Windows Phone 7 debuts: One phone won't rule them all

From CNET News.com: If Apple CEO Steve Jobs has spent the past few years pitching the iPhone as the ultimate, universal mobile device, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's answer with his company's Windows Phone 7 OS, is the opposite.

There is, Ballmer subtly implied at today's formal unveiling of Windows Phone 7 here, no such thing as one phone for everyone--but there can be one operating system.

"Everybody should be able to take a look at a Windows Phone and say, 'I can represent me in this device,'" Ballmer explained.

To that end, there are nine Windows Phone 7 devices that will be available in the U.S., from manufacturers Dell, HTC, Samsung, and LG. "You see phones with keyboards," Ballmer said, gesturing to a row of all nine devices in front of him. "You see phones like the LG phones that can play to TV, you'll see super beautiful screens like the beautiful screen on this Samsung...very large screen as you see on this HTC device right here and of course rugged, for-the-hardest-use-type phones like this Dell device."

Five of the phones were previewed to some extent on Monday. For AT&T, there's the business-friendly LG Quantum, the media-heavy HTC Surround (an early fan favorite with its Dolby Surround Sound speakers), and Samsung Focus, all available November 8. For T-Mobile there's the HTC HD7 and Dell Venue Pro, coming later in the season.

View: Article @ Source Site