 28th Sep 2010
@athynz I hear it almost every day! people seem to buy the iPhone (or Android) mainly because of the number of apps available! Sure iTunes has 200,000+ apps, but what people don't realize is that most of these apps are useless. The rest are duplicates, hundreds and hundreds of apps that do the exact same thing.
I don't need to install 100 app on my iPhone. It's a freaking phone, not a Gameboy. I have a few favorites that I always use (Stanza, Dictionary, Local Concerts, GuitarChords..), and I try one or two every once in a while but I don't waste my time on useless junk.
Tell me, since when app reviews were any good?! most apps have a score of 2 or 3 stars! The first guy would say: amazing app!! the next: this app is stupid!

Android is to iPhone what Hyundai is to Honda. Get it?
It's not exactly a replica (or is it?).. IMO it's more like a 3rd beta of an iOS.. it has the same downfalls of iOS and the app store. Everyone hails that it's open source! so what?! what does it change for you as a user? you're still paying the same amount of money for the phone and for a data plan.. and you're getting the familiar (and much imitated) interface of an iPhone. What's so amazing about Android?

In contrast, this is exactly what I like about WP7!
it's like nothing else!
it is refreshingly new!
0 Votes
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
g@... 28th Sep 2010
honestly Mr. Joel what *killer* feature do you expect from WP7 to stand out from the rest ?
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
tonymcs@... 28th Sep 2010
@g@...

OneNote

To use it is to love it and it's the main Office App on WP7
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Developers Competition, $50m in prizes*
guihombre 28th Sep 2010
* Prize winners will receive a Microsoft Toxic asset bundle valued at $10000, not for resale, no cash equivalent prizes available.

My bet is they'll launch something like that, they'll want to do the same as the other phone makers and launch a competition to attrack apps, and they'll want to out-do everyone else. So the claimed figure will be huge.

But they don't like to spend actual cash, so it will be inflated with Microsoft licensed stuff.
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
Poppets 28th Sep 2010
Aha!

Love this commercial!

They've got this right as 'tasters' go. The elaboration presumably will come later.
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Neowin says October 21st
Cylon Centurion 28th Sep 2010
October 11th could be something different all together...
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
Loverock Davidson 28th Sep 2010
That ad was awesome. A lot of you non-believers are going to be in for a big surprise when WP7 phones are released. I'm already making plans to be at the local store to play with one on release day. Not going to buy one yet until they come out for Verizon, but I want to get that WP7 experience.
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
cyberslammer 28th Sep 2010
@Loverock Davidson Yep, I'll be in for a big surprise when I see them this spring stacked up on top of the Kins in the bargain bin.
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
Tiggster 28th Sep 2010
@cyberslammer

You ever notice how many anti-Microsoft posts we always see with every WP7 article? If its such a piece of junk why are people like you wasting your time reading and responding to WP7 postings? Your words and actions are contradicting each other. happy
  • Flagged
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
Cylon Centurion 28th Sep 2010
@Tiggster

He is just trolling. Had this OS been developed by Apple, he would be in love with it.
  • Flagged
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
ItsTheBottomLine 28th Sep 2010
@Tiggster because God knows they don't have anything else to do. You know the character in Simpson's that has the comic book store...use that as a mental picture.
  • Flagged
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
Pete "athynz" Athens 28th Sep 2010
@Loverock Davidson I hope you are right but honestly I'm not holding my breath over it.
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
I12BPhil 28th Sep 2010
@Loverock Davidson bringing some tissues and hand lotion with you?
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Stupid Ad
cyberslammer 28th Sep 2010
You could splice in the iPhone 4 at the end of the commercial..same thing.
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Come now, cyberslummer
John Zern 28th Sep 2010
have some fun
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Tethering
ParrotHead_FL 28th Sep 2010
I was extremely interested in WP7 until last week, when I heard that it won't support tethering.
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
arshad@... 28th Sep 2010
I will trash my Iphone.. no desire to keep trash.. WP7 I am all yours
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Im anixous to see
Fletchguy 28th Sep 2010
I have had Blackberries in the past and I have tried iphones to play with id never own one as they do suck and I currently use an Evo 4G with froyo 2.2. I also have had winMob phones which I liked very much. I can see this getting a ton of iphone users as iphone and apple os is just horrid and so locked down its like a prison phone. Winmo phones have always been efficient and familiar.Blackberry well for anything other then enterprise lock down the rim os is just useless boring and garbage. Android for me has been the best os on a smart phone yet. Its so uncluttered, easy to use and personalize and once you root your phone as you all should its damn near perfect except it battery drainage. The new windows 7 phone though does definately interest me and I think it will do well if it doesnt over do the focus on social networking which is the death of a true smart phone. Allow it to run crap like facebook or twitter but dont make that the focal point as those are dying (thank god).A good compromise of function, ease, looks and personaliation with pure functionality might be what the win7 phone brings so Im ready to see what they bring.
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Facebook is dying?
Tiggster 28th Sep 2010
@Fletchguy

Facebook and social networking are dying? Where did you get an idea like that? Facebook only has 500 million members. happy
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
88Fan 28th Sep 2010
I have 11 1/2 months to go for my next upgrade, hopefully by then MS will have a Sprint 4g version out. Currently just upgraded to Epic 4g with Android and am very happy with it, won't stop me going to a WinMo7 phone though if it comes properly loaded.
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Looking forward to it!
relwolf 28th Sep 2010
Silverlight + C# + Visual Studio 2010 = I'm writing my first Fart app!
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
J hawk 336 28th Sep 2010
Microsoft will also have to compete with the sex-appeal of Apple devices. Hopefully LG, Samsung, HTC, and so on can create something attractive for the WP7.
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RE: Windows Phone 7 to be unleashed October 11th?
robomatic 28th Sep 2010
@Badgered lol, seriously!

@ShazAmericado did I just insult your mother? relax... take a deep breath!

Good.. now, I wrote MY opinion.. you can write your opinion.. just like the author of this article wrote his opinion. Do you understand?

I don't have a Blackberry or an Android, but my friends do, and I've played with them.. BB's user interface / small screen are so depressing.. and for me (remember, opinion, good) Android is a mutilated clone of the iOS. Sure it's got some extra bells and whistles (that you can get by Jailbreaking the iOS), but it suffers from the same limitations and rigidity of the icon-based interface.

I have an iPhone because I like it! but I'm not a slave to any brand!
I buy whatever I like!

If a company called ShazAmericado (Lamo or whatever..) develops a phone that has an appealing UI and impressive hardware, I will definitely check it out. I will learn everything I can about it before I decide to buy. Unfortunately that's not the case with many consumers!

Now based on what I've seen and read about WP7, I'm convinced that iOS / Android / BB simply can't compare!

WP7 is leagues ahead.

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