Microsoft Unveils Windows Phone 7 Handsets

[MacRumors]

At a media event today, Microsoft officially unveiled its Windows Phone 7 operating system, along with nine new handsets from a variety of manufacturers that will run the new operating system. Windows Phone 7 saw its first introduction back in February.

"We have a beautiful lineup in this first wave of Windows Phone 7 handsets," said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer at Microsoft. "Microsoft and its partners are delivering a different kind of mobile phone and experience - one that makes everyday tasks faster by getting more done in fewer steps and providing timely information in a 'glance and go' format."

One of Microsoft's launch carrier partners in the U.S. is AT&T, which has announced three new Windows Phone 7 devices: the HTC Surround, the LG Quantum, and the Samsung Focus. The Focus is set to launch on November 8th, with the other two handsets following suit by the holidays. T-Mobile is planning to launch the HTC HD7 in mid-November, with the Dell Venue Pro also set to ship by the holidays. Verizon and Sprint will begin offering Windows Phone 7 devices in 2011.

Centered around "hubs" that allow users to quickly see a variety of pieces of information related to such topics as People, Music, Photos, and Office, Windows Phone 7 will also accommodate third-party apps such as Twitter, eBay and a library of gaming titles from EA, in addition to apps from smaller developers facilitated by Microsoft's developer program for the platform. In a departure from the icon-focused user interface used by Apple and others, Microsoft has chosen to utilize a flowing interface of flexible "tiles" that can each represent various pieces of information depending on the type of data required to be presented.

Article Link: Microsoft Unveils Windows Phone 7 Handsets

 

[iHalo]

The system is great... To compete against the iPhone 3g.

This is 2010. Get copy and paste. Get third party camera support. Get multitasking. You're behind the ball Microsoft.

 

[Advance The Man]

"...one that makes everyday tasks faster by getting more done in fewer steps and providing timely information in a 'glance and go' format."

Right, that's the iPhone you're talking about. Has been out for a few years. Congrats on joining the party.

 

[Grimace]

$10 says Ballmer is out by February 2011. Too many people are unhappy with him and it may be too late for the Windows Phone to save him.

 

[ImNoSuperMan]

Oooohhh. Windows Phone 7. I'm so excited.... not.

 

[WiiDSmoker]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A306 Safari/6531.22.7)

Please remember folks, without competition, we wouldn't have what we have today.

This thread will be interesting and full of trolls however.

 

[wjdennen]

do anyone else agree?

Too. Many. Handsets.

Confusion reigns.

 

[ablack774]

Well done Microsoft another piece of software to add to the collection of crap.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

This is 2010. Get copy and paste. Get third party camera support. Get multitasking. You're behind the ball Microsoft.

This sounds awfully familiar.

 

[Gromit]

The Zune Phone has landed.

 

[Lesser Evets]

Sidestepping from the article, because I have no idea if the devices will be good or not, I am just curious what genius would put Ballmer out front to push products.

There's nothing photogenic, sexy, interesting, or enigmatic about the guy. He wears a black suit... get a clue and keep your suits brown and your mp3 players black. He sweats at the worst of times. He looks like an ape. He comes off like a used car salesman on a Friday afternoon short on sales and needing beer money for the Sunday game.

 

[tlevier]

The ads

Did you see the ads? They basically sell the point of view that you shouldn't have a distracting phone.

"You don't need all those features, they take away from your life. Simplify and get a phone that doesn't do everything."

 

[Greydog]

... Windows Phone 7 will also accommodate third-party apps such as Twitter, eBay and a library of gaming titles from EA, in addition to apps from smaller developers facilitated by Microsoft's developer program for the platform. In a departure from the icon-focused user interface used by Apple and others, Microsoft has chosen to utilize a flowing interface of flexible "tiles" that can each represent various pieces of information depending on the type of data required to be presented.

Cool, 3rd party apps! What an innovation! Will there be an app store? Will it be "Zune-like"?

LOL love watching MS slip further into the gaping maw of the volcano

 

[bigcat318]

They launched with 9 different handsets? How different could all those phones possibly be? Seems unnecessary .

 

[Arcus]

If I had not just switched to ATnT and got a few iPhones I miht have considered looking at these. I am VERY happy with my iPhone 4 though. No regrets.

I will stop in and peek to see what these have to offer though.

The only thing I wish I had on my iPhone was some basic scripting language like python.

 

[roadbloc]

They launched with 9 different handsets? How different could all those phones possibly be? Seems unnecessary .

Just like the many versions of Vista I guess...

 

[Dr Kevorkian94]

wow i turn it on and get a virus just like my pc! lol

but seriously this is no excitement to me, they are way behind but nonetheless at least they jumped into the game

 

[Rodimus Prime]

well you have to give microsoft credit for a new idea on how to interact with the phone and how infomation is displayed.

The iPhone did not change that system. It brought touch screen to an icon based system but that was it. I can think back to late 90's and the icon system was in place on hand held devices. Apple did not change that.
This content focus instead of icon focus could be interesting on how it works. It is a huge change from the system that has been in play for nearly 15 years.

 

[Bwinski]

MicroShaft.....

Snoooooozzzzzzzeeeeeee.... wake me when the multi-mode iPhone 5 hits the market... I'm back off to sssnnnoooozzzeee some more now....

 

[roland.g]

This is the greatest thing ever! If you just arrived from 1987 or live in a hole!

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

So these 'tiles' are different from an icon how?

The 'homogenization' of this comment already has me wondering how long until this fails like their earlier phone that no one bought...

At least they are trying. I keep wondering what a Microsoft/Adobe phone will look and fail like...

 

[kdarling]

"...one that makes everyday tasks faster by getting more done in fewer steps and providing timely information in a 'glance and go' format."

Right, that's the iPhone you're talking about. Has been out for a few years. Congrats on joining the party.

Not sure how you can think they're the same.

• The iPhone is app centric with a static homescreen.
• WP7 is data centric with a dynamic homescreen.

Different philosophies.

 

[Small White Car]

Please remember folks, without competition, we wouldn't have what we have today.

Yeah, it would be nice if MS had decided to compete. Google did. That was good for the iPhone.

It doesn't look like any of this will. How many people will choose this over Android? I don't know but I think they're in for a very tough fight.

 

[moebius]

The Blue Screen of Death™ coming to a pocket near you.

 

[Greydog]

Ok, why does it look like Stevie is about to say to the media, "Really, what did you expect?"