Can Windows Phone 7 Apps Compete?
Microsoft Windows new Phone 7 is the talk of the town these days. With so many competitors’ smart phones already on the market, Microsoft is trying hard to get their share of the action. It’s pretty obvious from all the hype in the media that this smart phone is quite an amazing piece of technology. Yet, when we compare it to the standards set by competitors like the iPhone 4 and Android, it’s apparent that much of the success (or failure) of a new smart phone is dependent on the power of its applications.
A common question being asked is, “What applications are pre-installed on the Windows phone 7?” It does come pre-loaded with basics like email, calendar, and an internet browser, and social networking app tiles that update automatically on your home screen, so Twitter and Facebook are never far away.
A great advantage to this new Microsoft product is its easy organization. No getting lost in a miscellaneous grid scheme. The Windows Phone 7, much like the HTC Mozart – will organize applications into their respective ‘hub’ locations. Microsoft expects this will make applications easier to locate, with photo applications in the photo hub, music applications in the music hub and favorites on the home screen, for example.
The Microsoft Marketplace has promised to do its best to categorize the store for straightforward browsing and will be making new applications prominent on a regular basis to keep you up to date. Although they already have just around 4000 apps available, they have an uphill battle ahead of them to stay in the apps frenzy. Compared to 300,000 apps for the iPhone 4 and about 100,000 for Android, the Windows 7 Phone marketplace has some catching up to do. To their credit, Microsoft is encouraging growth by providing free application development tools to anyone wanting to develop an app for their marketplace, so they may get there sooner than you think.
While Microsoft is known primarily for its popular Office Software Suites, they are also top notch in gaming; therefore we can’t ignore the gaming factor for these phones. Xbox games and even more importantly Xbox live games are available on these new mobile marvels, which is something none of the other smart phones can claim at this point. This provides the Microsoft Windows Phone 7 with a distinct edge.
Although Microsoft and its Windows Phone 7 devices have some work to do to catch up in the apps markets, they are definitely not backing down. With visual and organizational features like hubs for easy app location, automatic social network updating, and the Xbox live games, they are only going to gain ground, which means they stand a real chance at being a key player in the race to the best smart phone.
achsan uddin