Windows Phone 7

One of the most anticipated developments in recent months is Windows Phone 7, MicroSoft’s challenger in the highly-competitive mobile operating system wars. WP7 will no doubt have a hard time ahead, what with the sheer popularity of the Apple iPhone with its iOS and the hordes of devices equipped with Google’s Android OS (both of which we’ve already discussed in previous posts).

Windows Phone 7 will debut in October this year, and last week the final release version has already reached manufacturers. This means users will have WP7 phones in the palms of their hands in no time.

Among Windows Phone 7’s most notable characteristics is its high demand for top-tier specifications. These are hardware requirements that MicroSoft has given the manufacturers who wish to run the OS. The minimum requirements are, in no particular order:

-          a 1 GHz ARM v7 Cortex or Scorpion processor

-          at least 8 GB of Flash memory and 256 MB of RAM

-          a 5-megapixel camera (with flash)

-          capacitive multitouch screen with at least WVGA (800×480) resolution

-          hardware buttons on the unit with dedicated WP7 functions: Start, back, search, camera, volume up and down, and power/sleep

Those requirements meant that there would be basically no possible upgrades for those who bought phones fitted with the Windows Mobile OS. This is especially true because of the requirement of hardware buttons on the unit itself.

Many have praised the OS for its unique take on the user interface, an area that companies and consumers really put a premium on. There are also praises for the OS’s virtual keyboard design.

There are, however, a number of features that will be missing in the initial release version—something that consumers need to know before jumping right onto the bandwagon. These are copy & paste, limited multitasking, electronic compass (even though it was required of manufacturers), and the lack of browser support for HTML5, Flash, and Silverlight, among others.

MicroSoft has spent a lot of time making sure the UI and user experience are more than satisfactory. Still, it remains to be seen how this newcomer will hold up against the established heavyweights. We’ll get back to you in a month or two, right when WP7 phones make landfall in retailers around the globe. Watch out for that!