Android employs a similar list view but it also better utilizes space with a grid layout. The list view for apps is a little less flexible and the more apps you install on the phone, the longer and longer this list is going to get. There isn't any part of the Start screen that is locked down, so you can customize it to your needs-something that was lacking in previous versions of Windows Mobile.

During our technical preview of Windows Phone 7, we expressed our reservations over the layout of the Start screen and app view. The look is simple, to be sure, and provides easy one-touch access to information. You can also pin things like individual Web pages and maps to the Start screen, which will save you time from having to first launch the appropriate app and then navigate to the item you want. What's cool is that you're not just limited to pinning apps or contacts. You can also 'pin' new tiles, but to do so, you must first navigate to the list of apps or the People hub, find the item that you want to add, and then pin it to the Start screen. You can rearrange the order of the tiles and remove them by doing a long press on the screen. Microsoft stripped away all unnecessary information (almost too much actually-the status bar displaying battery life, signal strength, and so forth goes into hiding after a couple of seconds) and soft buttons, and created a Start screen that consists of 'live tiles,' which are essentially dynamic widgets to your favorite apps, contacts, and hubs and also display alerts, such as new e-mail and missed calls. The change is immediately noticeable as soon as you pick up the phone. Microsoft essentially pressed the restart button and worked with a team of designers to create a mobile operating system based a number of principles, including elegance and simplicity, typography, motion, and relevance, which we mostly saw during this preview. With the first wave of devices expected to hit on November 8, here's what to expect from Windows Phone 7.Īs we said at Mobile World Congress, Windows Phone 7 is a complete and refreshing departure from previous versions of Windows Mobile. We've had to wait a long nine months since then to see if Windows Phone 7 actually delivers everything it promises, but we finally got a chance to find out. A complete overhaul of the company's mobile operating system, Microsoft got the tech world excited about it again with its fresh user interface, added features, and promises of improved performance. In February 2010, Microsoft introduced Windows Phone 7 to the world. Editors' note: Tested on the Samsung Taylor, Samsung Focus, and HTC Surround.

Windows phone 7 release date