Windows Phone 7

‘The Underdog’

Windows Phone 7 is the newest iteration from the Redmond Valley (Microsoft, who are trying to increase their market share). They have come up with absolutely new and fresh interface while also changing the framework from the previous versions, a la Windows Mobile 6.5. This new yet inspiring interface does have some very innovative design as well as functional features while incorporating gestures into it. 

I have not used a Windows Phone 7 on a personal mobile device yet have gathered enough experience to comment about it and state my feelings and opinions.

WP7 is relatively very new in the industry but that is its advantage (of being new). Regardless of the numbers, WP7 is one of our favorite mobile platforms, outshining Android and iOS in many aspects. Here are some of them.

Streamlined User Interface

Android’s are different depending on the SKU of the handset (mobile phone manufacturer). In other words, the UI you’ll be dealing with when using, for example, a Motorola device, will be radically different than one from HTC or Samsung. With WP7 this fragmentation is avoided and the interface experience is universal amongst all WP7 mobile devices. We’d imagine that an un-tweaked user interface would also make lives easier for developers, as well. We love some Android user interfaces or iOS interfaces, but loathe others. With WP7, at least you know what user interface to expect, regardless of the handset maker.

WP7 Has An Easier-To-Use Interface

It really does. And look, we get it. An Android is a power user’s phone, and we know that if you’re really looking for power-use, you’ve got to be willing to learn some things. But we’re the geeky minority here, and you’ve got to keep in mind that most people are looking for a phone that makes it easiest to do their day-to-day tasks. Keeping that in mind, WP7’s “tile” system or commonly, Metro-UI, is simply easier to organize and find the things you need to throughout the day. It looks cooler too.!

WP7 Has Apps That Aren’t Crap

Open-source is good, and it’s a compelling reason to support Android as a mobile platform, but there are a lot of shitty apps on the market that even don’t even deserve to be there. You’ve got to sift through some real $#@t in the Android Marketplace to find apps that are worth downloading, much less buying. Also to add to Android’s woes almost anybody can publish an app without any review system that might block under perfoming /under developed apps to be published.

Most people fail to realize that the Windows Mobile SDK has been around for quite some time now, and it shows in the Marketplace, especially on the gaming side of the spectrum. Many of the games we played featured awesome 3D graphics and a level of polish simply not (yet)-to-be-found in the Android hemisphere. Microsoft has a far stricter criteria set than Google about which apps and games can populate their respective marketplace.

Microsoft LIVE Integration Is Bad Ass

If you’re achievement junkies or participate in online games and such, then a WP7 handset is a must-have. If you have a game on Xbox or PC that you love playing, pop over to the Windows app store and  chances are there’s a mobile version of that same game, where you can continue earning points and unlocking achievements with your handset. You can also keep tabs on your buddies’ achievements, and tweak and enhance your Xbox Live avatar. Granted, this integration is still in an infancy stage, but we’d be willing to bet that we’ll be seeing deeper and more intuitive connections between gaming and phones in the near-future. Forward progress is good progress. This kind of system or UI has been mimicked from the Sony PlayStation platform where they promote such multi device gameplay. 

Microsoft Mobile Office Integration

This is where it gets even a better. For a general user Microsoft Office is synonymous with any document related work. A very few of the PC-users opt for other softwares (Open-Office etc.). So WP7 has one of the best, or maybe the best mobile document editor ever. Period. Microsoft Word Mobile Edition is actually a very intuitive little program, allowing you remote access documents using SharePoint Server 2010, you can use the “find” tool to look for particular words or phrases, and you can even email documents directly from the program.

I’ve had the pleasure of testing some Android phones that can dock with workstations to function as a laptop; imagine how crazy it would be if Windows launched a similar product with a full-fledged Office Suite. That’d be one step closer to a true fusion between phones and computers, and we’re all for that.

Microsoft Isn’t Constantly Getting Sued by Apple

Whether targeting HTC a year ago or Motorola last year or even Samsung (which is remarkable seeing how they are a flat out key supplier of Apple’s hardware components!) just a few weeks ago, Apple has been regularly suing the hell out of Android handset makers; mostly in regards to hardware and software patents. So why is Apple seemingly ignoring WP7 in the courts? Well, there could be numerous reasons:
Optimistically, it could be because the software and hardware developments on WP7 are truly original and innovative, meaning Apple can’t accuse Microsoft of lifting their ideas. A more realistic reasoning? Apple doesn’t see WP7 as that big of a threat…yet.

Apart from that Microsoft has patents that make all Android device manufacturers to pay certain sum per each device sold in market. Plus one at that.!

Stability

This is speaking from personal experience with various handsets across both platforms, but to put it simply, WP7 has just been a more stable experience. Apps simply run the way they were meant to with far less of the hiccups and crashes found on the Android platform (Because of very strict regulations and publishing procedures). This runs parallel with the overall theme behind WP7 mobile devices: Simplicity. Granted, WP7 had to forgo some of the more complex actions Androids are capable of (i.e. lack of tethering support, lack of ability to capture screenshots, no multi-tasking but not every user uses such features).

Zune is a Native Client, and it’s Not Pay-Per-Song

Zune as a service—you pay a monthly fee and can download as many songs as you want, as opposed to being pigeonholed into paying per song, like with Apple and Android. Also, the fact that Zune is a native client that comes fresh out-the-box with WP7—setting up music services on an Android involves downloading various apps (like Google Music, which then has to sync to your Google Wallet, which then has to sync to your Google Music Server … well, you get the point) that is just sort of a hassle, and glitchy to boot. Again, simplicity reigns supreme.

Snappier Keyboard

Windows Phone 7 has a snappier, and more importantly, a more consistent stock keyboard that is snappy and accurate, regardless of the device.( Though on Android you could download better paid apps for keyboard from the market but I am talking about Stock. It matters.)

No Ad-Ware!

That’s right, you will never find a pop up ad, whether you’re in the Windows Marketplace, or playing a game. There is nothing more irritating when using an Android that having to manually close pop-up ads, many of which appear mid game and also cannot be closed. There are, indeed, advantages to more stringent app restrictions, and WP7 seems to have found a perfect balance.

Conclusion

Though WP7 is new, has relatively less features, less apps on the market but its stable, simple and intuitive. Its greatest strengths are Simplicity and Integration of all services into one place. Those features work very well for a mobile platform. Theres lot to go and WP7 will see its Mango Tango and Apollo versions which have a lot in offer.

What do you think.? Voice your opinions and comment.

Adios.

HellRa1SeR