Microsoft gear up for Windows Phone 7 launch
Microsoft is to hold a simultaneous press conference in London and New York on October 11 at which it is expected to announce the launch of a new range of handsets based on its Windows Phone 7 operating system.
It is expected that the devices, manufactured by HTC and Samsung amongst others, could hit stores as early as Oct 21, with the US following on Nov 8.
Succeeding the oft criticised Windows Mobile platform the software will place particular emphasis on social networking and device integration.
It draws upon the interface pioneered in Zune, Microsoft’s music player, to afford navigation via “live tiles” organised around a series of “hubs,” such as people and multimedia that provide single touch access to contacts and data.
Microsoft is betting that the its new system is sufficiently superior to rival products from Apple and Google to enable it to claw back lost market share.