Over the course of its life, Windows Mobile has been one of the most maligned operating systems to appear on mobile phones; according to some commentators, it has been unfairly maligned, as it has been used to power some incredible smartphones, the highlight undoubtedly being the HTC HD2.
However, Microsoft clearly agreed that something entirely new was needed for the latest version of their mobile OS, and as such, they are soon to unleash Windows Phone 7 onto the market.
Even from the first unveiling of the new OS, it was clear that Windows Phone 7 is unlike any other platform on the market. The first feature that sets Windows Phone 7 apart is undoubtedly its interface, which will instantly appear familiar to anyone who has used a Zune media player. This ‘Metro’ UI is both simple and elegant, using a series of ‘hubs’, where key features are grouped together.
For example, one of the key benefits of Windows Phone 7 is the Office Hub, which pulls together the various elements of Microsoft’s Mobile Office suite, to create one, central place for doing work on the phone. In a similar vein, the Music Hub pulls together the music player and Microsoft’s Zune Pass music store, wrapping the whole package in a tastefully designed and simple to use interface.
However, perhaps the most exciting feature of Windows Phone 7 is the Games Hub, and the simple reason for this is that the Games Hub is fully integrated with Microsoft’s Xbox Live service, famous from their Xbox 360 consoles. In this way, a Windows Phone 7 handset can be linked with an Xbox, using the same Live account for both, and at launch, that will allow such neat features as turn-by-turn multiplayer games, and of course, full 3D games on the phone (including games which are designed using Microsoft’s XNA development kit, which has been used to craft some truly stunning Live Arcade games on the consoles).
However, those features are what will be exciting about Xbox Live on a mobile phone at launch; in future, the service is set to include a lot of extra features, far beyond anything seen in any other phone’s gaming offerings. For example, Windows Phone 7 handsets will be able to play real-time multiplayer games (with a Gold Xbox Live account), not just with other Windows Phone 7 users, but with users on Xbox 360 and PC. Thanks to Windows Phone 7, cross-platform multiplayer gaming will soon be a reality.
In short, it is hard to see how Windows Phone 7 can be anything but a roaring success. The new OS is powerful and intuitive, and it offers features users simply cannot get elsewhere; as such, it is difficult to see any way that it could possibly fail.
By the end of 2010, after years of being maligned by iPhone and Android users, Windows Phone are about to re-enter the mobile world, with a vengeance.