Microsoft unveiled what it hopes will be the saviour of its mobile phone and smartphone aspirations today. Having lagged some way behind both Apple and Google in the smartphone wars, Windows Phone 7 is effectively seen as being their last ditch attempt at entering the potentially lucrative market.
One of the biggest problems they’ve faced with previous incarnations of the Windows Phone operating system has been the hardware on which it features. Microsoft and its partners hope to change things this time round.
Unusually, Europe and Asia are getting a fairly major lead on the US with phones being released here on 21 October and not in the US until a couple of weeks later. All the phones have something of a Google Android ring about them but then we’re definitely not saying that’s a bad thing, even if it could be considered a bit of a safe bet. The UK is initially getting 5 different handsets.
There’s several different versions of the HTC 7 being released and the UK is getting the HTC 7 Mozart on Orange and the HTC 7 Trophy on Vodafone. The HTC HD7, which currently looks the pick of the bunch will be available on o2. It has a 4.3 inch display making it one of the bigger and with the kick stand on the rear it’s immediately obvious that this is the handset designed for anybody that likes to use their mobile for vieweing media and multimedia files.
Also on Orange is the Samsung Omnia 7 while Vodafone is also going to be carrying the LG Optimus 7.
While the phones may not be considered entirely groundbreaking like the release of the iPhone they look to be a very solid line of smartphones that may well help Microsoft re-enter the battlefield and at least gain a better footing on the marketplace.
