14 DAY TRIAL // Looking for a better way to find and download the best iPhone and Windows Phone 7 applications without having to comb through their respective Marketplaces? Well, look no further than Bing. Having already introduced a unique Bing search experience to simplify the finding of top apps for the iPhone, Microsoft has done something similar for the latest version of its own Windows mobile platform.
The Redmond company announced that the Top Windows Phone 7 Apps Bing Visual Search Gallery is now live and available for customers with devices running the successor of Windows Mobile 6.5.
The Bing Visual Search Gallery for Windows Phone 7 apps can be accessed immediately, and it’s certainly bound to come in handy, especially as users start using the new WP7 devices more and more and are looking for the best applications to install.
“The gallery, available in the U.S. and U.K, lets you check out our app catalog using your web browser. See something you want? Bing can take you straight to the app in Zune Marketplace, where you can download it to your phone. (For this to work, you’ll need the Zune software installed on your PC),” revealed Microsoft’s Michael Stroh.
Can you still use this if you’re not in the US or in the UK? Well, fact is that you can. While I don’t necessarily understand Microsoft’s limitations with Bing when it comes to international markets, I will say that they contribute dramatically to keeping users away from Bing.
Well, in order to access the Bing Visual Search Gallery for Windows Phone 7 apps from outside the US and the UK users need to change the settings associated with Microsoft’s search / decision engine.
Specifically, they need to select either the US or the UK, preferably the UK, for their geographical area, instead of their actual market, and they will be able to enjoy the Bing Visual Search Gallery for Windows Phone 7 apps.
“If you’re thinking about buying a Windows Phone, this new addition to Bing’s Visual Search lineup makes it easier to see what popular apps are available—or to look up a specific app using the Search box,” Stroh added.
“Already own a phone? Bing Visual Search provides lots of ways to see what apps are fresh, hot, or highly-rated.
“With a click, you can show the top free, paid, downloaded, or rated apps. You can also browse the catalog by category or price.
“Say you’re looking for a great news app. Under Categories, just select News & Weather, then use the dropdown to sort your results by name, release date, rating, or download rank. Only interested in free ones? Under Price, select Free.”
At this point in time, there are no less than 2383 Windows Phone 7 applications highlighted on the Bing Visual Search Gallery.
iPhone leads in this regard, with a total of 2708 applications. But remember. These are nothing more than the top apps, and not all the downloads available for iOS or WP7 devices via their respective Marketplaces.
“Hover over an app to take a quick peek at its price and rating. Or click it for all the details, including screenshots and news. The “Click here to view this app” link takes you straight to Zune Marketplace (provided you have the Zune software installed on your PC) to download the app,” Stroh said.