AfterDawn: News

Video Daily: The introduction of Windows Phone 7 series

"Today, I'm proud to introduce Windows Phone 7 Series, the next generation of Windows Phones," stated Steve Ballmer, CEO at Microsoft. "In a crowded market filled with phones that look the same and do the same things, I challenged the team to deliver a different kind of mobile experience. Windows Phone 7 Series marks a turning point toward phones that truly reflect the speed of people's lives and their need to connect to other people and all kinds of seamless experiences."

The company has launched their Windows Mobile/Windows Phone 7 series today, bringing together a new interface that connects Zune music and video, Xbox Live gaming, and an intuitive smartphone operating system.



Trying to differentiate itself from the iPhone and Android phones, which use home screens of widgets and icons, Microsoft says it has tried to blend applications together for a more "integrated experience," allowing the OS and applications to "share information with the user in a natural and seamless fashion."


Like MOTOBLUR, the "People" part of the interface brings together all content about a person, including photos and live feeds from their Facebook, Twitter, Windows Live, LinkedIn, etc. It is also a place for the user to update his statuses.


The "Pictures" gallery also syncs users pics easily, as well as integrates pictures from social networks. One step uploads are available as well.

For the "Games" hub, you can sync your Xbox LIVE account, to be able to see your avatar, gamer profile and achievements, as well as anyone of your contacts that have connected their LIVE accounts.

For the "Music + Video" hub, the OS takes the Zune HD and integrates it. Built-in radio, and easy sync of music and video content from online music services and your PC.


Perhaps the most notable of all the hubs is the "Office" hub. Users are given full mobile versions of Office, OneNote and SharePoint Workspaces, allowing for editing and sharing of PDFs, Word documents, Excel workbooks and more.

As is the new standard, there will be a "Marketplace" hub as well, for app downloads.

The video may be long, but worth it if you are interested in the Windows Phone 7 series. (Note: You will need Silverlight)



Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 15 Feb 2010 12:01

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• 11 comments

• blueboy09

  Meh, why not call it a Zune Phone, since it sure as hell looks like one anyways. I see why they want integration for Microsoft products, but then again, a phone is just what it needs to be, a phone (I'll let an MP3 player and video player slide by). Too much like a low-grade PC nowadays, no?

  15.2.2010 12:28 #1

• 5fdpfan

  I'm not all that impressed by what I saw in this vide. Looks old fashioned to stale to me, and add to that, no flash? This operating system is on it's last legs.

  15.2.2010 12:47 #2

• jetyi83

  After reading about the MWC I was pretty excited about the phone. Its a good step for Microsoft and i was wondering if by holiday season if the windows 7 phones were going to be a choice for upgrade from my moto droid. After watching the film I have realized they are basically still playing catch up. They offer a much better interface, but their native applications are never going to be as good as google's. Bing search and maps will always lack behind. Hyperlinking numbers and addresses is already available on smart phones. The only innovative idea is the xbox interactivity. It will eventually be almost as good as androids flagship models but it will lack a few features and have a few inferior applications. Its a great phone though, the interface is pretty nice and flashy.

  15.2.2010 13:40 #3

• DVDBack23

  Originally posted by jetyi83: After reading about the MWC I was pretty excited about the phone. Its a good step for Microsoft and i was wondering if by holiday season if the windows 7 phones were going to be a choice for upgrade from my moto droid. After watching the film I have realized they are basically still playing catch up. They offer a much better interface, but their native applications are never going to be as good as google's. Bing search and maps will always lack behind. Hyperlinking numbers and addresses is already available on smart phones. The only innovative idea is the xbox interactivity. It will eventually be almost as good as androids flagship models but it will lack a few features and have a few inferior applications. Its a great phone though, the interface is pretty nice and flashy.Jetyi, well said. Microsoft has made some incredible strides, aesthetically, but it is still playing catchup to Android, MotoBlur, etc. in terms of innovation.

  15.2.2010 13:47 #4

• lamain

  for me I am afraid how bad it would be with out 3g or any social interest at all.
  
  other then that it seems if you did have 3g and social interest looks nice.

  15.2.2010 13:58 #5

• SSSJDanny

  Originally posted by blueboy09: Meh, why not call it a Zune PhoneIf you watched Attack of the Show they i believe it was Kevin and Chris who said they should have dropped the Zune name, i think its an okay name alot of dumb people get Zune mixed up with Zen for whatever reason.
  
  But I agree they should have left Zune in the title somewhere.

  15.2.2010 14:57 #6

• DoomLight

  i'll stay with my windows 6.1 to 6.5 thanks. that looks like that thing is tryin to be an Iphone with all that syncing crap and Itune like stuff that u have to do.
  
  and everyone is right. its a Zune. with a phone built in.

  15.2.2010 18:39 #7

• jetyi83

  Originally posted by DoomLight: i'll stay with my windows 6.1 to 6.5 thanks. that looks like that thing is tryin to be an Iphone with all that syncing crap and Itune like stuff that u have to do.
  
  and everyone is right. its a Zune. with a phone built in.Wow you think this phone copies the iphone so you decide to keep the arguably worse smart phone in existence instead? Thats a pretty strange mentality. The reason people are saying this is a zune with a phone built in is because thats what they said in their presentation. The music portion of the phone is exactly a zune. Anyone who buys the windows 7 phone gets a zune built in.

  15.2.2010 20:47 #8

• KillerBug

  I don't want facebook.
  I don't tweet.
  I don't listen to tweets.
  I don't even own a XboX360, and I probably never will unless I get one for free.
  
  It is a phone, if I want to contact someone I can call them!
  
  I want full web compatability. This is the one thing that Microsoft might have been able to give us, but NO! They trim mobile internet explorer to the point that android and iPhone have better internet.

  15.2.2010 22:49 #9

• i1der

  alright thanx for showing the Zune Phone, now where is the windows mobile 7?

  16.2.2010 18:51 #10

• shaffaaf

  Im seriously loving this, MS just blew a fresh breath of air in the mobile space.
  
  
  the iphone interface is very datted, adn constantly its just tap tap tap tap tap to get anywhere, not very nice.
  
  as much as a love android, it still haev that linuxy feel to it, (sense, and the HTC desire/legend are insaely sexy) but its very functional.
  
  this new direction is very unprecidented. they haev dropped any reminants fo the the old OS and are starting new, and IMO they needed to do that.
  
  for the people that do nto like this, fair enough but then this phone isnt for you.
  
  blackberry have now announced a webkit browser, and killerbug, opera brownser on winmo is fantastic,a nd according to the journalists that have used winpho brownser say its amazing.
  
  loving the zune interface aswell.
  
  and yet still i prefer webos, due to one thing, the multitasking, which is second to none (ok well nokia n900 aswell, though maemo will now go moblin lol)

  17.2.2010 10:36 #11