Anyone here excited for WP7?
 

Title pretty much says it all. With the official release of Windows Phone 7 today I am curious if anyone is looking to buy one of the new devices?

Personally, I find the OS intriguing. There are obviously some draw backs I think (copy paste and multi-tasking) though I think it is the first really fresh update and take on a mobile OS since the original iOS was release and set the current standard for all the little icon apps.

I have a new iPhone 4 so I can't really say I am in the market, though I welcome M$ back to serious contender status in the mobile OS sphere and hope they help drive competition.

Well, no.
 

What is WP7?

Im just got a new 'Berry. Looking for my first Android phone or iPhone upgrade next. Not sure which of the two will be first. But my next phone will not be WP7. Or WP8 or 9 or, well, I suspect you get the drift ;)

Yes and no
 

Yes, it does look good, and different. No, I think Nokia's attempts at catchup with Apple/Android are looking better at this point (have my eyes on either the N8 or E7). Android? Well, before Nokia's catch up efforts started coming to fruition, I quite liked the HTC Desire.

I certainly do need an unlocked smart phone, for use with local SIMs when I'm out of the country and I can see Microsoft being a real contender, a year or so down the line.

Not really, but as you say competition is good.

The hardware looks nice - but the HD7 is a bit disappointing, as it is more an HD2 with WP7 on it. The Dell devices are probably the most exciting.

In the end, this will all succeed of fail based on software - without a few killer apps, this will become another WebOS.

Biggest loser here is going to be RIM - with good Exchange support on WP7, people won't have a reason to keep their Blackberries around much longer.

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WinMo has had good exchange support for years. What is different now?

I agree with everything here except the idea that this might be another WebOS. Microsoft has much more credibility and power than Palm at the time of WebOS launch, and are pushing the much wider slate of phones with more effective advertising and more compelling options. Even if garbage this will do better than WebOS.

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At least as well as the Microsoft Kin phones.

WebOs is a great OS however.

WP7...:rolleyes:

I don't have a lot of hope from MS.

Sure WebOS is decent - but I never said it wasn't. I said that a mobile OS will fail or succeed based on apps - and the assortment of apps for WebOS is dismal.

All webos needs is office app, and that is coming for real now, dataviz screwed it all up. Quickoffice is already on the way now. There are PLENTY other apps out there now, its growing quite nicely. Lots of fart apps too :rolleyes:

now webos needs a hardware boost as well, cam with focus would be great, because otherwise it is a good camera. There is a 1ghz version about to come out, but I already have 1ghz on mine, runs well.

I don't think people buy phones because of the OS. They might for apps., which may be why people pair iPod Touch with smart phones other than the iPhone.

But more important than all these things is the physical design, how it looks, feels, the hardware specs.

So WP7 will be from the same manufacturers which make Androids. You would think then that it will be a matter of price competition. Since the manufacturers don't pay for Android, they could make them cheaper than WP7 phones.

But MS is saying Android isn't free because of all the patent infringement which they allege that Google is guilty of. To underline that point, they sued Motorola, which has the patent portfolio to sue right back (and they're suing Apple now).

Or maybe they settle and Motorola makes WP7 phones, even though they've been wildly successful with the Droids.

The fact that my first reaction to reading the title was "What's WP7?" shows how far MS has fallen behind Android, Blackberry, and Apple.

I hate, hate, hated the 6.1 device I had, buying a BB from eBay with my own money as my work phone, waiting for my contract to expire.

It will have to be very good to get back in the competition.

I think the comparisons between WP7 and WebOS are interesting though as far as apps go one big redeeming area of WP7 is that you can use Office natively on a WP7 phone. Not to mention a great gaming setup with the XBOX inter-connectivity.

Also the idea that Android is a free OS and is therefore cheaper to manufacture is just not really all that true. Companies are still paying Google money for access to the store as well as other trademark fees.

I think what will be WP7's saving grace is that Microsoft is going a little more Apple as far as the rules that govern what types of devices they are willing to put their software on. They have minimum specs out that would have prohibited some of the slower/cheaper Android devices we have seen over the last few years. There is also less customization opportunities for carriers to bloat up your phone as well.

As others have said, the first hurdle will be the apps. Assuming that developers and vendors jump on the WP7 app bandwagon and start developing apps for all 3 major platforms (iPhone, Android, and WP7) then consumers will have to start looking at other differentiating factors to decide which phone to buy (hardware specs, usability of the UI, etc). All 3 take a much different approach to the UI. iPhone has the clear lead in apps, but Android and WP7 have the lead in hardware choices.

But the apps simply must be there in order for MS to compete. Along those lines I have heard that WP7 is orders of magnitude easier to develop apps for. I'm not a developer so take this with a grain of salt, but I saw a blog post about a month ago from a developer that said he wrote the exact same app for all 3 platforms, and it took about 8 hours for the iPhone app, 2 hours for the Android app, and 45 minutes for the WP7 app. For the life of me I can't find that post right now though.

And the XBox integration could be an immediate draw for some consumers as well.

Regardless of anyone's personal opinion about WP7, I truly do think that they'll be competitive, and competition in this space is good and will drive innovation.

Jason