Anyone else eagerly awaiting Windows Phone 7?

[OneOfTheseDays]

I for one am not impressed with my Android device. Performance is choppy at times, stability is very poor (lots of force closes), and the applications are hit and miss. Some work for some phones, some don't. It's a decent phone, but far from perfection IMHO.

I think MS has the resources to pull this off and do it right. I am one of the few Zune HD owners out there and they really nailed that interface. If the WinPhone7 shares that same GUI they are in good shape IMHO. I really liked the tech demos I've seen thus far, perhaps the snappiest phone I've seen period.

 

[Slick5150]

Eh, we'll see. It looks like it could have some interesting features, but also sounds like it'll be lacking some key ones as well.

At this point I'm more excited about WebOS 2.0 & a new device running that than I am Winmo 7, but I'll reserve final judgement until we actually see a device running Windows Phone 7.

 

[kaerflog]

I'm intrigue but damm they need to mke the IU a little more eye candy.
Is this 1980 ?? Colored squares ??
At least make all the squares transparent so at least you can see the background wallpaper.
I'm pretty sure the mod community will make the UI much prettier but I still don't know what MS was thinking when they decided to go with colored squares on the home page...

 

[jpeyton]

I'm intrigue but damm they need to mke the IU a little more eye candy.
Is this 1980 ?? Colored squares ??
At least make all the squares transparent so at least you can see the background wallpaper.
I'm pretty sure the mod community will make the UI much prettier but I still don't know what MS was thinking when they decided to go with colored squares on the home page...

Metro is a great touch-screen UI. I loved it on my Zune HD. It might need a bit more modification to be perfect for a smart phone.

Simple is better for some people. Some of the most popular Android themes are simple monochrome icons with large text, which Metro has. Not everyone likes gumdrop icons with cutesy pictures.

 

[coolVariable]

I for one am not impressed with my Android device. Performance is choppy at times, stability is very poor (lots of force closes), and the applications are hit and miss. Some work for some phones, some don't. It's a decent phone, but far from perfection IMHO.

I think MS has the resources to pull this off and do it right. I am one of the few Zune HD owners out there and they really nailed that interface. If the WinPhone7 shares that same GUI they are in good shape IMHO. I really liked the tech demos I've seen thus far, perhaps the snappiest phone I've seen period.

Yes and no.
It could be very cool but they seem to be making a lot of the same mistakes that are inherent in android.
I mean come on: no copy and paste in 2010? Are you fvcking kidding me?
Lack of multitasking in Win7 is another big no-no considering how powerful phone SoCs are nowadays.

We will see. I hope they don't go the same route as android which is: let's throw another 100 features in, even though not a single one actually works!

 

[kaerflog]

Metro is a great touch-screen UI. I loved it on my Zune HD. It might need a bit more modification to be perfect for a smart phone.

Simple is better for some people. Some of the most popular Android themes are simple monochrome icons with large text, which Metro has. Not everyone likes gumdrop icons with cutesy pictures.

Now I didn't say anything about the functionality of the UI.
I just said it looks ugly with the blocky same colored squares on the home screen.
After you move away from the home screen and it becomes Zune-like, I have no problem with it.
After all, you will be starring at the home screen most of the time.
I gave an example that if they were to make all these squares transparent and you can actually see the background wallpapers, it would alot more pleasing to the eyes.

 

[kaerflog]

Also, I haven't yet seen a window 7 phone that made me say "wow" I want to get that phone yet.
This is the first one that I can say I want one.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/09/samsung-i8700-for-windows-phone-7-leaks-puts-developer-prototyp/
Hopefully this is based on Samsung 4" s-amoled screen.

Heres another pic of the phone and someone holding it.
http://wmpoweruser.com/samsung-windows-phone-7-pictured-in-the-wild-again/
Definately looks like a 4" inch phone and no doubt Samsung will put its signature s-amoled screen on it.
Looks like a winner.

 

[MrX8503]

I'm actually not all that excited. I think the ui looks ok, but the homescreen is ugly as sin. Also the app view in list form is also very ugly.

So far there are only a few things going for WP7 and that is gaming and a fast ui. I don't think MS is going to be successful with their first release. Most likely it's gonna take a few versions before WP7 is competitive. MS is extremely late to the game so they need every advantage they can get.

 

[ChronoReverse]

I had been excited back when it was announced but as more tidbits of information came out I slowly grew more and more disenchanted.

Then I bought the Nexus One and now the only thing of interest for WP7 is XBox Live gaming (which is partially mitigated by the rumour of a Sony Android gaming phone). MS will have to make a very very compelling product now.

 

[Deeko]

Now I didn't say anything about the functionality of the UI.
I just said it looks ugly with the blocky same colored squares on the home screen.
After you move away from the home screen and it becomes Zune-like, I have no problem with it.
After all, you will be starring at the home screen most of the time.
I gave an example that if they were to make all these squares transparent and you can actually see the background wallpapers, it would alot more pleasing to the eyes.

Really? You stare at your home screen most of the time? I spend most of my time that i'm using my phone...actually using my phone to do things, not staring at the home screen.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Really? You stare at your home screen most of the time? I spend most of my time that i'm using my phone...actually using my phone to do things, not staring at the home screen.

Lies. You know you want to whip it out and hold it so that others can see your uhhh home screen.

 

[finbarqs]

I like the fact that it's very organic, the squares. However, if they rounded it, made gave it somewhat of a gradient shade, maybe somewhat translucent, it'll be awesome! But, just looking at the engadget video of the guy navigating through the ASUS WP7 made me drool... I haven't seen such smoothness in any device... ever! I'm on CM6 with my EVO 4G, and I think i'm going to get rid of it for this WP7.

Multitasking is there, but still needs a lot of work. Palm Pre got it right, just needed better hardware, and MORE SPEED!

I think this is going to be as fast as the iphone 4/ipad! Hopefully, they're going to get somewhat intuitive with these devices as far as Multitasking goes, and copy/paste.

 

[MrX8503]

I think the squares are fine, I just don't know why there is so much extra space around the edges on the home screen.

 

[kaerflog]

Really? You stare at your home screen most of the time? I spend most of my time that i'm using my phone...actually using my phone to do things, not staring at the home screen.

OK, so you might not be starring at the home screen most of the time but it is the hub of everything that you do..
Everything revert back to the home screen.
I don't know about you why do so many of us spend so much time customizing our home screen ??
Seriously, MS got so many talented people developing this new OS and blocky colored squares is the best they can come up with ??

 

[ChronoReverse]

Really? You stare at your home screen most of the time? I spend most of my time that i'm using my phone...actually using my phone to do things, not staring at the home screen.

Interestingly enough, I do often look at the home screens because of widgets being able to provide quick access to information (and a means to edit or add to the data).

WP7 seems to be the logical extension of this with its UI.

 

[tdawg]

I'm really looking forward to see what devices land this fall/holiday for WP7, along with Android. I currently have a Nexus One and enjoy it for the most part, but I really like the idea of ZuneHD and Xbox Live integration in WP7. Will be seriously considering a WP7 device if the prove to be good.

I'm still not 100% sure I want to give up the freedom I currently have with my N1 (both contract-wise and customizability). I'm looking forward to seeing Android 3 and since us N1 owners get first crack...it should be a fun fall/holiday season.

 

[Deeko]

OK, so you might not be starring at the home screen most of the time but it is the hub of everything that you do..
Everything revert back to the home screen.
I don't know about you why do so many of us spend so much time customizing our home screen ??
Seriously, MS got so many talented people developing this new OS and blocky colored squares is the best they can come up with ??

Microsoft has sad many times in their press releases/demos of Windows Phone 7 - their goal with the Metro UI is "content over chrome". They aren't trying to make the UI flashy with transparency effects and cheesy 3D effects. They want simple, fast, and most important - content. Those "big blue boxes" (tiles in WP7 speak) are dynamic and programmable - not unlike a widget on Android. They want the home screen to deliver information to you along with a quick way to get to more. And it does that, quite well.

 

[MrX8503]

Microsoft has sad many times in their press releases/demos of Windows Phone 7 - their goal with the Metro UI is "content over chrome". They aren't trying to make the UI flashy with transparency effects and cheesy 3D effects. They want simple, fast, and most important - content. Those "big blue boxes" (tiles in WP7 speak) are dynamic and programmable - not unlike a widget on Android. They want the home screen to deliver information to you along with a quick way to get to more. And it does that, quite well.

That's an engineering way of thinking. I think its great that function is top priority, so I'm sure that WP7 will be quick and easy to use, but IMO its not so pretty.

Function = Works, Good enough
Form + Function = Pure Gold, Genius.

To me, the latter is much more difficult to achieve. If you look throughout the tech industry in any field, you'll see that the major players or the successful ones are able to pull off form and function.

 

[Deeko]

That's an engineering way of thinking. I think its great that function is top priority, so I'm sure that WP7 will be quick and easy to use, but IMO its not so pretty.

Function = Works, Good enough
Form + Function = Pure Gold, Genius.

To me, the latter is much more difficult to achieve. If you look throughout the tech industry in any field, you'll see that the major players or the successful ones are able to pull off form and function.

They've implemented form in a lot of other ways, though. I've used the Samsung dev device - not even a real, releasable phone - and its amazing how smooth everything is. Transitions, scrolling, pinch zooming, everything is just amazingly smooth. Way more than any Android device I've used (and I've used a lot of them). More than the Palm Pre. Maybe even more than the iPhone. Its impressive. They don't cheap out to get it, either - everything has nicely done transition animations.

 

[hanoverphist]

ive been watching for tidbits on wp7 phones, its probably the one reason i havent jumped into the android pool yet. im hoping vzw gets a good wp7 phone so i can try it out. i still like my winmo 6.1 phone tho, i could use it another year or so if i dont find something i like by xmas.

ass for the copy/ paste thing, they were pretty adamant about trying to make it so you wouldnt need it. if someone sends you an address in a text, it is supposed to have some smart menu to utilize it in any way youd need to, basically eliminating the need for copy/ paste. im ok with that, as long as they think of everything. im looking forward to seeing these phones drop, ive been kind of disappointed with the lack of info lately, especially just months from when they are supposed to be dropping.

 

[Deeko]

They've also said that they do expect to add copy and paste - it just isn't going to be there for launch.

 

[MrX8503]

They've implemented form in a lot of other ways, though. I've used the Samsung dev device - not even a real, releasable phone - and its amazing how smooth everything is. Transitions, scrolling, pinch zooming, everything is just amazingly smooth. Way more than any Android device I've used (and I've used a lot of them). More than the Palm Pre. Maybe even more than the iPhone. Its impressive. They don't cheap out to get it, either - everything has nicely done transition animations.

In the Epic 4G review from Anand, you'll know why Samsung devices are so polished. Its because of their partnership with Imagination and Apple.

 

[Deeko]

In the Epic 4G review from Anand, you'll know why Samsung devices are so polished. Its because of their partnership with Imagination and Apple.

WP7 doesn't allow carrier customization like Android does. This was all WP7. I'm doubting Microsoft collaborated too closely with Apple on that

 

[MrX8503]

WP7 doesn't allow carrier customization like Android does. This was all WP7. I'm doubting Microsoft collaborated too closely with Apple on that

yeah...but you mentioned using a samsung device in your post...I'm confused.

Anyway, I don't doubt that WP7 is going to be a speed demon. I can already tell it'll be fast in the videos.

 

[Deeko]

The Samsung dev device is the hardware MS has been using to demo WP7. Its hardware built by Samsung, but the software is entirely by Microsoft. The Samsung Android phones aren't smoother because they did something special with the hardware, its TouchWhiz.