Congratulations, Microsoft! You've finally shaken off the shackles of your aging mobile OS, and joined the class of modern smartphones with Windows Phone 7 (WP7). Starting today,
WP7-powered devices are available though Microsoft retail channels, on Amazon, and from AT&T and T-Mobile. T-Mobile customers have only one choice right now for WP7 devices: the HTC HD7. It packs a large 4.3-inch touchscreen and an HD video camera -- basically an
Evo loaded with WP7 and T-Mobile-friendly radios. AT&T customers can choose between two models: the HTC Surround, which hides a pair of slide-out speakers behind its 3.8-inch screen; and the Samsung Focus, which is like a WP7-outfitted Galaxy S, and sports the Galaxy's same 4-inch Super AMOLED screen.
Outside of size and a few hardware features, the current crop of WP7 devices are more or less the same. They all pack 800x480 screens that match high-end Android devices, 5-megapixel cameras that can shoot HD video, and 1 Ghz processors that push the pretty interface and plow through data from your
social networking accounts. The similarity might be an intentional move on the part of Microsoft, as the company's
ad campaign argues that we're too involved with our phones. WP7 is designed to tell you what you need to know at a glance; the subdued UI displays the most relevant information right up front.
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