Microsoft has used this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to release its Windows 7 Phone Series, the tech giant’s latest OS for mobile phones.
The new OS is a step away from applications and instead moves towards functions according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
“It’s all about the phone and how consumers react to the device,” he said in a press conference.
The new system follows the launch of WinMo 6.5 in late 2009, which was largely criticised for being out of date before it was launched.
The Windows 7 Phone Series is built around a range of ‘live tiles’, which display real time content from your chosen web sites and social networks in a Sony Ericsson Xperia-esque kind of way.
The tiles allow you to keep tabs on your mates’ status updates and on the latest cricket results at a glance of your screen.
The new interface also contains a series of six “hubs”, which compile related content from the web, applications and services, and appear as sliding walls navigated through a touch interface. The hubs include people, pictures, games, marketplace, music and office.
The music hub is integrated with Zune software while the games hub works with with Xbox Live allowing you to display your Xbox avatar and access multiplayer games and messages from the service.
Despite this ability to do a lot more with your phone than text your mum, Microsoft has been quick to assure it’s doing something different on the smartphone front.
“Phones looked like PCs, but a phone is not a PC, it’s smaller, more personal,” said Joe Belfiore, vice president for Windows Phone.
Microsoft has also promised that third parties will be able to create content for the hubs, tiles as well as further 7-Series applications
The first handsets to use the new operating system will be available later this year from big names including Samsung, LG, HTC and Sony Ericsson.
After the almost-good Windows Mobile 6.5 are you excited about the Windows 7 Phone Series? Leave us a comment and let us know.
Via Zath
2 thoughts on “MWC 2010: Microsoft Unveils Windows 7 for Mobiles”
From the touch screens to the zoom in/out…I still feel that Microsoft is playing catch up to Apple. I’m still waiting for them to take the leap and try something different and go from following to leading…
put me down for one !