Windows Phone 7 Deals

Windows Phone 7 smartphones explained

Windows Phone 7 is Microsoft's smartphone operating system (OS). The clean and clear Windows Phone OS is designed to make it as easy as possible to access and use the full gamut of cutting-edge functions that these mobiles offer, such as social networking on the go, messaging, gaming and apps. The platform also affords users of Windows Phone mobiles ample scope for customisation. That means they can set up their mobile just the way they want it, so that all their most used features and apps are only ever a single screen press away.

A mobile phone operating system can also be defined as the software that keeps your phone ticking over smoothly by managing its resources between applications that are in use simultaneously. The Windows Phone 7 platform does this so smoothly and efficiently that you'll be able to multi-task with ease and really make the most of your time.

The Windows Phone 7 user interface

Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 uses a menu layout based on what it calls hubs. These are arranged as titles on the device's homescreen, with each hub designated for a particular purpose.

People Hub

The People Hub is designed for seamless social networking. Head to People Hub and you can access your contacts, along with your Facebook and Windows Live feeds all in one place - all of which makes it much, much easier to keep up to date with everything that's happening with your friends and family. You can even call and text your nearest and dearest from the People Hub too.

Also featured here is a function Microsoft calls the Me card. This allows you to update your status across a host of social networking profiles from one place, directly from your handset.

Pictures Hub

As the name suggests, Pictures Hub is a storage space for all your photos. That includes ones you've taken as well as those that your friends have posted on Facebook.

Games Hub

Gaming is one of key selling points of Windows Phone 7. Not least because it offers full versions of XBox 360 games right on your handset. The Games Hub is where you can store all the titles you've downloaded. It's also where you'll need to head to take on friends online and take advantage of your mobile's cross platforming gaming facility. This means that you can start playing an XBox 360 game at home and then carry on where you left off on your mobile.

Music & Video Hub

This hub is all about entertainment. Head here when you want to stream, play and download music and movies. When you need to get your hands on new content, you can simply head to the Marketplace Hub where you can choose from a massive range of tunes.

Windows Phone 7 apps

No smartphone is complete nowadays without a selection of apps, or applications, to download. Windows Phone 7 apps take in everything from fun games and diversions to more practical business tools that'll help make your working day easier. Better still, many are free to download. Some of the titles on offer include evergreen puzzle game Tetris, popular film information resource IMDB and eBay and Twitter.

What else does Windows Phone 7 offer?

Naturally, Windows Phone 7 smartphones are also home to the kind of features that are now standard on modern mobiles, such as a media player, web browser, FM radio, onboard cameras, large touchscreens often measuring over four-inches across to make it easy to access functions and watch media, push email and the handy search to speech function for conducting voice searches.

Standard across Windows Phone handsets are 1GHz processors. These combine with the slick operating system to keep everything ticking over smoothly, even when you've got multiple applications open.

Windows Phone 7 & security

In the event that you lose your phone and it's packed with sensitive information, Windows Phone 7 mobiles have got you covered. If you head to the Windows Phone Live website, you can wipe your smartphone of information remotely. Better still, you can lock it too and even use its GPS functionality to track it down. But Windows Phone Live isn't just for security. It also allows you to remotely transfer photos,songs and media content to your handset.

Who makes Windows Phone 7 smartphones?

The Windows Phone 7 platform has been picked by a host of manufacturers. Phone makers to have brought mobiles to market using Microsoft's platform include HTC, whose handsets range from the fantastic HD7 to the equally impressive Trophy. Samsung, Dell and LG also offer Windows Phone 7 handsets and industry experts expect the operating system to be picked up by many more companies as consumer support continues to gather behind it. iN future, it's very likely that Sony Ericsson will get onboard and some even anticipate that Nokia will too.