Today is one of the tipping points in mobile computing as Microsoft announced what some consumers were waiting for some time: Windows Mobile 7. The first surprise, that shows Microsoft is capable of change, is the name: Windows Phone 7 Series, which I’m sure will find some fans and haters but you must admit, it’s nothing you’ve expected. From what was released and presented to press, Windows Phone 7 Series was built from scratch, no code from previous versions was used and is integrated tightly with Microsoft’s services: Xbox Live, Zune and Bing.

    Windows Phone 7 Series home screen

    Windows Phone 7 Series home screen

    Unlike other previous versions, Microsoft will impose more strict rules on how phones behave, look like and work like. There will be the same interface all over, no customization like HTC’s Sense UI (I hope this will change and also the lack of true multitasking) and all headsets will have three important buttons: menu, back and Bing search. The home screen was completely redesigned from scratch and now includes hubs and widgets that scroll vertically on the screen. All these hubs and widgets are user customizable and include a lot of connections to social media services, proving that Microsoft is finally getting into online territory with much more than words.

    There are a lot of things to find out about Windows Phone 7 Series, as Microsoft just showcased a few demos and prototype devices running a preview build of the OS but journalists who had the chance to play with it (unlike me…) say that Microsoft really has something there. I can only hope the end of the year will see gadgets like HTC HD3 (just a hunch) or Dell Mini 5 running the brand new OS just like it was supposed to be: fast, fun and intuitive. My take is that Windows Phone 7 Series could follow the footsteps of Android who is now powering devices from smartphones to mini tablets and big diagonal touch tablets. If that’s the case I’ll reward myself a beer. Cheers mate!

    Source: GSM Arena