Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) new operating-system update for its Windows Phone 7 Series handsets brings together its Zune music service, Xbox Live gaming platform and a suite of social networking and Web services. Microsoft’s message with its OS upheaval, announced at a Mobile World Congress press conference this week, is that it has learned from the mistakes of the uninspiring Windows Mobile 6.5, and it’s ready to really take on its biggest competitors, Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Part of Microsoft’s strategy to be on par with Android and Apple was to build a more consumer-focused OS, but one that doesn’t copycat the iPhone OS. With the 7 Series, Microsoft promised an improved user interface, better integration with applications and a rich Web-browsing experience. All WinMo 7 handsets will also include what Microsoft calls “live tiles” on the start screen, featuring real-time content based on the user’s choosing. They could include contacts, social networks and one-click access to location-enhanced Bing search services.
The phones will also be built around a series of hubs that integrate related content from the Web, apps and services. Microsoft identified six hubs that each 7 Series phone will feature:
- Games: Microsoft Xbox Live and Xbox Live Marketplace integration
- Marketplace: Microsoft’s Windows Marketplace for Mobile app store
- Music + Video: Zune media player content, online music services and built-in FM radio
- People: social networks and photos, including Facebook and Windows Live
- Pictures: central location for photo and video sharing and uploading
- Office: productivity tools, including OneNote, Microsoft Office and SharePoint Workspace
There’s a lot of pressure on Microsoft to get it right with the Windows Phone 7 Series. It no longer has strong brand cache to fall back on and was in need of a UI and consumer experience that would really up the ante. The company has lost market share as it’s fallen out of favor with handset makers, developers and even mobile operators, who typically appreciated WinMo’s variety. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer acknowledged this need for a real makeover during the company’s press conference, and so far, initial reactions to the 7 Series appear to be positive.
The first phones running WinMo 7 will be available by the holiday season this year. Microsoft said it already has commitments to use Windows Phone 7 from most major manufacturers, including Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson and HTC. On the mobile operator front, AT&T, Orange, T-Mobile, Telefonica, Sprint, Vodafone, SFR, Verizon Wireless, Telstra and Telecom Italia are all on board. Ballmer said Microsoft will work particularly closely with AT&T and Orange, its “premier partners.”
I t may reinvigorate it, IF it loses windows 7 and put in xp lol