War raged amongst mobile operating systems with mobile users being split against the i-OS and the uprising Android. These 2 new contenders in the smartphone market has ripped the customer base totally off the seasoned players in the mobile market like Symbain (Nokia) and Windows mobile OS. Even the notorious Blackberry that was once the only choice for a business executive also lost quite a chunk of sales.

When we all thought that the Windows mobile platform was going to be buried and kiss good bye to the smartphone market. Microsoft simply refuses to give up without putting up a fight. They unveiled the newest revamped Windows mobile operating system, and they called it WP7 (Windows Phone 7).  This operating system is written totally from scratch which means you will not be expecting problems from a revamped old Windows mobile 6.1 platform.

In order to challenge iPhone and Android when it comes to performance and features, they conducted their own series of 185 tests ranging from screen, functionality, multimedia, touch and accelerometer sensitivity. They also lay down a fix rule for hardware requirements in order to run Windows Phone 7 which is 8 Gig of memory, 4 point multi-touch capacitive touch screen and five sensors comprising Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS). This basis requirement is so that the user can get a very uniformed experience no matter which make and model they buy.

Software wise, Microsoft has promised that any app or program written for WP7 device will run smoothly on any WP7 phone regardless of brand. It has also included a mobile Office suite, Xbox Live and Zune entertainment platform.



As of now, most WP7 models are rectangular candy bars. Interface wise, the icons are made up of large titles per screen. One screen will have around 8 square titles with each tile one app or feature. You will reveal more apps when you scroll down, you will see items like Internet Explorer, Xbox Live and Calendar etc. Touch and hold down any title will give you the option to removing it from the home page. Scroll and flick to the right, you will reveal a full list of the phone’s installed programs and apps. Holding the app down will pin it to the home page automatically. You can also pin a friend’s contact to the home page if you need to call someone all the time.

The Windows Phone 7 has a similar Apple’s “iTunes” concept called Zune. When you connect your phone to the PC, it will automatically identify your music and video folders. Adding music and movie to your phone is a drag and drop affair. There is also a Zune Marketplace for users to buy music just like the iTunes store.

Overall, the new Windows mobile operating system packs in even more features that are not available in other platforms yet. Namely they are those programs or applications are only restricted to Microsoft, like Office and Xbox Live. The only thing that about Microsoft’s platform is that they are always more demanding when it comes to hardware specs compared to other phones. This will dash hopes of many Windows mobile users wanting to upgrade their system to the new OS.