Consumer Review: Microsoft Windows Phone 7: Does it Live Up to Its Hype?
No, they did not. Well, to be fair, Windows Phone 7 might qualify as a promising "Beta" version, but the OS is certainly not yet ready for prime time. Considering Balmer's comment, it is hard to be fair with WP7 (Windows Phone 7) when Microsoft's software and operating system history is considered. This overview would essentially come down to how the OS compares to Android and iOS. The short of it is that Windows Phone 7 does not compete well with Android or iOS at all, at least not yet. We all drooled over the sneak preview of the Microsoft Courier, but the Windows Phone 7 is nowhere near that product's hype.
User Interface: The Good News
First, the good news, Windows Phone 7 has a nice UI. The Metro User Interface is well done and if it were a UI over top of the Android OS, it would get a lot of attention-as a Beta. In fact, there is a Metro UI Beta for Android. The focus here is on blocky simplicity and information presentation and the Redmond team has done a good job. There have also been very pleasing comments on the Multi-touch and its implementation and execution.
Overall the user Interface is very useful and easy to get used to using. One of the real winners here is the keyboard, which is one element of the Windows Phone 7 that most users will praise. Out of the gate, it is as good, if not better than the iPhone and certainly better than Android's stock virtual keyboard.
Missing Features
Nevertheless, there are a few glitchy bits and some bone jarring discrepancies. Windows Phone 7 has no Cut and Paste. Microsoft and Windows practically invented the "cut, copy, and paste," era, so how is it that Microsoft forgot to include the feature on the company's smartphone OS, or worse, simply did not want to include it?. The lack of cut and paste is a real problem and so is the lack of a universal search function, which can hamstring some operations more than one might think. Other things are also lacking such as the inconsistent display of information on the top bar of the screen; sometimes it is there and sometimes it is not Having said all of that, it is still a nice UI and has a reasonably useful feel to it.
No Multitask? Really?
The most surprising missing feature is that Windows Phone 7 includes no multitasking. That really should be the last sentence. The entire OS functionality falls on this point. Not even the poor multitasking of the iOS is included-nothing. This is worse than the fact that if you lock the screen, whatever app is loaded at the time the screen freezes and is lost making users reopen the app and reload the saved (we hope!) file or game.
No multitasking is a deal breaker and there is no word yet as to when Microsoft might decide to add the function. For Microsoft to be a "Johnny come lately" in the smartphone market is bad enough; to arrive without multitasking after giving the world a peek at Courier is massive failure. Windows Phone 7 will not be the "big come back" that Microsoft hoped for in the mobile market, or any other market for that matter.
Overall Thoughts
Microsoft initially cornered the market with its perfect Windows Mobile OS for the millions of potential users who were already familiar with the Windows OS for computers so it is hard to understand how Microsoft, the most iconic operating system company in the world-the same company that practically invented the "PC" world-could have lost market dominance of the mobile OS. Up against Android and iOS, Windows Phone 7 is not taking even third place in the running, not with Symbian and BlackBerry OS still on the market.
Sources:
Chris De Herrera, "Windows CE/Windows Mobile Versions," Pocket PC FAQs
Matt Hamblen, "Balmer: We 'screwed up with Windows Mobile,'" Computer World
Joshua Topolsky, "Windows Phone 7 Review," Engadget
BitMod Dev, "Metro UI BETA," Android Freeware
Published by JC Torpey - Featured Contributor in Technology
JC Torpey started writing at a young age and is affiliated with many online publishing websites. JC's expertise includes network security, PC health and the Internet. Her specialized writing areas include we... View profile
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12 Comments
Post a Commentthanks JC!
Sounds like you have touched a nerve on this one. Perhaps all the sarcastic remarks are from Microsoft shareholders?
You are wrong, pretty much about everything you said (I will give you Global search!!, though hardly a missing feature for me personally). Your lamenting about missing features is mostly regurgitated and beaten to death topics which have seen endless discussions (what happens when WP7 catches up, feature wise). Missing features is very personal in nature, not every one misses copy and past, nor global search, nor multitasking is such a big deal (iPhone didn’t have these for almost three years). Coming late to the market and missing features is also bull…. Android was late and limited in its first iteration, now it has overtaken iPhone and with more features.
The back button in WP7 is a fantastic idea, beats the restricted multitasking on iPhone in many ways so is the dedicated Search button. Other phones don’t have them so lets call off the dogs, WP7 has features that others don’t.
If you can’t be impartial then please do not do a review after the WP7 update (or just before
OMG! I did not know about these items! How could the phone have launched months ago and now this article surfaces? 1 of 2 things...the author is late to the game, or this is new news.
A quick google search and, well....
I have C/C/P on my phone today and have used it .... 0 times. is it really a missing feature then? Can't wait until the Windows Phone hits Verizon!
"This is worse than the fact that if you lock the screen, whatever app is loaded at the time the screen freezes and is lost making users reopen the app and reload the saved"
Did you actually use one of these phones. Plenty of apps implanted the "RunsUnderLock" API which allow the apps to keep running.
About the lamest review I've read for any product. Just a regurgitation of what's been said, and discounted, for many months. The “no multitasking deal breaker†tripe is really annoying from someone who probably doesn’t even understand what it is. I’m sure you spend more time with dying your hair than you spent with this new phone as you surely don’t understand its merits
@ Really: I understand your skepticism, the Windows Phone 7 "update" has yet to be scheduled for a release and the rumors are based on French rumors that were based on US rumors and so on. There is no concrete evidence that an update will be released this month-or as soon as next week-at all. That said, as this is a consumer REview not a consumer PREview and not based on speculation. I wrote about what is currently on the market. If and when Windows Phone 7 updates, I will write about any new features it may contain as I am not in the habit of writing about rumors, unless the title specifically states the article is a rumor.
@Hardly Agree:Yes, I can be biased, however, there is no statement within the article that is not a proven fact. Also, Android started out with 2.7 percent with its first release, better than the WP7
@everyone: Thank you for your comments and if a new update is released, I will review it but until then, this is the OS that Microsoft saw fit to release
It's amazing that you would write an article like this 1 week before Microsoft releases the update with copy/paste and a bunch of other items. I would completely understand an article like this written in December, or even early January. But now, it just calls your expertise into question.
good write-up