Windows Phone 7

[McPhee]

Well, Microsoft have lifted the lid on their new mobile OS. Windows Mobile is dead and it's been replaced by Windows Phone. Details here;

 

http://gizmodo.com/5471805/windows-phone-7-series-everything-is-different-now

 

Or the short version; the Zune HD's interface on a mobile phone. Strong integration of Windows Live (People, Mail, Messenger, Photos), Xbox Live (Games, messaging, Achievements/Gamerscore), Bing (Search, Maps, Phone Search), Zune (Music, Video, Marketplace, Pandora!) and Facebook. New version of Office Mobile (with over the air syncing of files). They're working closely with hardware manufacturers and carriers to try and tie the whole thing up in to one neat package instead of the mess that was Windows Mobile (and to an extent is Google Android).

 

See it in motion;

 

http://www.windowsphone7series.com/

 

There's more to come, Microsoft has said as much. This was just a quick overview of the OS and the sort of capabilities the phone will have.

 

So far, if they get some good hardware on board I'd be happy to buy a "Windows Phone". It's what I expected them to do, but more critically what I wanted them to do. I'm sure Apple will match the stuff seen here as closely as possible with iPhone OS 4.0, but they don't have Xbox Live or Office which to me are the really big selling features.

 

As a side note, that blue they're using on the Start screen is eurgh The green and orange look much better!

[Will]

I'm actually quite surprised at how nice it looks. I'd certainly like to try it out and really see what it can do. I do get the feeling it won't quite be as good as iPhone OS, from the few videos I've seen they just don't seem to quite get it exactly right.

 

With a bit of work it has a lot of potential, it would have to be really really good for me to replace my iPhone though.

[Caris]

The UI does look very polish and sexy, quick too. But it looks like it's very hard to navigate and not very user friendly at all. It looks really cluttered from the videos I've just watched.

 

Defiantly keeping an eye on it though, I fancy a change from my iPhone if OS 4.0 doesn't bring some huge changes.

[Mike]

Just had a look at a trailer, and I'm not that impressed - I don't like the look of the UI at all, and it looks too hard to navigate. Also, I'd have no use for some of its selling features (namely XBox LIVE and status updates, which I still haven't got into). I'm definitely happy with my iPhone at the moment, and any big updates in OS 4.0 are a bonus, as far as I'm concerned (as long as I can turn status updates off if they get integrated. ).

[david.dakota]

My experience of Windows Mobile has left a very sour taste in my mouth. 6 was impossible, and 6.5 made the experience worse by only skinning the Today and Start screens - all options and menus were kept as unusable as before. Both - but especially 6.5 - are hiddeously unstable, constantly crashing in simple applications like Text messaging and phone calls. My TG01 just freezes and resets at the most bizarre points (ie, when i'm doing nothing and don't get me started on unlocking the phone...). Roll on the Xperia X10 or Nexus One (or HTC Bravo).... can't some soon anough.

 

My expectations of Windows Mobile 7 Series are not high and no amount of XBOX Live connectivity is going to convince me otherwise.

 

mess that was.... (and to an extent is Google Android).

 

I'm not quite sure what you mean by this. Android is a superb OS (in my opinion, the best OS in the mobile market). Perhaps you mean the various manufacturers skinning Android, like Sony Erikson's Time/Mediascape or HTC Sense UI, but thats the great thing about it being open source - you're not tied to what a particular company wants (outside of the native integration with Google).

 

All this said, the next 12-24 months are crucial to Android - and Google's mobile search business. Most pundits beleive 2010 is the year of Android, but with Nokia opting for new OS and being still being market leader, Apple continuing their momentum (and their continued rivaly with Google); should MS nail WM7, 2011 could have alot of competition in the mobile space. Google need some killer application built into Android - like Google Goggles (but i beleive thats an app in Android Market, rather than integrated into the OS).

[McPhee]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by this.

 

Windows Mobile always had the problem where software developers were having to cover up to a dozen different display resolutions and countless different hardware set-ups. It made developing for the whole community awkward and you would regularly see programs only made for specific devices, hardware set-ups or resolutions. The same problem can be seen with Android. Before the release of the Droid and Android 2.0 there was one handset that had real issues with Market software, the HTC Tattoo. It was running a QVGA display, and very few bits of Android software supported that resolution at the time (I don't know if the situation has changed). Looking ahead it won't be the end of Android's problems. There's software heading to the market that won't run on the older devices (even if they get the 2.0 or 2.1 updates) because of hardware incompatibility and manufacturers are continuing to use whatever resolutions/hardware set-ups they feel like.

 

Both Microsoft and Nokia have suffered from this problem in the past. Nokia chose to fracture the Symbian Foundation and keep their own devices separate from everyone else's (almost killing Symbian off in the process). Microsoft's solution is to spec Windows Phones themselves from now on, meaning that outside of cosmetics and branding there will only be a few different models of Windows Phone. I'm wondering what Google's solution will be?

 

Android is a great OS but I do think Google have a lot of work to do and they really need to get a move on. They've pretty much had free reign this past year, with Nokia and Microsoft temporarily out of the picture, Palm struggling to shift handsets and Apple releasing a bit of a lacklustre update in the 3GS. By the time 2010 ticks by though they really need to have Android sorted out. They need to add incentives for developers to build applications for it and remove the current crappy (from the developer's point of view) T&Cs. They need a proper media experience, including some form of syncing software. And most of all they need to polish the OS and make it look snazzy. Android 2.1 seems to have taken steps in the right direction, it's all a matter of time (and how long it takes them to sort it out).

[Ten10]

Well this has just knocked the palm pre off my shopping list. Now its between an Android powered Motoroi or a windows phone series 7.

 

Will probably come down to whoever launches first. My D600 is dying and is starting to show its age.

[RoadKill]

For anyone with experience of previous Windows Mobile devices, Windows Phone 7 has nothing to do with them, and cannot run old programs from older versions

[That Guy]

I've just watched a demo of the new OS. I have to say, I'm quite impressed with it. I think aspects of it look a bit odd, like the huge titles and stuff, but some features look really cool.

It made me even more interested to see what Apple is going to do with iPhone 4.0. I think recent OS's have caught up to them now, I hope they can do something new and exciting.

[david.dakota]

I've just watched a demo of the new OS. I have to say, I'm quite impressed with it. I think aspects of it look a bit odd, like the huge titles and stuff, but some features look really cool.

It made me even more interested to see what Apple is going to do with iPhone 4.0. I think recent OS's have caught up to them now, I hope they can do something new and exciting.

 

Its possible Apple will overhaul the OS and UI, but I don't see it happening personally. The icon grid is just synonymous with Apple now. I beleive 4.0 may have some crazy tech going on, but it'll look and feel like an iPhone.

 

I think recent OS's have caught up to them now

 

Thats pretty subjective though. I far prefer the OS/UI of Android - its flashier, its sexy. The iPhone OS is more of a clean, simple look (definately what Microsoft are apeing with WP7).

[That Guy]

Its possible Apple will overhaul the OS and UI, but I don't see it happening personally. The icon grid is just synonymous with Apple now. I beleive 4.0 may have some crazy tech going on, but it'll look and feel like an iPhone.

 

 

 

Thats pretty subjective though. I far prefer the OS/UI of Android - its flashier, its sexy. The iPhone OS is more of a clean, simple look (definately what Microsoft are apeing with WP7).

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm still an iPhone fan, and I'll be getting the next iPhone for sure. I don't think they need to completely overhaul it, I just think there are certain features they need to add, some form of multitasking being the main one. I don't need full multitasking, but I do need a way to reply to text messages without leaving an app, and apps like Skype or Spotify need to have the option to run when not open.

 

There should be better ways to organise my Photo's as well, I don't think it's too much to ask to be able to create folders on the phone without having to use iPhoto all the time. I also don't see the need for a Photo app, and MobileMe gallery app. Surely the Photo app should be able to handle both.

Edited February 21, 2010 by That Guy

[david.dakota]

I'm just not a huge fan of the iPhone, iPod Touch etc. I find it really quite boring navigating the iPhone, tedious infact (Lindsey, my partner has one, as do a fair few work colleagues). Don't get me wrong, its a stylish powerful piece of kit, obviously has benefits to those with other Apple products but the interface is just not me.

Its not that i'm anti-Apple either, since I want an Apple TV; but the iPhone just lacks a pazzazz.

 

At the end of the day though, its all personal preference.

 

It will be interesting to see how Mircrosoft do with their new OS though... they've a pretty big market to tap into with Zune and 360; could be interesting.

[Ten10]

[That Guy]

I thought that ad was going to be 'The phone is so good you can't put it down'. But no. It's the phone that's designed to be used less...

 

Aside from that ad, I still think it looks pretty good. I think they've come up with some genuinely good ideas, and although I think it looks weird in spots, and they are missing some features right now, I think it looks really promising.

[Ten10]

I'd have to try it out for myself before I'm sold on it. I'd probably end up picking one up as a dev phone at some point down the road. But I think for most on this forum it's just apples and androids.

[That Guy]

I won't be getting one as I have an iPhone that I'm extremely happy with.

 

But I can appreciate what they are doing, and in some cases they're doing them better than Apple. Notifications for instance. A decent lock screen as well.

[Charlie]

I won't be getting one as I have an iPhone that I'm extremely happy with.

 

But I can appreciate what they are doing, and in some cases they're doing them better than Apple. Notifications for instance. A decent lock screen as well.

 

Yeah, I can't believe that iOS still doesn't have a decent lock screen. It's a basic feature of a smartphone these days.

[McPhee]

I'm still on the fence. Will be until I see a list of launch apps and those that will hit the platform soon. There's a few apps that I don't want to do without and if they're not there it's going to put me off buying in to the platform until they arrive (none are games, mostly just apps for when I'm out and about).

[That Guy]

Yeah, I can't believe that iOS still doesn't have a decent lock screen. It's a basic feature of a smartphone these days.

 

Yeah, I agree. I assume they just thought multitasking was a more important issue to work on this time.

I'm more concerned with notifications really. I just think every smartphone OS is doing it better than Apple right now, and it's extremely annoying to be reading a news story and have a notification pop in front of you and interrupt you.

I'm far more concerned with that, than seeing a calendar appointment and how much mail I have. These can be easily checked by unlocking the phone.

[Ten10]

Well I think Microsoft have focused on simplicity as I suppose they think it worked for apple so it will work for them.

[McPhee]

Got my HTC Trophy yesterday. Really like it! Working on a proper review now and I'll post it here when I'm done.

[That Guy]

Look forward to hearing your thoughts on it. Think Windows Phone 7 looks really good, but with a few concerning issues for me.

[heroicjanitor]

This just gives more choice, but also means I have to think more... Android, iphone or windows phone... I've heard windows phone is easy to use but a bit dated compared to android, which is currently the best one in my eyes. If the playstation phone is a decent price and is good that will probably win, so hopefully they decide to make my life easier.

[McPhee]

Not had any time to write a proper review, so here's a quick summary:

 

Set-up - easy but prone to problems. The idea is that you just type in your Live ID and password (and your Facebook ID and password) and your good to go. If you're new to Windows Live and Xbox Live it's dead easy/simple. If you have everything on one account and ready to go - again, simple. the problems start if you have multiple IDs, for example Xbox Live and Windows Live under different email addresses. I wound up with a new gamertag and had to jump through hoops to switch it with my actual gamertag.

 

UI - really fluid, well laid out and touch response is fantastic. Overall best in class I'd say. A few things have taken a bit of getting used to, like using the Search button to search the web instead of going in to the browser. The back button was an odd one too, wasn't expecting it to work like it does. Basically it takes you back a step in the OS rather than back a step in the app you're using. If you exit the browser then hop back in via the IE icon and hit back it doesn't go to the last web page, it goes back to the Start screen instead. It took a while for my mind to adjust to that way of thinking but now I've got the hang of it I really like it, makes switching between tasks really quick.

 

Games - very different from the iPhone. I'm divided really. Price is really poor for the most part, with some developers really taking the piss (Flight Control is on "sale" at £2.49 yet the iPhone version is only 59p) but others have created titles good enough to justify the money. Microsoft Game Studios seems to be the big ace in the hole so far, they've created some really cracking games that will be exclusive to WP7. So far I've not been stuck for choice, there's everything from short pick-up-and-play puzzle games to titles that wouldn't be out of place on a handheld console. Trials are a nice feature too, avoided a couple of bloopers already.

 

Apps - a work in progress. There's some really slick stuff on the marketplace and almost everything I want is covered already. All I'm missing from the iPhone is Urbanspoon, Time Out: London and National Rail. There is a rail app out but at a fiver I'm waiting for them to add a few more features.

 

Media - Nothing that radical here. Just a standard music/video app with the Metro UI seen in the rest if the OS. Zune Pass is excellent though, downloaded quite a lot so far and streaming works well. Music selection doesn't seem quite up to Spotify's standards, there's a few things I've not been able to find, but overall I prefer it. Spotify was always too playlist-focused for me, it's good to get back to downloading albums.

 

Pictures - You can set WP7 handsets to auto-upload to Skydrive and Facebook. A really neat feature, but I turned the Facebook posting off because it posts literally every photo to Facebook automatically (meaning if the first attempt is crap it still gets uploaded). I still send everything to Skydrive though and Posting to Facebook only requires one button to be pushed. Photos come back the other way too, in the gallery you get every photo on the phone and on your Skydrive and Facebook accounts. The phone pulls down thumbnails of all the photos and downloads the full pic when you select it.

 

I'm sure there's plenty of stuff I've not touched upon there, but itll have to do for now. Overall I'm happy with the OS. It's a step up over iOS and feels much more polished than Android (which always left me with an awkward Windows Mobile-like feeling). Theres plenty been said about lack of copy & paste and multitasking, but to be honest it hasn't caused me any issues. Lack of multitasking in iOS never bothered me much (I just wanted to listen to music over Spotify while using the browser) and after that feature arrived I very rarely made use of it on the iPhone. Copy & Paste isn't as much of an issue as I thought it would be either. You can still select text in the browser then perform a search on the highlighted terms, which is 99% of what I use C&P for anyway. As a wrap-up, there's definitely now a third player on the mobile phone scene. WP7 does a lot of things right, a lot of things different and a lot of things better than any other OS on the Market right now. It's got some catching up to do, but its definitely well in the race.

 

The hardware is a different story. The Trophy is going back, I'm giving Vodafone a call tomorrow and asking for a replacement. It's an alright handset, but HTC haven't done the best job of putting it together. There's a noticeable air gap between the glass and the screen beneath, causing cloudy looking patches to appear on the glass. The LED under the Windows key isn't properly aligned either, it's too low down causing an odd looking gradient of light on the button. From what I've read, these are common issues with the handset so I'm not sure what I'll do next. The LG Optimus 7 is a possibility but I had a play with one at the weekend and it didn't feel right in the hand. After my week with the Trophy I know I want to stick with WP7 for a while, so I might see if I can get a replacement with a decent value then sell it on to fund a Dell Venue Pro.

 

Oh, and of course, any questions?

Edited November 7, 2010 by McPhee
Automerged Doublepost

[Pit-Jr]

But is it better than WebOS?