Windows Phone 7 is the new name, 'Series' gets voted off island

Regardless of how you feel about Microsoft's rejuvenated mobile push this year, hatred of the "Windows Phone 7 Series" moniker has been nearly universal -- it's too long, it trips you up every time you try to say it (seriously, just listen to any of our podcasts), and the "Series" bit doesn't make a whole lot of sense anyhow. Happily, Microsoft has heard the world loud and clear on this one, officially changing the name today to the simpler, happier, more logical "Windows Phone 7." The branding move doesn't have any technical or strategic significance, as far as we can tell -- it truly is just a name change, that's all -- so you can expect the same software to launch later this year that we've already been anticipating... you just won't have to deal with a tongue twister every time you're trying to tell a friend about it.

[Zweben Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:03PM]

Much better.

[N900 Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:04PM]

@Zweben It's not over yet, Series will come back in a submarine in Season 6.

[elijahblake Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:07PM]

@Zweben

I think it would sound MUCH better "Windows 7 phone"

[werty1432k Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:07PM]

@Zweben Yeah, good call!

[elijahblake Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:07PM]

@elijahblake

Or "Windows 7 Mobile"

[benjgvps Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:09PM]

@Zweben Agreed, every time I heard Paul Thurrott on Windows Weekly say "Windows Phone 7 Series" I would cringe.

[astrodemoniac Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:09PM]

They should have just named it Windows iPhone and be done with it :-/

[abrli Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:12PM]

@Zweben no no no, what's better is when microsoft merges with BMW and starts to have different versions of the 7 series

from 730Li(30 mAH lithium-ion battery powered) all the way up to 760S(solar powered)

[Techno1q Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:13PM]

@Zweben

Makes you wonder what the hell were Microsoft thinking. They come up with the weirdest of names.

No hard feelings now, lets not take this personal. I'm not anybody's fanboy.

[SeNiLe911 Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:15PM]

They need to put in for a redirect. http://www.windowsphone7series.com/ to http://www.windowsphone7.com/

[Dick Lynch Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:18PM]

@Zweben Really shoulda called it, WinMo 7.

[One Love Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:19PM]

Am a PC and "Windows Phone 7" was my idea! (...now add true multitasking and cut and paste, so it doesn't suck so bad)

[Imran Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:21PM]

@elijahblake

OR Windows 7 Phone Series ^_^

[d0mth0ma5 Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:23PM]

@WP7S weeps into his beer...

[gpmoo7 Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:25PM]

@elijahblake What about Windows Mobile 7 (that comes after Windows Mobile 6.5) ?
OK, Windows Mobile has been a mobile operating system.
Windows Phone 7 is much more than that since a lot of aspects (power, size, buttons ...) of the phones are controlled by Microsoft.

[abedinthehouse Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:30PM]

@Zweben

I guess this just goes to show they REALLY ARE listening to us. But if they are listening in regards to copyNpaste and Multitasking, we have yet to find out..

But great decision, Id much rather prefer "Windows 7 Phone" Windows 7 Mobile brings back bad memories.

[beatsandmelody Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:33PM]

@N900

There about a hundred different names that would be better than the original.

[NigelL Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:34PM]

@abedinthehouse CopY 1 Paste is coming mate! : http://www.mobiletechworld.com/2010/04/02/microsoft-definitely-working-on-copy-paste-for-windows-phone-7/ Yeah!

[N900 Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:36PM]

@NigelL "we will do the right thing" Better have!

[strikethree Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:38PM]

@One Love

Seriously, if they listened to complaints about the name why haven't they listened to the complaints about the copy and paste/multitasking issues?!

[dimithra Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:44PM]

@astrodemoniac

Looser.. STFU!.. Windows Phone 7 Sounds Great!

[Mr Death Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:47PM]

@Zweben She sells Windows Phone 7 Series on the Sea Shore.

[Viakenny Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:51PM]

@elijahblake but what if Windows Phone 8 is released before Windows 8?

[bjsguess Posted Apr 2nd 2010 3:13PM]

@Zweben

Talk about making a big deal out of nothing. Who seriously cares? If a platforms NAME is helping make your decision about what phone to buy then your priorities are messed up. When spoken out load, Windows Phone 7 Series takes about as long as iPhone 3GS.

It's a lot like the HUGE issue Engadget has repeatedly made about Windows 7 (Starter, Home, Pro, and Ultimate). All that complaining for these editors because MS released 10 sku's to cover their world-wide market. You know, in the real world, I haven't heard a single complaint of being confused as to which version of Windows 7 a consumer should buy.

[mappo Posted Apr 2nd 2010 3:22PM]

A more descriptive name would be Apple Clone 7.

[masochist Posted Apr 2nd 2010 3:40PM]

Series is not the only one got voted off.. Multitasking, copy paste, cab files and so on. But at least this one is not bitter.

[WixosTrix Posted Apr 2nd 2010 3:45PM]

@mappo

Except it looks nothing like anything Apple has released.

Also, why are people still complaining about the multitasking and copy and paste. They already said they'll have it soon after release and it has suspend-state multitasking. If you're not using the app in the foreground, then there is no reason for it to be active, unless of course it's a music app. However, they have also said there will be exceptions to some apps, like music ones. Do you're research people or read more.

[Elranzer Posted Apr 2nd 2010 4:01PM]

It should just be Windows Mobile 7.

It is "7" because it is replacing Windows Mobile 6.x. If "Windows Phone" was a new product, instead of the next version of Windows Mobile, it would be Windows Phone 1.

[mominshahab Posted Apr 2nd 2010 4:02PM]

@Zweben
They have made it simple...Errrr :)

[ravissimo Posted Apr 2nd 2010 4:04PM]

@Zweben

i'm looking forward to the WP7 OS, but what are the ads are going to be like? "get your Windows Phone 7 Phone now!"

[OrsonX Posted Apr 2nd 2010 4:12PM]

@Imran

yes!

[Gib Posted Apr 2nd 2010 4:20PM]

@bjsguess "Talk about making a big deal out of nothing. Who seriously cares? If a platforms NAME is helping make your decision about what phone to buy then your priorities are messed up."

... tell that to all the people making the same, stale iPad jokes around the interwebs.

[UnixSystemsEngineer Posted Apr 2nd 2010 4:22PM]

@Zweben
Better, and obvious. Nobody I knew ever threw in the gratuitous "series" at the end when talking about it. Once there is more than 7.0 (for example when they drop a 7.1 or 7.5 or whatever), you can refer to them collectively as "7.x" or "7 series", but that will follow naturally.

I guess MS branding is just catching up to what people in the real world are saying. Actually I kind of get the feeling they were referring to all WP7 as the "series" but it somehow got picked up as being the official name for 7.0.

[Steve Jobs Clone Posted Apr 2nd 2010 4:27PM]

@Zweben
I am a phone and Windows Phone 7 is my idea.

[recharged95 Posted Apr 2nd 2010 4:33PM]

@elijahblake

They should have went with "W Phone" (yes, upper case).... just to mock that other phone.

Windows Phone 7 is ok, cause when Windows Phone 8 comes out they can drop the 8... if everyone has one.

[NuShrike Posted Apr 2nd 2010 4:49PM]

@strikethree or Native. Name a successful phone with a successful commercial app that isn't running native.

[Invader Par Posted Apr 2nd 2010 4:52PM]

@Zweben
Umm... Am I the only one that thinks it's obvious to call it "7 Series"? A much sleeker name, and it removes the affiliation with Windows.

Really, Windows??? Especially when they're constantly telling you "it's not a PC, it's not a PC!", and then call it after the PC...

[jaffreywali Posted Apr 2nd 2010 5:11PM]

@dimithra

Windows phone 7 iPhone series sounds even better! It's a copy and paste job on the iPhone, excuse the pun....

[bjsguess Posted Apr 2nd 2010 5:38PM]

@Gib

Agreed. I'm not hating on the iPad because of its stupid name.

[jgp Posted Apr 2nd 2010 5:41PM]

@recharged95

So, would the W Phone be shaped like a stag beetle?

Yeah, nobody's gonna get that, but I had to say it...

[krisken Posted Apr 2nd 2010 6:26PM]

@Dick Lynch

I would say that not calling it WM7 is to dissociate this new OS from the previous WM6.5 . Windows Phone 7 Series did just that and so does WP7, just its easier to say.

[iCello Posted Apr 2nd 2010 6:53PM]

@abedinthehouse It was never going to be called Windows 7 mobile. Early on it might Of been called Windows Mobile 7, but since it's confirmation as a real thing it ha always been Windows Phone 7 Series. Now it's the same with a missing word.

[ctxrover Posted Apr 2nd 2010 7:13PM]

@gpmoo7 Microsoft renamed the platform "Windows Phone" at MIX '09 with WM 6.5.x. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO8AgDmyrKQ

[Pookiewood Posted Apr 3rd 2010 1:21AM]

@Zweben It's about time!!

[shenjodies Posted Apr 3rd 2010 1:29AM]

@Zweben Good, I think their 'ready set 7' come on theme, matches this one perfectly. For me? As long as they continue to update us, about xna sync to mobile-xbox feature, then I'm all in this device. http://bit.ly/xna-games-windows-phone

[Psychosoldier Posted Apr 3rd 2010 6:32PM]

@elijahblake
Sounds good but that would make create a sense of chronology and it would make sense, and Microsoft probably wasn't going for that.

[vVv Posted Apr 4th 2010 2:37PM]

Just like the desktop version I call it System 7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_7_(disambiguation)

[Mekkakat Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:04PM]

Hooray. The end.

[Luke Posted Apr 2nd 2010 2:19PM]

@Mekkakat

So it just cuts off at the end, and that's it? Man, just like The Sopranos.

[Why should I have all the fun Posted Apr 2nd 2010 4:50PM]

@Mekkakat

Anyone want to buy WP7Series.com?

Seriously, cheap!