Windows Phone 7 Hits Europe and Asia Pacific

Microsoft’s heavy guns are now ready to take on Google Android devices and Apple’s iPhone on the mobile market, as Windows Phone 7 hits European and Asia Pacific markets today, October 21st, 2010.

At the time of this article, the first Windows Phone 7 device was already sold in New Zeeland, and stores in additional countries have opened their doors to the first customers.

For the time being, smartphones sporting the latest Windows mobile operating system from Microsoft are offered to users in Australia, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain and the UK.

Windows Phone 7 devices will go live in the United States on November 8th, 2010, so US customers need to exercise their patience a bit longer.

“This is a very exciting time for us here at Windows Phone HQ and around the world as we finally put the phones into your hands, and we are really looking forward to hearing what you think,” noted Microsoft’s Brian Seitz.

Microsoft certainly has a lot of market share to win back from rivals Apple and Google, whose mobile platforms have been immensely successful in comparison to the old Windows Mobile.

But like its predecessor, Windows Phone 7 is also based on Windows CE, and not on Windows 7, despite the fact that it does share the same number as the software giant’s fastest selling OS in history.

One aspect in which Android and iOS have the upper hand over Windows Phone 7 is related to applications.

Both rival platforms feature rich application marketplaces, while the Windows Phone Marketplace is only getting started.

“Applications are a key attribute of the smart phone experience. We’re energizing an expansive developer community with new tools and resources to create quality apps that take advantage of Windows Phone’s unique capabilities - giving people a different kind of app experience,” Seitz said.

“Windows Phone 7 apps truly extend the phone’s new design and ability to integrate and organize the things that matter.

“Hundreds of app and games have posted to Windows Phone Marketplace and Zune over the past few days, on pace to deliver more than 1000 by the time phones become available in the U.S. And that’s just the beginning. We’ll be adding hundreds more each week through 2010,” he added.