Windows Phone Seven Series

Single Stop Hubs

The need for individual apps for every service you use has been replaced by these intuitive hubs, meaning you spend less time finding and extracting data from your phone, and more time getting on with your life.

That said there are a good number of apps in the Marketplace, and this is growing daily. The support and services for app developers has made developing for Windows Phone 7 a pleasure, with the free development tools available to download direct from Microsoft, and a whole host of forums and support available.

Delightful Development

Microsoft was eager to quickly grow the number apps available as this was a big issue for users and developers alike. Smartphone users are used to downloading apps for their favourite activities, with many now in the habit of using a particular app before making a decision – whether that is a weather app, a quick update on the stock markets or checking out the evening film on IMDB.

It seems that this has been a success with 2000 apps available within the first few weeks of the marketplace opening.

The Windows Phone Seven Series has a modern, clean interface. The square corners, clear typeface and simple swipe movements mark this phone as out as modern. Compared with its app-centric, rounded-cornered contemporaries it makes them look old fashioned, and the clear, simple colour schemes help it keep a sense of style.

Works Hard, Plays Hard

As a Microsoft product, we expect all the Office, Exchange and SharePoint integration, and it is seamless as expected. Microsoft are not just catering for their dedicated business users, however, as this phone is just as happy to sync with your Gmail accounts, Google Calendars and Windows Live accounts. This phone bridges the gap between work and play, as it is equally valid as both a business and a leisure device.

In terms of the smartphone market, Windows Phone 7 really could be a game changer. The smartphone has been around for a good 3 years in its current format (if you look at the iPhone it hasn’t really changed all that much in appearance), and the Metro UI design of Windows Phone 7 is something fresh and refreshing.

Fresh and Refreshing

The smartphone concept is a clear winner, as it has now become commonplace for people to check their email, update Facebook and search Google when on the move. It’s not just about choice, it’s about expectations that phones are now also multimedia devices. The question is not ‘can you’ watch YouTube videos on your phone, but ‘how good is your display’, with the increased smartphone functionality being taken for granted.