What to expect from Windows Phone 7

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With the launch of Windows Phone 6.5 looming, phone addicts are already looking towards Microsoft’s next release, Windows Phone 7.

Although there are few details available about what improvements we’ll see with Windows Phone 7 - also known as Windows Mobile 7 - it has been hinted that the operating system will be aimed more at the consumer market, although Windows’ traditional business credentials will still remain under the surface.

Analysts and journalists alike are sparking rumours that Windows Phone 7 will be built from the bottom up, redefining where Microsoft stands in the smartphone space - after previously being dubbed as antiquated and quirky.

Other pros in the mobile field are predicting that two platforms will co-exist with 6.5 being a budget OS that will take on Android devices and Windows Phone 7 being a premium version that will take on the iPhone.

Just last week, Hand Huang, Chinese senior engineer at Motorola reported on his LinkedIn profile that he has seen a Beta version of Windows Phone 7, and it is expected to be released to manufacturers in April next year.

However, rumours suggest that October 2010 will be when we’ll start to see devices appearing that run on Windows Phone 7.

What Microsoft says

James McCarthy, Microsoft's business marketing manager, said: “Steve Ballmer has mentioned publicly that Windows Mobile 7 is slated for release in 2010 and we’re always working with our key OEM and operator partners on future products, although we have nothing formal to announce for now.”

However, McCarthy did give us a hint about what Microsoft is working towards.

“In the future, we are looking to deepen our development work with a handful of key OEMs at the hardware design phase, with much more carefully defined hardware specifications to match software requirements, which in turn will deliver even more powerful mobile experiences for our customers.

“This has led to this chassis’ concept that is familiar to the work Microsoft does with hardware partners in the PC industry to create high quality products.”

So Microsoft will not be creating its own smartphone using Windows Phone 7, but will work more closely with OEMs such as HTC and Acer to create the hardware that will incorporate Windows Phone 7 as a key factor in the phone’s design.

Hardware and interface

So what specifics can we expect in terms of hardware?

Microsoft has always introduced its higher-end devices as touchscreen handsets, so it’s a fair guess to say that handsets using the new OS will feature a touchscreen.

As the devices in the range will be flagship handsets, it’s likely they will incorporate the more responsive capacitive screen as seen on the Apple iPhone.

Windows doesn’t currently have support for a capacitive screen, and the company has admitted that it’s behind the market, especially when it comes to the consumer smartphone end.

With its recent steps to capture this market and ensure its customers only have one device rather than two - such as a business and a personal phone - it’s reasonable to suggest that Microsoft will also include improved multimedia features.

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