Windows Phone 7 Reviews

The first thing that strikes us about this Samsung is the super glossy screen and clarity of the display. It is described as having an 'edge to edge' screen, which initially made us wonder about the case (surely something so shiny needs a case? But it will obscure the screen!). But then we realised if we had a phone that looked this good we wouldnt be hiding it!

Seeming to have the minimum requirements for Windows Phone 7, this phone still has enough to be able to perform well at all the necessary tasks - chacking emails, updating Facebook, playing music, watching films and playing games.

In terms of style we feel that Samsung have embraced the glassy look of the iPhone 4 and made a boxier, crisper version which complements the Windows Phone 7 GUI.

This is a very different phone to the curvy Samsungs we are used to , and it's a new look which will look good in any scenario.

The HTC Mozart is a classy phone, and with 526MB RAM (equal to that of the iPhone 4) should be quick and responsive.

The 8 Megapixel camera means that you need never carry a seperate camera again. Having such a powerful camera makes the seperate camera button all the more valuable, helping you to never miss a special moment.

This phone should be one of the first to hit the shops in October, and looks set to be a hit among anyone moving from iPhone or Android, or upgrading from Windows Mobile 6.5. There are obvious similarities with the HD2, and the evolution of the phone is clear.

The Aluminium unibody makes this the ideal phone for the stylish business person, as it provides all you need from a smartphone in a simple, elegant design.

The HTC T8788 seems like a rather standard offering from HTC, with the basic spec catered for and few surprises.

The phone does come with one unexpected addtion however, in the form of a slide out speaker. Where most sliding features reveal keyboards, we found a source for sound - and there is even rumoured to be a kickstand on the back.

We expect our phones to play music through headphones, but the speaker makes us re-evaluate our phones again, as the shared nature of social media spreads to real life, where we will be able to share music with friends while out and about. This speaker would also make watching films and video clips more enjoyable, and sharable too!

This sets it apart as a multimedia phone in our eyes, and wouldn't be expecting to see this particular model at business meetings.

Dell finally make their smartphone debut, and what better than to use a whole new OS too in the form of Windows Phone 7. This new beast is a good competitor, with a huge 4.1" AMOLED screen, a 512MB processor (compared with 256MB on most models), and 8GB MicroSD storage.

This is a fast powerful phone, and again seems to be another good example of a dual purpose phone - being both suited to gaming, watching video, and leisure pursits, as well as being a perfectly valid business phone.

The Dell Lightning comprises a portrait slider keyboard, catering for those hard-core button pressers. With it portrait, it still may not be as accurate a tool as the C900, but welcome for any ex-Blackberry fan not yet ready to fully embrace the touch screen. 

We especially like the clean, simple design and robust glossy finish.

The slightly prettier cousin of the C900, the E900 has lost the hardware keyboard but doubled the memory up to a useful 16GB. The screen appears bright and could possibly be an AMOLED, leading us to believe that this is LG's Multimedia offering for Windows Phone 7.

With the large, 3.8" screen this phone looks ideal for watching videos or playing games, but also provides a clean crisp interface for reading emails or surfing the internet.

The ample 16GB memory is surely enough for most people to store their favourite albums for listening on the move, as well as movie or a few episodes of Friends.

The LG Optimus E900 also has voice-to-text, enabling you to write text messages, emails and even update Facebook on the go.

Despite the camera being the 5megapixel minimum, the LG E900 is capable of creating panoramic sweep shots, allowing you to join up multiple images to create a wide angled picture.

With DLNA certification, this phone positions itself as both a fun consumer toy, and a serious business tool.

This phone looks fun, funky and fresh - our only criticism is that it feels a little bit big.

Probably called the Pacific due to being a US only model. The decent sized hardware keyboard is this handset's real USP, as it is reminiscent of the 'pocket diaries' of the early 90's yet the smooth curves make it appear somewhat futuristic.

From images alone, it appears as though it could be rubberised in texture, making this a tough and durable solution for anyone needing to write more than a few sentences whilst out and about.

The LG C900 sports the larger, 3.5" screen, making it ideal for managing emails and looking at data. The screen would also be a nice size for watching films and video clips, although this phone strikes me as more of a business phone than a multimedia device - despite being capable of both. This phone seems to be LG's most corporate offering on the Windows Phone 7 platform.

The 8GB storage, although the standard minimum for WP7 devices, is more than enough for the average user.The DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) certification marks it as a phone for industry, as it is designed to work with other devices and follows strict guidelines for protecting copyrighted materials between devices.

The HTC 7 Trophy has been confirmed to be a Windows Phone 7 device, that is coming to Europe very soon.

The specs have been posted on the internet, and whilst conforming to the Minimum Spec for a Windows Phone 7 device in most respects it can boast a 16 million colour screen (TFT LCD).

Also, somewhat surprisingly, the device will come not only with Windows Phone 7 applications, but with various HTC Widgets. Previously it had been thought that all Windows Phone 7 devices would be shipped with exactly the same software and apps, with no manufacturer additions.

The full spec is availiable over at WMPowerUser.com where there are also a couple of leaked images, including the photo above.

Windows Phone 7 is set to reach shops soon, but what's the minimum spec we can expect from a phone running WP7?

Sources have confirmed the following to be the minimum specifications, which as you can see would make even the base models pretty decent phones.

2 screen sizes: 480×800 WVGA, 480×320 HVGA
Camera: 5 megapixels or more, Camera  with a flash and seperate camera button
Processor: ARMv7 Cortex/Scorpion or better
Memory: 256 MB, 8 GB Flash or more
GPU: DirectX 9 acceleration
Sensors: A-GPS, Accelerometer, Compass, Light, Proximity
Multimedia: Common detailed specs, Codec acceleration
Capacitive Touch: 4 or more contact points
Hardware Buttons: Must be fixed on the face
Keyboard: Optional

We especially like the separate camera button, so many times have we fiddled around with passcode locks, only to miss the occasion we wanted to take a snap of!

Mobile Phone displays have come a long way since the days when their biggest graphical challenge was for us to play Snake, and the display could now be a real factor in our choice of handset. With big manufacturers like Samsung serving both the Windows Phone and Android operating systems, Windows 7 out imminently and Android 3.0 around the corner, looks like the competition is really heating up.