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Will Windows Phone 7 save us from our phones?

A couple of YouTube advertisements for Windows Phone 7 devices have appeared that show how focused we have become on our phone displays. WP7 comes along to present info in a quick and glanceable way so we can get on with our lives.
Written by Matthew Miller, Contributing Writer

Time is getting closer to the release of Windows Phone 7, but we still have not heard of any solid release dates or even specific devices on US carriers. The folks over at WMPoweruser.com posted a couple of YouTube videos, embedded below, that I wanted to share with you. The advertisements are for an AT&T HTC device, but are much more focused on the message than the phone itself. As you can see in each there are people distracted by their various phones in many typical situations with the message that Windows Phone lets you "glance and go" or have a "phone that saves us from our phones".

The message sounds like a good strategy to me as I know I personally see people WAY too focused on their smartphone display. On the one hand, this is good for me as a writer here on ZDNet about smartphones, but it also concerns me as a human being since people can be seen walking around the city focused on their phone display instead of paying attention to possible dangerous situations or just enjoying the beauty of the day. I am working with my wife and daughters to set boundaries and limits on phone use as we get too focused on the devices rather than personal conversations.

I don't think the point of these ads is to show that Windows Phone 7 offers you less, but that you can do things a bit quicker as you have a way to triage what is really important in a speedy manner rather than having to dive down into applications for more details. I am sure people will probably be just as engaged with their Windows Phone 7 devices as with other phones, but after using a device for some time I have to say I do tend to spend less time directly interacting with it. Do you think that the message from Microsoft for Windows Phone devices is an effective one?

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