Every other week we are bombarded with new phone launches and announcements and most of them seem to do pretty much the same, as with iPhone, Google Phone and many others being released one after the other, the consumer is caught in a confusing web of technology. Each of these phones has its advantages, and results in a sort of “double approach conflict”.
Nevertheless, the big news this time around is that Microsoft has unveiled its new Windows Phone 7 Series. It is going to be its flagship mobile phone operating system, and phones that run on it could be out during Christmas. Steve Ballmer seemed to know that it is a saturated market and that it had to compete with the already popular phones, and thus the new OS tries to combine things that are already popular but not existent in a single device.
The 7.0 would have a newly designed and revamped homescreen which would appeal to the visual senses. Apart from this, the mobile phone OS would incorporate elements from Microsoft Zune, Xbox, revamped Office, and an integrated Bing. The idea behind the phone seems to be to synchronize all the activities of a person into one sleek looking gadget. With that in mind, Microsoft has divided the OS into 6 hubs. Let us take a critical look at all the 6.
People
The People Hub is expected to bring the world to your cellphone in the way of connecting your friends, families and even strangers through a network of social media. Facebook, Windows Live and other live feeds can be accessed in just one step. This isn’t something new, and most other cellphones seem to be doing that anyway.
Pictures
The Pictures Hub allows the user to share and view pictures and video through social networks easily. Thanks to a great interface, you might enjoy using this part of the OS.
Games
Undoubtedly, this has to be the major selling point of the Windows Phone 7 OS. It is the only phone OS with the official Xbox Live experience. It opens the door wide open to a world of friends, gamers, entertainment and loads of fun.
Music + Video
Zune isn’t something new, and with it being a tough competitor for the iPod, Zune enabled Windows Phone 7 OS can be quite interesting. It would come with online music services and a built-in FM radio as well.
Marketplace
This hub would allow the user to buy certified apps and games. Again, it is something that is offered by the competitors as well.
Office
Office, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace are integrated into one place and thus you could manage your documents easily while on the go.
Certainly, the interface is eye-candy, and has a host of features that are truly attractive. The best feature has to be the integration of Zune and Xbox Live elements. However, Bing is not really a popular search engine, and much of the other features are available on other phones too. It would be interesting to see what models of phones would be running on this operating system.
You could take a look at the Weird Zune Ad, and gloss over the good-looking Microsoft Smartphone. The Microsoft Courier Tablet PC could give stiff competition to Apple iPad as well. Thus, it looks like Microsoft is consolidating its base with the new OS in markets where Microsoft is already popular.
Via: The Next Web
