The eagle-eyed folks of
learnbemobile have come across this stupendous leak of Microsoft's forthcoming
Windows Mobile 7 OS. It would appear that some last minute alterations were taking place under the covers in Barcelona, though apparently no one bothered to check if there were cameras around before lifting said covers. You can see what appears to be some kind of
Xbox Live integration -- which was
heavily rumored already -- taking up a corner of what's presumably a new home screen for the OS. There are also big, finger-loving notice icons for calls, text messages, and email, with sections for Facebook, Pictures and "Me" filling out the rest. We don't have any more info than these few shots, and the aforementioned site just has the images camped out on its Facebook page, but it definitely looks to be the real deal. If this is the new face of Windows Mobile, color us excited for
today's event -- it looks like a radical departure (or at least a crazy skin). You can check out a few more shots in the gallery below.
[Thanks, HJ Willems]
Update: The
official announcement has now been made and fully corroborates the visuals leaked here. Check out
our hands-on experience with the fresh new software to learn more.
posted February 15th 2010 5:25AM
If its anything like the Zune HD's interface then it should be very good, wow it's quite exciting to think Apple, Android and Winmo are all strong competitiors now for software, but HTC and Apple are the main players in terms of delivering the best software and hardware for mobile phones...
Looks like the part of the Zune HD UI where you can pin apps...very nice...looks like you have a widget for any app on the homescreen and you can jump into the apps with a klick on a widget...
@bluefisch200
Actually it looks exactly like that. You can even see the little arrow in a circle in the top right hand corner that takes you back to the list menu on the Zune HD.
@bluefisch200
exactly finally someone who posted a sensible comment, it looks sweet, just like the zune, simple yet attractive and useable.
bet you can customise the look of it with your own "pins" on the home screen and it will have the same animations as the zune interface.
it looks great as does whats on it (xbox live games it says).
easy access to messages, email, phone and more, exactly what a phone should be like
Color me super-frickin-excited!
Finally! It is not just those "common" look of icons galore *cough* :)
Could this actually be a Zune Phone?
I'm sure many of you avid gamers cant wait for WinPhone 7, that's if there is a deep xbox integration, but I also hope there's lots of other features, because for me the xbox stuff doesn't bother me, I dont play games online neither do i have or want a gold membership. So i hope it has lots of other great stuff for us, or this may seem a pointless upgrade
Yeah, I'm happy. It's not just rows of icons.
It looks like they've put a lot of thought into easy access of info.
The proof will of course be when they show the UI in action, and show the Ecosystem. What does it connect to, what's the App situation going to be like?
U will fail MS...
@jkwakopo
U will fail at posting
downrank for U
@jkwakopo
you can look into the future I guess.
are we gonna survive 2012?
@jkwakopo hmmm... DOWNRANK!!! :-P
Apart from the xbox thing, the menu looks really nice, clear and simple, and gets you straight to the relevant info.
I think it looks not too bad ..
But and this is the BIG BUT is .. what does it look like when ya go past this main home screen ..!! ????
there's a separate back and start button, it should mean multi tasking.
Im hoping for the best it looks great
i hope its great
looks like HTC Cube.
I want nothing short of NXE in the palm of my sweaty hands .
MS has been listening to its consumers in the recent past:
We hated Vista, and they finally listened and gave us windows 7 which is a near perfect OS for PCs
Now the aging Windows CE kernel was going down hill and now they are going to build upon the sleekness of Zune UI and possible deliver us what we have been looking for. And I wont be surprised if engadget change their fan-boy status from Apple to MS in near future
@alixzibit i will surprised.
@alixzibit i will be surprised.
I think it looks good enough. I do wonder which I'll go for when it's time to upgrade my phone. Will I sacrifice my investment in iPhone apps even if I prefer the new WM7?
I will save judgment on the interface once I see it in action. Earlier in one of my post I suggested a simple 3-button interface and it looks like it may come to fruition! Definitely a step so far in my opinion in the right direction in terms of simplicity.
Looks really nice so far! Cant wait to see past the home screen.
Could it just be a new home screen? Which is already the prettiest bit of Windows Mobile, as of 6.5. I don't think this gives much indication as to what the real OS will look like.
I like it very much, so far... Let`s see what is "inside".
The screenshot still doesn't tell me anything about Windows Phone 7. I will wait for the press event before I start forming an opinion here. I personally would love to go back to a Windows Mobile device but only if it isn't a cheap iPhone copy. I need sth innovative that also multitasks!
so who did the leak looks like ,the wind was blowing too strong,LOL!
looks simplistic and lame... just judging from these first shots... let's hope it looks better after we see more of it.....
Hmm, I'm feeling skeptical. I hope they haven't dumbed it down too much. Sure, that's clearly a market for dumbing-down (iPhone), but there's a reason I don't own one of those.
Still, we'll have to see it in motion to really get a good idea, I'm sure.
Security Fail!
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!!!
iWant
Oh man, only one screen shot and it looks awesome. If this is using the Zune UI or similar, it will be a winner. I hope it leaves Apple wishing...
@dand It IS the Zune HD UI... all the way down to having an Audio hub that is completely Zune. Zune integration, XBOX integration (with XBL games, avatar, social, and more), and so much more.
I want one
So how many people are actually going to be upset if they announce that there will be no more skinning of the UI? I would think that the biggest complainers would be people who like HTC. However, I was also thinking that HTC has become so big with WinMo (and supportive, given that they made a badass phone that is currently WinMo exclusive, iirc) that Microsoft may make a deal with HTC where they can do the same modifications that they want to with WinMo7.
@Fish Face McGee There will be no modification to the base UI (yes, customizations, but no overhaul) in an attempt to force consistency. This means hardware consistency and UI consistency. that was one of the big problem of previous devices.
@tdogdfw
I agree. Having the OS constantly appearing with different skins kills its sense of identity, which is something that MS desperately needs if it wants to compete in today's smartphone market.
@Fish Face McGee
That's kinda why I was asking. I haven't been a fan of the huge UI changes throughout different devices of the same brand. However, I know there are many people who like HTC's changes. Something tells me with how much they've made changes to Android, that it's something that they want to do, and if Microsoft tells them to go fuck themselves that they may stop making WinMo phones. However, I could see HTC being given like a splinter brand of WinMo 7 where they can design it how they wish, but it runs on WM7 still. So you have Windows Mobile 7 proper and then you have Windows Mobile 7 with HTC or something.
Honestly, I have no idea why I even care about HTC's skinning. I love this new design, and that phone looks a hell of a lot like a Zune HD, so I don't think I'll be without a good phone when my current contract expires.
@Fish Face McGee
Same here, I like it too. Well, from what little we've seen so far. I have never been a fan of the HTC skin where a ridiculous portion of the screen is being covered by the clock, especially when the time is redundantly displayed at the top of the screen anyway. I'd much rather have the home screen dedicated to my most frequently used functions and apps.
If Windows Mobile 7 gets XBL games, I just hope the Zune HD does too..
oooh, i'm really liking the layout. hopefully it's just as good in action
So far, the homescreen looks too uncustomizable to me. Looks like they're doing the iPhone formula.
Honestly, when I bought my wife a ZuneHD, I looked at it for about 3 seconds and said to myself "If this were a phone, I would sell my G1 today and buy it."
Now that they have taken FOR....E.....VER to come out with even the basic "it will be a lot like ZuneHD" info about WinMo7, it may be too late. I just bought the Nexus One.
Will I ditch my N1 for a WinMo7 phone in November? That depends entirely on: a) pricing, and b) carrier availability.
I won't go through another "Google-esque" purchase experience, and I won't switch from T-Mobile to get a WinMo7 phone. If T-Mobile has it, and I can get it for a reasonable price with minimal hassle and no adding/removing lines, I will happily defect from Android, after countless frustration as user feedback has fallen on deaf ears at Google on some pretty _basic_ phone features (tethering, proxy, WPA2-Enterprise, anyone??).