Photo: Microsoft

The Mobile World Conference is well and truly under way and the rumoured Windows Mobile 7 operating system has been confirmed. Abandoning the ‘Windows Mobile’ moniker, the official name is now Windows Phone Series 7. Other than changing the platform’s name, Microsoft has overhauled the entire product. This new mobile operating system uses completely new code and a refreshing interface akin to that found in Zune.

Unlike Microsoft

Photo: Microsoft

One cannot emphasise enough how much of a departure this platform is from Windows Mobile 6.5. Gone is the desktop-mimicking start button, replaced by an entirely new interface with customisable tiles that behave as a launching pad for the user’s favourite functions. The interface resembles the Zune HD’s, with large clickable icons that mean the outdated stylus can now be tossed for good. The marvel is that for a company of Microsoft’s size that has become known for slight improvements on their products rather than revolutionising them, the Windows Phone 7 Series is as astounding as it is unexpected.

Functions and specifications

Photo: Microsoft

The mobile operating system is heavily focused on social networking and integrates with Microsoft’s other platforms, namely Zune and Xbox Live. Zune’s interface will be a direct port for the stand-alone players, while Live will provide profiles, avatars and Live games.

Microsoft has also abandoned its strategy of allowing various carriers to modify the interface as they see fit. Additionally, the company has stringent specifications on screen resolution, processing speed, memory, button layout and other handset requirements. What these two measures mean is that, regardless of handset manufacturer, the Windows Phone Series 7 will look and behave the same on all devices and, in addition, will have equal performance capabilities across all mobile devices. This will allow Microsoft to both avoid the fragmentation of its platform, as well as create an app store with applications supported across devices.

Manufacturer and carrier partnerships

Dell, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba, Qualcomm, Garmin-Asus, HP, LG and HTC are confirmed to support the Windows Phone Series 7. Samsung, who have their own operating system, Bada, in the pipeline, and HTC, who’ve indicated they intend on increasingly supporting Android OS in lieu of the Windows Phone 7 Series, are in precarious positions now that Microsoft’s operating systems have arrived, so to speak.

From a carrier perspective, AT&T will be the premiere carrier in the US, with Orange being the premiere carrier in Europe. T-Mobile, Telefonika, Sprint, Verizon and SFR have also been confirmed as carrier partners.

Microsoft rolls a 7

Photo: Apple

This was billed by all as Microsoft’s final roll of the dice in the mobile operating system market, and the Redmond-based company rolled lucky number 7. The tech press, if the reaction of the audience in the press conference is anything to go by, hotly anticipates the Windows Phone Series 7. Scheduled to launch in the 2010 holiday season – that’s around November – this latest mobile operating system appears to be a worthy contender for iPhone OS and Android both. It may take a while still for the disbelief to dissipate, but Microsoft have risen to the call to get with the times by seemingly leapfrogging everybody else altogether.

Photo: Microsoft

Windows Mobile, one of the first true mobile operating systems, has languished in the smartphone wars against Google’s Android and Apple’s iPhone OS. Microsoft is set to pull the curtains back on its latest – and possibly final – mobile operating system soon.

Shrinking support

Photo: HTC

Windows Mobile is severely underpowered compared to Google and Apple’s offerings. With highly unresponsive touch interfaces that, for the most part, still require the outdated use of a stylus to operate effectively, users and manufacturers alike have jumped platforms. HTC, for the first time in its history, shipped more Android smartphones than they did Windows Mobile. This bears significance for Microsoft, since HTC is the biggest manufacturer of Windows Mobile. In addition, HTC has stated (and indicated) that it intends to support Android more in future, so much so that the search giant approached them to build the first ever Google-branded phone, the Nexus One.

Turnaround strategy

Photo: Android

Microsoft attempted to stem the tide by releasing an update of its mobile operating system in the form of Windows Mobile 6.5 back in October 2009. While praised for its much-needed visual upgrade, the operating system was criticised for lacking contemporary touch responsiveness, still being visually bland compared to competitors, and for running slowly.

To this effect, Windows Mobile 7 could very well be Microsoft’s final roll of the dice in a smartphone market that is consolidating at a rapid pace. Nokia’s abandonment of Symbian for an alternate operating system is indicative that the mobile operating systems environment has changed significantly since Microsoft and Nokia were the only players in the game.

Desperate measures

So, come next week, Microsoft had better unveil technology more in line with contemporary expectations if it hopes to not get shut out of this lucrative market.