Windows Phone 7 : The latest smartphone OS by Microsoft !

Windows phone 7 is the latest mobile smartphone operating system to come from Microsoft. Windows Phone 7 is the successor to the very popular Windows mobile 6.x version. WP7 has already been launched by Microsoft and companies like HTC, Dell, Samsung, LG have started selling phones running with this OS. Nokia recently announced its collaboration with Microsoft and their phones loaded with WP7 are expected to hit the shelves in the first quarter of 2012.

Now, how far is WP7 better than its successor? Well, I would say its far better than the previous OS and has the potential to be very successful in the long run.The primary reason is that all the phones running in this platform have to meet the minimum required specification to run it. The minimum specifications to run the OS are :

- 1 Ghz or better processor
- Capacitive WVGA screen with a resolution of 480 X 800
- DirectX 9 capable graphics unit
- Accelerometer with compass, A-GPS
- 5 Megapixel camera with flash
- Standard 7 dedicated buttons for various functions

On the hardware side, the minimum requirements look pretty impressive which also assures that the OS runs smoothly in any hardware on which it is loaded. So, the performance would be greatly imporoved rather than devices running on Symbian ana Android whose minimum requirements for running the OS is much lower. This also proves that WP7 is targeted to the enterprise audience who doesn't want to compromise on quality.



Coming to the UI, I feel that it is very clean and impressive. Microsoft calls this UI as "Metro UI". The home screen or the start screen consists of various tiles which link to the respective applications. The most important thing about the UI is that it is clutter-free and displays only the information required to the user. Text input is by a virtual keyboard on the screen. The web browser provided is obviously a mobile version of the IE. Gaming is impressive with the integration of xbox live and syncing to a Windows PC is done by Zune. For the office needs, a full fledged mobile version of the MS Office is present. Windows Marketplace is the online store for purchasing and downloading apps. Microsoft is trying to attract more and more developers to WP7 by introducing simple IDE for development[Visual Studio] and API's to create a huge library of apps.
There are also a few drawbacks of the new OS. Video calling facility has not been provided. Connecting to hidden wifi networks, static IP addresses and tethering to the PC are not yet available in this new platform. To add to this, flash player is also absent. But we can hope an update from Microsoft in the coming days to fix these problems as copy paste feature was recently enabled in the last update by Microsoft.
Finally, I think the WP7 is really a great effort by Microsoft to regain its share in the smartphone market. Although this platform has a few shortcomings, I strongly feel Windows Phone 7 will prove to be the trump card of the Redmond based company in the long run. Any thoughts guys??

Nokia 888 Concept Phone : “Form follows you”

               Well this is something new and a strange concept from Nokia ... Its currently called as the Nokia 888 Concept phone and is totally different from the regular cellphones we use now.You dont have to carry it in your pocket or on your wrist. You can carry it anywhere, in anyform. You can roll it, bend it, put on your clothes like a clip. It also makes some form changes that makes it more ergonomical: i.e. when you want to talk on the phone, the body form turns into the form of the good old telephone. You can personalize these forms and record them. So it fits you the best in the way that you have chosen. The functions that it has also create a feeling of electronical pet, as it senses your moves, understand what you want, respond you in the best way. The phone's shape is completely customisabe according to the needs of the user hence the tag line “Form follows you”.

                 The Nokia 888 features a flexible touch screen UI and a touch sensitive body cover which lets it adjust according to the environment. It has a simple programmable body mechanism so that it changes forms in different situations. Another important feature of the phone is that it uses a liquid battery which is not rechargeable but has enough power to last for atleast 18 months of regular usage. There are unconfirmed rumours that it might have a solar charging panel for charging the battery.

                  Another splendid feature of the phone is e-motions. This allows users to interact which each other.You can send and receive forms from / to friends. As an example, you can send a heart shape to your friend, so her telephone turns into an icon of heart. Or you can send a dancing form to your friends to call them to the party tonight. This is the fun side of the product which makes it quite unique and sought for.
                Wondering when this phone will be a reality??Well, its expected to hit the markets of Europe by the end of 2011. So lets wait and watch for this awesome gadget to launch !!!

Have a look at this amazing video of the Nokia 888 concept phone.

4G : The latest technology in mobile telephony is here !!!

          The fourth generation of cellular wireless standards is generally referred to as 4G. While 4G seems to be a distant reality for India at the current time, 4G standards have been started in test & trial modes in many advanced countries including the United States and Japan. 4G promises enhanced speeds up to 100Mbps for mobile devices and up to 1Gbps for stationary devices. 4G will also revolutionize wireless network access (Wi-Fi) into a much faster and secure connection known as Wimax which will also be capable of providing gigabit speeds.
          4G will also lead to seamless global roaming without any kind of disturbances which will lead to a much pleasant global telephony experience. In terms of multimedia, 4G will be able to provide real time television,HDTV video content, Ultra high speed mobile broadband and internet gaming on the go. Coming to the technical side, 4G will be based on OFDM - Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing which will enable data to be sent on hundreds of parallel channelss instead of one channel as in case of traditional UMTS or CDMA network. From the above facts, we can conclude that 4G will be the next big thing in mobile telephony. But the question is "When will 4G be a reality in India, where even 3G networks have not been fully operational till now?"
          Do share your views and comments on this post !!!