14 DAY TRIAL // When officially unveiling the new Windows Phone 7 Series, Microsoft promised that it would mark a shift from its previous operating system for the mobile market, and some more details on the matter emerged recently. Among them, we can count the fact that, even if the OS will be launched with a series of limitations in late 2010, Microsoft plans on adding new features to the mix via future releases, either over the air for small updates, or via the Zune desktop software for big software solutions.
These details were brought to light by Microsoft's Charlie Kindel in a recent interview with Tweakers.net. According to the news site (via wmpoweruser) Kindel said, “What we do, we do extremely well. This is a change from earlier Windows Mobile versions, where we strove for as much possible functionality. Now, some things are missing at launch but the important thing for us is user experience. Everything must work equally well for the unit to work properly. Then we will look at how we can extend that functionality.”
Kindel unveiled other info on Microsoft's plans for Windows Phone 7 too, including the fact that users won't be able to extend the hubs when the OS is launched later this year. “In time you can, but for now we focus on other issues,” he stated, adding that the platform performs pretty well in terms of stability and speed, which means that there are little chances that the release might be delayed. According to Kindel, manufacturers like HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG and Asus are already working on Windows Phone 7 devices.
Among the other details he shared with Tweakers.net, we can count multi-tasking available only for native apps, but Kindel says that Microsoft will work on resolving some of issues present in this area. Applications for Windows Phone 7 handsets will be available exclusively via the Marketplace, yet it seems that users will enjoy carrier billing. OEMs and users won't be able to customize the UI, while software updates will be delivered by Microsoft itself, something that is meant to show the company's focus in the mobile area.
For what it's worth, Microsoft changed its approach to the smartphone market with the launch of Windows Phone 7, though some undesirable issues might still be there. The OS will land on the market with limitations that affect the user experience, and even if Microsoft promises future releases to fix these issues, the rate at which these updates will arrive still remains to be seen. Hopefully, Microsoft won't make users wait for them for too long.