Windows Phone 7 Rated 4 out of 5 by Wireless and Mobile News Review of Reviews
The reviews of the new Windows Phone 7 operating system have been positive and promising. Are they great enough to warrant switching to Windows Phone 7 from Android or iPhone? Let's see what reviewers are saying.
The reviews of Windows Phone 7 are packed with amazing excitement followed by yes-buts. Yes, Windows Phone 7 has this innovative "cool" feature, but it lacks another state-of-the-art feature that power-users would like.
Windows Phone 7 has an entirely revamped operating system that uses Live Tiles, Hubs and the App Bar. The objective of the design was to simplify things that are very complicated.
Windows Phone 7 integrates products and services from the Microsoft into the phone through Office, Zune and Xbox Live. There are hubs for photo, people, office and marketplace.
What Windows Phone 7 does really well are wireless syncing, group sharing (SharePoint), Microsoft Office integration, touch keyboard, photo taking/sharing, Xbox Live gaming, and web browsing.
Features that Windows Phone 7 lacks are copy/paste (coming soon), multitasking of apps, universal search (through all features and apps) and a unified inbox.Reviewers' comments ranged from "the most exciting thing to happen to phones," to "beautiful but - a year behind" competitors.
Smartphones have become more computer than phone with highly sophisticated styles. As smartphones evolve, choices become more subjective. Android, iPhone and Windows Phone 7 have many of the same functions and features -- but do you like or need them?
Windows Phone 7 is surely worth a test drive, especially if you are an Xbox Live gamer or big Microsoft Office user. The social media features are not as fully integrated as social-media butterflies would like, but they have enough clout to keep you in social sync with your friends.
Because Windows Phone 7 is made by Microsoft, one reviewer predicted that it will evolve very quickly into something very useful and desireable.
Microsoft announced the following Windows Phones in the United States: the Dell Venue Pro, HTC HD7, HTC 7 Surround, HTC 7 Pro, LG Quantum, and Samsung Focus. All Windows Phone 7 smartphones have the same operating system and a few differences in hardware that we compare in "Best
Top Windows Phones: Windows Phones Compared.
Summaries of Reviews Reviewed
Joshua Topolsky at Endgadget found navigation of Windows Phone 7 to be intuitive, simple, clean, solid and stays out of the way. He liked that notifications are shown via a drop-down menu like Android. He didn't like the lack of multitasking. The keyboard is really good. Contact integration is too deep for Facebook without choices but works well for Microsoft Exchange and Gmail; however, it lacks Twitter. The email app is terrific with the ability to set sync times to 15 minutes, 30 minutes or hourly with a helpful unread view and search, but it misses threaded messaging. Web browsing is pleasant. Zune media/music with syncing, playing and unlimited Zune Pass for $14.99 is seamless. Wireless sync worked flawlessly. The photo app is impressive and can sync wirelessly and with social media. Marketplace buying happens in the background. Windows Phone 7 really shines in tight Microsoft integration with SharePoint and Microsoft Office. It currently lacks copy and paste that is coming early next year. Xbox Live game playing is amazing. Bing maps is "pretty great" with split-screen text navigation (no voice like Google Maps). Voice search worked well, but it is not universal across all aspects of Windows Phone 7. Although Microsoft has done an outstanding job, Joshua thinks they are a year behind market leaders, even with a genuinely beautiful and useful user interface.
Walt Mossberg at WSJ called Windows Phone 7 novel but lacking. He liked the use of large tiles, but it lacks copy/paste, visual voice mail, multitasking of third-party apps and video calling. The best advantages of Windows Phone 7 are Microsoft Office built-in, XBox Live gaming, quick camera use when the phone is locked, voice search from any screen, and good phone calling. Tiles for glance and do simplify process but are lacking. The calendar lacks a weekly view. The email features lack a unified inbox. The browser is good but lacks Flash support. Music, video and photos all worked well. Walt prefers iPhone and Android unless you are Xbox Live gamer or user of Microsoft SharePoint.
Gizmodo calls Windows Phone 7 the most exciting thing to happen to phones in long time. It could be the beginning of something really great. They like that Windows Phone 7 is simple and 2D flat and like the easy use of the hubs, tiles and app bar. Cloud and wireless sync with social media is easy. The core OS is very good. It feels amazing but lacks a unified inbox, and some apps are hard to find. Windows Phone 7 is really great, elegant and joyful with great potential that should come into fruition in the near future. It achieved the Gizmodo Seal of Approval.