Microsoft helping OEMs develop unique Windows Phone 7 apps
By Thomas Ricker 
posted June 11th 2010 5:10AM
posted June 11th 2010 5:10AM
The position would be "working directly with a top Korean cellular phone manufacturer, who has made a large commitment to Windows Phone." Uh, would that be LG or Samsung, we're guessing the former. It'll be interesting to see if these apps are enough to differentiate one touchscreen handset from another. Even more exciting will be watching the homebrew community attempt to hack the manufacturer-specific apps into different handsets in order to create the ultimate Windows Phone 7 superphone... or Frakenphone as the case may be. Regardless, it's clear that Microsoft isn't leaving anything to chance as manufacturers prepare to launch their first devices running Redmond's virgin OS."We are looking for a strong and experienced developer to help the OEM to design and develop applications that make their devices stand out in the marketplace. You will also help them to bring new phones to market."
[Thanks, Abed]
@iName There's huge momentum for both Android and iOS, WP7 is going to overtake either one in the short term (2 years). Most (all?) of their hardware partners are also making Android handsets - it's going to be hard for Microsoft to get any attention when the Android side of the business is hundreds of times bigger.
@rbgaynor
Sorry but Android is not a huge as you think it is. It only has about 9% of the smart phone market (US) While Blackberry, iPhone, and Microsoft have a huge lead. And worldwide Symbian is still numero uno...
I think WP7 is a very competitive option for those that want best in class Office/Exchange support baked in to the OS. I think WP7 will be the biggest threat to Blackberry market share in the beginning (Who is currenty #1 in the US)
Can not imagine me with a closed operating system again
How many years has it not taken. 9% in one year is awesome. Windows (phone) mobile phone has flopped too many times.
Oh Lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz...
Same old MSFT, lots of money, but no love.
Samsung has differentiated their brand by making the worst UI skin ever conceived...touchwiz. Great job, Samsung, hope you feel different.
Okay a lot of people are missing some key info here, so I'll enter my side of things.
1. How serious is Microsoft about Windows Phone 7, if its only posted the job for this on June 1st? Apple worked YEARS on the software and user interface to make its phone top of line. Now Microsoft wants to hire a guy to write "pretty apps" for a phone that comes out in 6 months? This is logically impossible.
2. LG makes a lot of crappy phones, I remember the days before the iPhone that the best feature was that their phones had a color screen or you could change the ringtone. That was the highlight of LG's portfolio of phones. They may not have "blessed" us with the Samsung "Instict", but the rest of their offerings have been sad pieces of electronic garbage. Expecting a synergy between Microsoft and LG to ramp up a cool phone when neither company has the brains or muscle to do so is mythological.
3. Microsoft is boxing in the OEM's with hardware and software walls that will only serve to limit creativity and innovation. The OEM's such as LG aren't really dedicated to Windows 7, they just don't have anything to best the Apple iOS. All other platforms are in infancy in comparison to iOS, now in version 4 and had previously development from Mac OSX. The Windows 7 Phone is a complete rewrite of a mobile OS with no native apps or hardware designed to recover from the pathetic excuse that Windows Mobile and Windows CE were, market losers.
4. iOS and iPhone will be the standard that apps and hardware run on, just as Windows is the dominant entity in PC's, iOS will be the future of MOBILE everything. The future is personal communication, and Windows will not survive as a player.
@jesterthejedi 1) The final builds of WP7 aren't complete, 6 months is an age. Also, did anyone mention that this was for the first release, or that this was even the first job related to this process? It may be they just need a few more people to oversee certification of OEM apps.
2) LG make a lot of crappy phones, however, I've used a lot of LG phones (released before the first iPhone) that had 3G and video calling. LG also produce quite a lot of WM based devices, all of which have far more features than the iPhone, and have had third party apps for the best part of a decade.
3) Microsoft is doing the boxing so you can't complain about the UX later. Windows has become dominant because you don't need Apples hardware to run it, you can get your own PC (or have OEMs build it) and stick the OS on top. Note how Apple have nowhere near the marketshare MS does, because you can only by a Mac OS based device from Apple at prices that are twice the equivalent speced Windows device. Windows Mobile is not in infancy, it's based on code from more than 10 years ago, and has had multitasking, 3rd party software, and support for any hardware you like since it's beginning. iPhone OS is in it's infancy. I guess you know nothing about what native applications actually are, given your comment. Native code does execute faster, but would you prefer marginal performance gains, or the option to run in on XBox, Windows and WP7? Managed code also has lots of things that let MS deal with memory leaks and generally bad programmers. WP7 is not a complete rewrite. The UX on the front is, the actual OS is not. It's based on Windows CE.
4) iPhone will not have a market dominance, purely because of Apple, and the fact they won't allow 3rd parties to manufacture hardware/devices. WP7 is designed to be run on hardware made by someone else, and so there can be devices of whatever size and shape you want, without having the one or two formats Steve Jobs decides to be worthy of "magic".
@l3v5y Would you buy a car that was designed in 6 months? No way! So why buy a phone that's gonna suck from day one, and hope that years from now they will still be developing the software? If that's true go get a WiMo 6.5 phone and see how much that 10 years of Windows Mobile suckage grows on you.
@jesterthejedi I have no idea what that even means...
Also, I've been using Windows Mobile for 5 years, and it's still the best mobile OS there is.
@jesterthejedi are you serious iOS took years to develop? its just another contrived never ending field of APP icons, its banal and pointless. WinPho7 is the only OS offering a graphical experience with their OS. The apps on WinPho7 alone look ten years ahead of anything that can be built on the crippled iOS sdk.
iOS and iPhone are headed to the niche market where the macbook pros reside, the interface is outdated and so are the app experinces... let HTC take us into the future, EVO decimated the new iPhone
Am I the only one that thinks WP7 UI needs a whole new class of hardware? Not the usual cheap plasticky build hardware we see now from LG or HTC and on Android phones? The UI is something we've never seen before on a phone but yet it's on the same old looking hardware from years past.
The hardware needs to match the UI is all I'm saying for it to really separate itself from the pack.
@dave95 I agree. Of the WP7 hardware we've seen, it's mostly hacked together. The first test device shown (the sleek black one) was the best looking of the bunch, but it's not perfect.
Firstly, there's a reason MS have a minimum hardware spec. It's so Apple fanboys (such as this site) can't complain about the user experience, claiming that Apple is amazing.
Secondly, it's a minimum spec. If a hardware developer like Qualcomm produces a BSP for the hardware, and it passes the MS test, then it's in. That's the way CE works.
Thirdly, why would a 3rd party "hacker" need to do anything at all to port the custom OEM software over? Because of the minimum spec, it should be entirely portable, and I believe operators/OEMs need to have their software on the marketplace so MS can pull it if things go wrong, or the OEM can push updates very easily.
No secret about our job postings – you can check them all out yourselves. http://bit.ly/divBjt
You could have attached the link to the actual posting in your story :-)
Almost any class of kindergardners anywhere in the world can identify an iPhone. These iPhone killers will never make such an impact on any part of society because Sony/Google/HTC/Microsoft/Palm and their phone products and features are malaise. The only thing iPhone killers do is go off to die a year after release. RIP LG Chocolate, LG Prada, Samsung Instinct, Nokia N95, Google Nexus One, Palm Pre, and soon Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. Who else wants to join the dead iPhone killer party?
@jesterthejedi
"Almost any class of kindergardners anywhere in the world can identify an iPhone."
You make a good point about the mentality and discerning power of the Apple target market.
"These iPhone killers will never make such an impact on any part of society because Sony/Google/HTC/Microsoft/Palm and their phone products and features are malaise. The only thing iPhone killers do is go off to die a year after release. RIP LG Chocolate, LG Prada, Samsung Instinct, Nokia N95, Google Nexus One, Palm Pre, and soon Sony Ericsson Xperia X10."
- The Nokia N95 came out BEFORE the iPhone. It was the first full convergence device. It won Best phone of the year in Europe. I think it made an impact.
- LG Prada came out BEFORE the iPhone, with a design that looks a lot like... the iPhone.
- HTC has been making mobile devices for 14 years, including touch devices BEFORE the iPhone. Their patent portfolio is proof of their legacy in the industry.
- Xperia X10 is the best-selling smartphone in Japan (a big market). On my recent trip to 4 Japanese cities I saw... two iPhones.
The term "iPhone killer" is an invention of fanboy sites that push the agenda that the iPhone is the center of the mobile universe. In addition, it makes every comparison unfair because now every device must be measured against the iPhone strengths but not the other way around.
@shishi
- The Nokia N95
~Most people wouldn't know who Nokia is, let alone some ancient smartphone has been like the N95
- LG Prada
~Overpriced feature phone from the worlds worst phone OEM tried to get on the designer bandwagon but was a huge disappointment.
- HTC
~Actually they didn't release anything until the year 2000, and we all know and love all the WiMo stuff they build right? They are also being sued by Apple for infringement of 10 patents. They may survive as the Android OEM, but they don't have complete software control of their hardware.
- Xperia X10
~The Japanese phone market has seen phone sales 20% less than recent years as the telcos reduced the handset subsidies, and the iPhone being new to the market is already the best seller in that country. A simple google search will show that information.
The term "iPhone killer"
~Actually it was born from the likes of Verizon and journalists to gather PR and buzz about the next big phone that will be more popular and have more features than any iPhone. Sadly it was just a game of propaganda to drive up sales of disappointing hardware and software C- rated smartphones or disguised dumbphones AKA Pradas.
@jesterthejedi Anyone who lives outside the backwater you call America has heard of Nokia.
LG Prada still sold a lot, does things well, and was released BEFORE the iPhone.
So, at the point Apple released the first iPod, HTC were producing full colour touchscreen devices. You may also have noticed Apple are suing everyone, whilst being counter-sued and being investigate by the FTC/DOJ. Your argument that Apple are suing HTC is utterly ludicrous. "they don't have complete software control of their hardware." what the hell does that even mean? They have source level access to everything, and if you look at the logs for feature requests for WM, most come from HTC. They may not be the developer of WM, but MS are essentially their bitch.
The only dumbphone disguised as a smartphone is the iPhone. It took 2 revisions for 3G, third party software etc. My Motorola C975 has all of those features, and is 5 years old.
@jesterthejedi
Your self-centered attitude shows you've probably never been outside the US, or even outside your own state. Let's see:
"~Most people wouldn't know who Nokia is, let alone some ancient smartphone has been like the N95"
Nokia is STILL the largest phone manufacturer and seller in the WORLD. Remember, US does not mean World. US is only one country. One. The N95 sold millions, and was titled best smartphone of 2006 in Europe, which is... a whole continent. Also, funny that it took the iPhone three generations to get all the features already in ancient phones like the N95.
- HTC "
~Actually they didn't release anything until the year 2000,"
Which is 7 full years before the JesusPhone showed up.
"and we all know and love all the WiMo stuff they build right?"
Yes, people love their WinMo stuff, that's why they still have a decent chunk of the corporate smartphone market. They had better times, sure, but will probably gain it back (go watch demos of WP7 and tell me which admin or corporate type will not love that stuff).
"They are also being sued by Apple for infringement of 10 patents."
And HTC is suing Apple. And Nokia is suing Apple. And others too as well. Your point being? Do you seriously think that companies that have been making cellphones for DECADES - heck, even INVENTED the cell phone -- don't patent ideas?
"They may survive as the Android OEM, but they don't have complete software control of their hardware."
Thanks Dog, I'd hate to pay for a phone and have the manufacturer tell me what can I install or not and treat me like a child (a lot of people love that it seems).
Some of you ppl need to check out the recent WP7 demos and see how well integrated Facebook and Office is. Facebook in particular will be super-easy to set up and it's totally integrated in the whole OS experience. The Office hub is a powerhouse of productivity, far better than any other platform. We're talking about Microsoft here ppl, the biggest SW maker in the world. They are deep into corporate and all bases will be covered with WP7. Again ,watch the demos.
Ugly....Just.....Butt.....Ugly
Talk about fragmentation. The same players making Android powered phones are going to be the same ones making winmo 7 phones.
WTF!
That makes damn sense!
So I guess by the end of the year HTC will try convincing you to go winmo at the same time to go Android.
And the pressue is going to be on you geeks to buy every damn iteration of each as often as they appear on the market.Like every week.
iPhone 4 baby!!!!
@pspitts How is an OEM making devices based on two different OSs fragmented?
"And the pressue is going to be on you geeks to buy every damn iteration of each as often as they appear on the market.Like every week. " As opposed to the iPhone which is released with the bare minimum spec increase to make the sheep out there buy it, and buy it again next year... At least HTC and co try and put the best tech in our pockets, and not a few years late.
Different phones != fragmentation. Fragmentation is when you have disparate software versions running concurrently, with many apps or features only available on some of those versions. The whole point of the minimum hardware spec set forth by MS is to avoid that. The same goes for the lack of skinning.
This allows for phone innovation without making you worry about immediate obsolescence. It's kind of like a mix of the best of Android and iOS. It will just work, yet you'll have a variety of handsets to choose from to fit whatever your needs are.
I'm just wondering what the apps will be. will they be based around the OEMs handset features or the custom UIs they have (like Sense)?
Can not imagine me with a closed operating system again. Where is the apps????????
From what I have seen of the base componets WP7 by itself will meet most, if not all my needs. I will probablly want some games and a good NAV program but with email, office, Web, and Zune built in, I won't need much else.
the interface and app experience of this OS is what sells it to me, every other phone looks outdated when compared
Here's the simple truth about touchscreen smartphones: it's the software, dummy.
Here's the simple truth about becoming a real journalist who shares information by referring to his readers in a pejorative way in his opening sentence: learn how to write, Dummy.
I wonder when Apple, Google, and Microsoft will start capitalizing on the fierce brand loyalty. Any of them could. I guess I prefer to attach myself to something more substantial than a gadget OS. People, for example.
Did anyone notice that WinPh 7 is really trying to make it easy to port apps? I'm fairly convinced easy porting for the other platforms will follow in short order. I'm terribly curious to see how these corporate giants will differentiate their products. Maybe we'll actually start getting some substantially better, creatively inexpensive hardware (minimums addressed) instead of hardware manufacturers battling for the best OEMs. Wouldn't that be a nice return to an old friend? Apple gets kudos for that, but they're the only ones that have come up with anything, and was only one thing, besides a faster processor, a different memory configuration, and/or a higher megapixel camera (notice I didn't say "better" camera) in the last year.
So, yeah, to be blunt, soon enough phones as we know them will be passe. Maybe putting your time and energy into something other than defending a product you didn't create might be something worth considering.
BTW, I am a dependent MSOffice user. Everything I have in there is on my currently Android phone, except the first name indexing things sucks.
I feel like what were going to see is something like this. If an OEM is releasing a phone thats going to have a really good camera and shoot HD video, the specific app will be some video editing software like iMovie on the iPhone 4. Or if the phone has a really good 2 MP front facing camera, an app like FaceTime will be the specific app Microsoft helps build for the OEM.
"Frakenphone"? Seems like that would be a phone themed to scifi "adult" topics.
Maybe you meant "Frankenphone"?
I have a zune and Xbox 360. I think MS is the best at integrating stuff together. Can't wait for a touchscreen w/ qwerty keybaord(preferably from HTC). Btw, has it been made official that they're getting Copy+Paste?