There are several new questions popping up lately with regards to HTC’s new Windows Phone 7 handset.
With the October launch of the mobile platform confirmed and underway, it is pretty understandable that the images and details of upcoming WP7 devices are being shown all over the internet these days. After all, considering how leaky many phone makers’ R&D labs are and how many actually like the hype being built up, it is a pretty common sight to have in the tech industry.
Anyway, focusing on the newly leaked images of the new HTC smart phones, it is somewhat surprising to see that the slide out form factor does not hide a physical QWERTY keyboard. Instead, the device is actually packing a secondary loud speaker. Of course, many of us can instantly see that the purpose of such hardware is for more than just hands free voice calls, this is obviously for media playback.
This is not the first handset to showcase a slide out speaker, but it is certainly one of the first high profile devices to do so. Does the Windows Phone 7’s media playback features warrant such an add on? Perhaps so, with the use of Zune for media and the new MSN player, there is certainly plenty of media playback going around for the new mobile platform.
HTC has also been nice enough to add a built in kickstand to the handset as well. This will allow users to easily prop up the device without any additional accessories or having to find things on your desk that would help prop the phone up.
Windows Phone 7 is Microsoft’s upcoming mobile platform and is due to come out later this October. It has been announced that when the OS is officially announced, several mobile phones from various manufacturers will also be launched alongside it.
Posts Tagged ‘Microsoft’
HTC’s Windows Phone 7 Device Leaked in Images
Thursday, August 26th, 2010Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7: Over 8000 Already Released
Thursday, August 19th, 2010
According to reports, the number of mobile phones running the Windows Phone 7 operating system already out and in the hands of developers, testers and analysts are around 8000 in number; that is a very big volume when you are talking about a handset that has not yet even been released.
But Microsoft is quite focused on the new OS and for several good reasons too.
Most importantly, Microsoft wants the mobile platform to gain a positive reputation. It is already an established fact that the older Windows Mobile platform was anything but well loved, and hence, it is important for consumers to be able to be able to associate something new with the Microsoft brand. Given that Apple already has the advantage with the popularity of their Apple name and the iPhone and iBrand in general, Microsoft will need to bring their game to a whole new level.
Another thing that Microsoft needs is support from developers. And developers will only be supportive if developing for the system is not going to be difficult in terms of resources. By literally handing out phones to developers, one major logistical concern is easily taken care of, and bringing the user experience to a more personal level is certain to get developers to make apps that are suited to the operating system.
App support is going to be important to the success of Microsoft’s new handset, but with the currently announced game lineup for WP7 lacking any great titles, it will be important for Microsoft to bring something new to the table.
In the meanwhile, Google’s Android OS is also starting to gain more ground in the mobile phone industry. In fact, it has surpassed the iOS in number of users (or market share) and according to the reports, will eventually be able to take the number one spot from the Symbian OS, used on most Nokia phones.
Microsoft Announces WP7 Games Line Up
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
With only a couple of short months to go before the launch of the Windows Phone 7 mobile platform, Microsoft is going all out with getting more and more hype running for the launch. Just recently, the lineup of mobile phone games for the handset have been released and judging from the initial titles being offered at the start, one cannot help but feel very disappointed.
Of course, one has to note that for an average smart phone user, the current selection of tittles that Microsoft will be offering is not so bad; there are actually plenty of addictive little gems that one can play around with for hours on end. But a closer inspection of the list reveals that the set has very little to offer when it comes to the more hard core gaming crowd.
Naturally, the hardware limitations of a mobile phone would discourage some developers from investing too much development time on the platform, but what about all those 3D game demonstrations that Microsoft showed off that using the XNA technology? Granted that developers have yet to fully master the SDK, one would have thought that MS’ internal games development studios would have something substantial.
At this point, it is too early to determine which of the pre-listed titles are going to be making full use of the XBL Games service: which titles will have achievements and which will actually allow you to play with friends. Though hopefully, that would apply most of the offered games.
As expected, major app developers such as Gameloft, PopCap and Glu Mobile all have interesting titles on the list, though offerings from major studios such as Namco Bandai and Konami are still on the lackluster side of things.
The first Windows Phone 7 devices are expected to launch this coming October alongside the release of the mobile platform.
WP7 to Arrive by October
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010After weeks of having a launch date that seems to keep moving around, it appears that as the end of the year draw closer, Microsoft is becoming more resolute. Recent reports show that an October launch is not just the most likely, but it is also the expected and planned launch date for the upcoming Windows Phone 7 operating system.
For quite some time now, Microsoft’s presence in the mobile market has been strongly limited to the business sector. While they placed second to Research in Motion’s BlackBerry in terms of market dominance, they hardly had any footing with casual users –even during the growth of the smart phone market. This was because Microsoft’s design lacked many important elements that users wanted with their mobile devices and this is why it was important for a new operating system to be made.
Last February, Steve Ballmer showed the world that Microsoft has what it takes to develop an operating system for mobile phones that would be useful for general users, and now, several months later, the WP7 OS is in technical testing with developers on track with the end of the year launch.
Initial reactions to the new OS are mixed. Microsoft has strayed off from the older icon based menus of Apple’s iPhone, but at the same time, they have adopted a slightly awkward artistic menu style that leaves an entire chunk on the right side of the screen as blank. Others appreciate the bold step that MS is taking with the UI design.
Of course, there is more to the OS than just a new user interface. It has also been confirmed that several new features will be integrated into the Windows Phone 7. Zune, Bing, Xbox Live Games and Silverlight are just some of the new additions that users should be excited to get.
Windows Phone 7 Partners Get Ready for OS Launch
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
Several Windows Phone 7 handsets are already getting ready for distribution when the OS finally comes out later this year. According to some reports, Microsoft might be releasing the new mobile platform as early as September, which means that by now, several Windows Phone 7 based handsets are already well within the production stage.
LG is definitely in the lead with their device progress. In terms of public presence, the LG Panther is an exceptionally great handset that is practically finished as far as consumers are concerned. The device has been spotted quite early on in pictures, showing that LG has started work on their WP7 device quite early. Recent news on the Panther shows that the QWERTY keyboard toting smart phone is pretty much ready for the OS to be installed.
Of course, the Korean manufacturer is not the only company that is preparing a Windows Phone 7 handset. Taiwan based HTC has been a long time partner for Microsoft, even before the days that HTC became a major industry partner for Google and the Android OS. HTC’s ties with Microsoft go as far back as the Pocket PC days. The HTC Mondrian (also rumored to be the same device as the HTC Gold) and HTC Mozart will be the new WP7 handsets for HTC.
Samsung, Dell and Asus are also among the names that were announced to be working on Windows Phone 7 devices as well. Considering that the launch of the new platform is coming soon, it is expected that these companies have devices that are more than ready.
Also, the developer version of the OS seems to be getting mixed reactions from users. While some appreciate the new design direction that Microsoft is taking, there are those who feel that the OS still needs more work to compete with the Android and Apple iOS.
Windows Phone 7 to be Distributed to MS Employees
Monday, July 26th, 2010
These days, it pays to be a Microsoft employee. Not only is the company continuously growing –the employees are also getting plenty of free stuff. The latest addition to Microsoft’s bag of goodies is a Windows Phone 7 handset.
As of now, no specific details on what the free smart phone is, though some believe that this could be based on the same devices that were distributed to developers, which means that there are going to be three various handsets. The devices vary according to their manufacturers: Asus, LG and Samsung. So far, none of the devices Microsoft is giving out has been seen on images so it will be hard to verify if the developer devices are the same.
In any case, the Windows Phone 7 seems to be nearing completion and it looks like Microsoft is really up for a September launch date. The original plan was to get the first WP7 device out by the holiday season. The schedule has been moved earlier, slowly, from the end of the year to October and then September.
From what we have seen with the developer devices, the new users interface is exactly what Microsoft promised it to be. Smooth, cohesive and all the functions are nestled in simple to access commands. Users can accomplish tasks over various menus without having to return to the home screen –giving this handset a very complete feel.
However, we do have some reservations about how the handset handles the use of Facebook integrated contacts –it fills up the entire people page, which means that there is currently no way to segregate contact lists for users. This will prove to be very annoying especially for those who keep their contact lists for phones and online friends separately. It will still be some time before the final product launches, so hopefully, Microsoft will fix this issue before then.
No Love for Multitasking in Windows Phone 7
Monday, July 19th, 2010
This is a sad day for budding Windows Phone 7 developers. Microsoft has just revealed that there will be no multitasking for third party applications.
The bringer of bad news was Microsoft’s Yochay Kiriaty. He said that only one application is allowed to run in the foreground, and any other previously running applications will automatically be closed. Basically, it means that, at any given time, only one application will be allowed to run.
“Windows Phone allows only one application to run at any given time in the foreground and no third party applications are allowed to run in the background. When a user navigates away from your application …Windows Phone operating system terminates your application.”
But at least there is some sort of consolation prize for those who want to develop apps for Microsoft’s upcoming platform. Mr. Kiriaty mentioned that the last state of a running app will be saved so that the next time the user launches the program, he can continue where he left off. This seems to be a good option for those that aim to have games, entry-based apps (like those related to digital scrapbooking) or e-book reader applications.
Is that enough to keep app developers interested? This seems a bit counterproductive for Microsoft. With their polished terms for app developers, it is quite apparent that the company aims to attract as many developers as it can to fill up its roster for launch.
Also, considering the fact that the Kin duo was a big flop, the company could have used some sort of advantage over the newly launched Apple iOS4 (which is installed on the new iPhone 4) and the Google Android (employed by impressive handsets like the HTC Desire and Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10), both of which have good multitasking. It seems that the platform is already a few steps behind the two even before its official release. It truly is unfortunate to note that the Windows Phone 7 has a glaring disadvantage compared to its competitors.
Ballmer: Windows Phone 7 is Months Away
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
To be specific, Mr. Ballmer specified that Windows Phone 7 will be out “in months” when he was talking about the upcoming Microsoft mobile platform at the Worldwide Partner Conference. The current CEO of Microsoft discussed several other important points and views about the OS at that event as well.
Steve Ballmer took the stage at the Mobile World Congress last February to give the world a first glimpse at the Windows Phone 7 operating system. Sure, the close system and the restrictions fell quite reminiscent of Apple’s iOS rules, but the way that the is operated, the way apps are integrated and the way the functions are all inter-connected makes WP7 a mobile platform really worth looking forward to.
Originally, Ballmer stated that the OS would be ready by the end of the year, specifically, by the holiday season. But is seems that in the past few months since the unveiling of the OS to the public, the Microsoft mobile development team has been charged up with a new spirit that has driven them to finish a lot earlier than expected.
The launch date was slowly moved from holidays to October, and just recently, rumors are now pointing out the possibility that the OS might be launching as early as September.
Windows Phone 7 will be integrating plenty of new features from Microsoft such as Bing Search –which is heavily competing with Google’s search engine, the Zune media interface, the Microsoft Xbox Live Games service, a new MSN player; support for Silverlight and according to reports, the first updates will include a Flash player and HTML5 compatibility.
Various phone manufacturers have confirmed that they will have devices ready when Windows Phone 7 launches. LG’s Panther is a type two chassis (which comes with a slide out QWERTY keyboard) and HTC has the Mondrian (HTC Gold) and the HTC Mozart.
How Microsoft Missed Out on a Whole Generation
Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
Smart phone owners are certainly unhappy about the Windows Mobile operating system. HTC managed to make it big with the HD2 (though the HD Mini was not as successful), but aside from that, it is rare that a WinMo device would ever be a favorite for smart phone owners as the resistive touch screen based user interface was easily made obsolete with the arrival of capacitive touch screens with multitouch and gestures.
Of course, that alone was not the reason why the general market is not too keen on Microsoft’s mobile platform, the issue is based mostly on the fact that the OS itself was never designed for everyday use. Microsoft’s hold on the mobile phone industry was based on the business market. They held a position that was practically second to RIM. With the general users, Microsoft had no fans.
Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, is quite accepting of this situation. In fact, he even stated that Microsoft missed out on a whole generation of smart phone users. While rival operating systems such as Nokia’s Symbian, Apple iOS and the Google Android slowly grew and expanded their user base, Microsoft was still lagging far behind the race
With Windows Phone 7 however, Microsoft is planning to take a stronger position in the industry. The new OS is dynamic, stylish and geared towards general users. Most of the interface features fully animated tiles and integrated social networking function.
Social networking and media functions are such a big deal for the new OS that most of the features basically revolve about how you can interact with friends and family. Bringing up the maps will let you instant find the closest addresses of your friends. The Xbox Live Games allows users to invite and join games that other people are playing. The whole tiles system can be filled up with specific friends on Facebook or other networked services. Expect to see WP7 in action sometime around October this year.
Windows Phone 7 Set to be Released Third Quarter of 2010
Friday, July 9th, 2010
Unfortunately for Microsoft, the Kin One and Kin Two, their social networking focused duo of smart phones, did not gain enough of a grip in the US market. This then resulted in the cancellation of any plans to bring it over to European shores. With all the marketing and hype that Microsoft tried to build for their failed mobile phones, it is a wonder whether or not they still have what it takes to claim a significant marketing share with what they currently have to offer.
Thankfully for them, they still have a few tricks up their sleeve. Instead of charging into the mobile war blindly, they have decided to use what they have learned of today’s mobile phone consumers onto the development of the Windows Phone 7 platform. Though it is unlikely that they are going to emerge at the top anytime soon, at least they are preparing to do so in the near future.
In order to increase consumer awareness of their existing brand, they have decided to help retailers prepare for the new line of Windows Phone 7 toting products. Floor advertisements will be seen in stores within the month to have the brand ingrained into customers in time for the impending September release date.
Yes, you read right. According to official Microsoft documents, a third quarter launch date is confirmed. Though the month of September is still public speculation at this point, it seems about right considering the marketing prep time.
The computer and mobile phone maker is having trouble keeping their seven percent market share as compared to booming Apple’s fifteen percent and the Google Android’s ten percent. Nokia’s Symbian platform is in the lead in terms of operating systems, keeping a significant lead at forty-four percent.
It looks like Microsoft is in for the market fight of their life. But at least they are not leaving anything to luck and chance.