MWC: Windows Phone 7 Series Officially Announced

[MWC 2010] What was all the hype about the “Windows Phone”? Was it going to be a new Microsoft-branded phone like the Google Nexus One? As it is, today Windows Phone 7 Series has been unveiled, which certainly looks like the whole Windows Mobile experience has been redesigned from the ground up, and it will bring together Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music and video experience to your mobile phone. In case you’re too hyped up to read till the end of the post to find out when you’ll be able to get it, the first batch of Windows Phone 7 Series devices will be available by holiday 2010.

Windows Phone 7 Series plans to offer a different experience via Windows Phone hubs, which bring together related content from the web, applications, and services all into a single view, allowing you to simplify common tasks. The OS includes six hubs that are built on specific themes that reflect various important activities to people, such as:

People: The increasingly popular social experience, which brings together relevant content based on the user, such as live feeds from social networks and photos. It also allows you to post updates to Facebook and Windows Live easily.

Games: The official Xbox LIVE experience that we’ll all been waiting for. It includes Xbox LIVE games, Spotlight feed and the ability to see a gamer’s avatar, Achievements, and gamer profile.

Pictures: Easily share your pictures and videos on your social network. It’ll bring together your photos by integrating the Web and PC.

Music & Video: Bringing together the Zune media experience, including the content from the PC, online music services and built-in FM radio all in one place. The experience can even become a social one with Zune Social on your PC.

Marketplace: To satisfy your app hunger, by offering you certified applications and games

Office: With access to Office, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace, this opens up the potential to turn your phone into a mobile workhorse.

With all those software services in place, Windows Phone 7 Series will still need strategic partnerships with various mobile partners in order to make the whole thing work, and the partnership includes a healthy line of operators and manufacturers. Mobile Operators AT&T, Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange, SFR, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telstra, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone are already on board, as well as manufacturers Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC Corp., HP, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm Inc. With such a line up, it certainly looks like Microsoft is going all out with Windows Phone 7 Series.

Matthew Chung
Categories: Cellphones, Top Stories
Tags: MWC, MWC 2010, official, Windows Phone, Windows Phone 7