I've owned Palms, Androids, Apples, and Blackberries all within the past 2 years. I read up on, and know a lot about the ins and outs of all the major operating systems, upgrades, software, and hardware. Though, it's still in its infancy, the new Windows Phone OS is pretty chock full of plenty of goodies.
For one, it's definitely the smoothest and fastest phone I have ever owned. Not a new concept, but the way Windows integrated social networking into their phones, and along with the regularly updated live tiles, it makes using the phone to connect to the social world more enjoyable.
Back to the "smoothness." Scrolling through this phone, and selecting applications has been nearly flawless, and very fast. Animations, are not buggy whatsoever, when in to comparison to Androids and Blackberries I have used. I have not had a single freeze, or crash on this phone since I've been using the device for months.
Even though it's still young, the Marketplace has already surpassed 25,000 apps, which include all the major names you come to expect like every major social network app, tons of news and RSS readers, sports apps, weather apps, navigation apps, and popular games, such as Angry Birds and Need For Speed. The games are a plus, due to its integration with the XBOX Live Network.
For business owners, Microsoft has implemented its Microsoft Office business suite to the device. It comes equipped with One Note which I use daily for note taking, and writing short documents, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Excel...all which allow editing and starting new documents.
We cannot forget the built in Zune HD, and Zune Marketplace. Sync your phone with Zune to watch movies and music videos, or listen to your favorite music and subscribed podcasts.
Oh yeah! It's a phone too! Believe me, the phone works great, and the radio signal is nothing to complain about. The keyboard is the best I've ever used. You can sync your phone book contacts with your Google, Hotmail, Live, Yahoo, other email accounts, or Microsoft Exchange for quick and easy access to your friends, family, and business partners. The display is beautiful, and sound quality is above par.
Like all phones I've owned, none are perfect. I do have my gripes with certain areas. For one, copy and past just recently arrived to the device after a nearly half-year wait. The phone does not have true "multitasking" functionality. It's not the worst thing, but sometimes when you want to switch back and forth between applications, it could get frustrating. Also, I'd like to be able top listen to online streaming of my favorite live radio shows in the background. That is not possible. There's no custom ring tones, and colors available to change the themes are limited to a few. With that said, there is a major OS update set to be released this Fall. That's around the same time Apple's IOS5 update is being released, and I have to admit, that's a pretty impressive one as well. Check the video below for just a small sampling of what to expect from the new Windows Phone 7 update, titled "Mango."
Written By: Sal Traina
Twitter: @EdgeFMSal
