Windows Phone 7: Would It Be Android Or iOS Killer?

Windows Phone 7, the major release mobile phone OS develop by Microsoft which release this October 2010. As the successor of Windows Phone 6.5.2, WIndows 7 offer many new features and nice Graphical User Interface (GUI). As Microsoft’s goal, Windows 7 is to create a compelling user experience by redesigning the user interface, integrating the operating system with other services, and strictly controlling the hardware it runs on.

Windows 7 features and updates

1. User interface
Windows Phone features a completely new and unique user interface, based upon Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 design system, codenamed Metro. Windows Phone 7 is connected in the same sense as Palm’s webOS and Android, with live, real-time data seamlessly integrated, though it’s even smoother and more natural. Live tiles on the Start screen, which you can totally customize, are updated dynamically with fresh content, like weather, or if you’ve pinned a person to your Start screen, their latest status updates and photos. Windows Phone 7 will use multi-touch technology.

2. Text input
Users input text by using an on-screen virtual keyboard, which has a dedicated key for inserting emoticons. Spell checking and word prediction are supported, and users may change a word after it has been typed by tapping the word; similar words that may have been the word the user was trying to type will then be suggested as alternatives. This features more like an iPhone in my opinion.

3. Web browser
Windows Phone 7 will use Internet Explorer Mobile as default web browser. The engine of this Internet Explorer would be the same as IE7 and IE8. This Internet Explorer mobile will support multi-touch gestures, a streamlined UI, smooth zoom in/out animations, the ability to save pictures that are on web pages, share web pages via email, and support for inline search which allows the user to search for a word or phrase in a web page by typing it.

4. Multimedia
Windows Phone 7 multimedia similar with Zune HD, Music + Video supports music, videos, and podcasts, and integrates the Zune Marketplace. And in my opinions this features more likely an iTunes in iOS.

5. Games
Yes, this is the most interesting feature for me. Windows 7 support to play Xbox live on your mobile phone. Xbox Live on Windows Phone 7 will bring Console-like gaming experience to phones by displaying the user’s avatar in a 3D fashion. The user will be able to interact with the avatar, view gamerscore and leaderboards, message Xbox LIVE friends, and Spotlight. Multiplayer (turn-based) gaming with live multiplayer will be released after launch.

6. Search Engine
Windows phone 7 search function will use Bing search or Bing mobile as default search engine. And also Windows Phone 7 also has a voice recognition function, powered by TellMe, which allows the user to perform a Bing search, call contacts or launch applications by speaking.

7. Software updates
According to Microsoft documentation, software updates will be delivered to Windows Phone users via Microsoft Update, as is the case with other Windows operating systems. Users will be notified to attach their phones to a PC if such an update is required.

8. Applications
All WIndows Phone 7 Applications will be available on Windows Phone Marketplace.

Summary:
Windows Phone 7 Series brings together a bunch of different Microsoft services like Zune, Xbox, Bing. Which actually good and also offer an nice GUI. But this actually reinventing the wheel of iPhone and Android features. Is it too late for Microsoft to launch Windows phone 7? So Will Windows phone 7 will make Microsoft back to Mobile phone market?