Windows Phone 7

Windows Phone 7 was the very first version of Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system. It was released worldwide on October 21, 2010, and in the United States a little later on November 8, 2010. This operating system ran on the Windows CE 6.0 R3 kernel and was a fresh start compared to the older Windows Mobile 6.5.

The design of Windows Phone 7 was completely new, featuring a simple and clean flat-styled look called the Metro interface. Because of these changes, it could not run programs made for Windows Mobile 6. The first big update, called Windows Phone 7.5 and known by the code name "Mango," came out on September 27, 2011.

Windows Phone 7 was later followed by Windows Phone 8, released on October 29, 2012. However, phones with Windows Phone 7 could not be updated to Windows Phone 8. To help users, Microsoft created Windows Phone 7.8 on January 31, 2013. This update added some features from Windows Phone 8, like a more personalized start screen and a new bootscreen.

Support for Windows Phone 7 ended on January 8, 2013, and support for Windows Phone 7.5 and 7.8 ended on October 14, 2014.

History

The Windows Mobile 7 project began in 2007 but was later cancelled. It was replaced by a new design called the Metro UI, leading to the creation of Windows Phone 7. Microsoft first showed this new operating system, called Windows Phone 7 Series, in February 2010 and gave more details in March 2010. The final software tools for developers were released on September 16, 2010.

The name was later shortened to Windows Phone 7. On October 11, 2010, Microsoft announced 10 devices made by companies like HTC, Dell, Samsung, and LG. These devices went on sale on October 21, 2010, in Europe and Australia, and on November 8, 2010, in the United States. They were available through 60 carriers in 30 countries, with more devices coming in 2011. Windows Phone 7 supported twenty-five languages at first, with apps available in 35 countries through the Windows Phone Store. More languages and regions were added later through updates.

Features

Core

Windows Phone 7 is a special version of the Windows Phone system. It uses a special kind of core, called the kernel, that was also used in older mobile systems.

User interface

Windows Phone 7 has a special way of showing things on the screen, called Metro. The main screen, called the Start screen, shows boxes called Live Tiles. These tiles are links to different things like apps, contacts, or websites. Users can add, move, or remove these tiles. The tiles change in real time — for example, an email tile might show how many new messages you have.

The phone also connects with popular online services like Facebook and Twitter. For example, the Pictures area shows photos from both the phone’s camera and from Facebook. Users can also like and comment on photos and updates directly from the phone.

Windows Phone 7 uses technology that lets you touch and swipe on the screen. It has a dark theme to save battery life on certain screens. Users can choose a light theme and pick different colors for the tiles.

Text input

Users type using an on-screen keyboard that has special keys for adding smiles and checking spelling. Developers can make special keyboards for their apps. Users can fix words after typing them by tapping the word.

Messaging

The messaging system groups conversations together. This means you can talk to someone using different ways — like chat, Facebook messages, or text messages — all in one place.

Web browser

Windows Phone 7.5 uses a special web browser based on Internet Explorer 9.

The web browser lets users keep favorite websites and tiles for them on the Start screen. It can show up to 6 pages at once, lets users zoom in and out, save pictures from websites, and search words on pages.

Contacts

Contacts are kept in the People area. They can be added by hand or brought in from Facebook, Twitter, and other services. The People area shows updates and pictures from contacts’ online profiles. Contacts can be shown on the home screen with their latest updates.

Email

Windows Phone 7 works with Outlook.com, Exchange, Yahoo Mail, and Gmail. It can also work with many other email services. Emails are shown together in threads, and users can search through them.

Multimedia

The Music + Videos area lets users play music and videos stored on the phone or buy them from Xbox Music. It also works with services like iHeartRadio and YouTube. Users can see information about artists and create playlists.

The Pictures area shows photos from Facebook, SkyDrive, and the phone’s camera. Users can upload, comment on, and tag photos. The screen can zoom in and out of photos.

Windows Phone 7 supports many types of music and video files. After an update, users could use their own ringtones, but these had to be small and short.

Games

The Games area lets users play games and use Xbox Live features. Users can see their profile, achievements, and leaderboards. They can also manage game invitations.

Search

Every Windows Phone 7 device has a special Search button. Pressing it lets users search within apps or on the web using Bing. The phone also has a voice recognition feature that lets users search, call, or open apps by speaking.

Bing also provides maps, turn-by-turn directions, and can identify songs and read barcodes.

Office suite

The Office area organizes Microsoft Office apps and files. Users can view and edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote files directly on the phone. Files can come from SkyDrive, Office 365, or the phone itself.

Multitasking

Windows Phone 7 lets users switch between recent apps by pressing and holding the back button. The last five open apps are shown, and some can keep running even when not on screen.

Sync

Zune software is used to manage and sync content between Windows Phone 7 devices and PCs. It can also buy music, videos, and apps. While it doesn’t work on Mac computers, Microsoft provides other tools to help sync with iTunes.

Removed features

When Windows Phone 7 came out, it had many new features but also lost some tools from older phones like Windows Mobile 6.5.

Some old tools, like keeping lists of past calls separate, were changed. You could no longer connect directly to a computer to update your calendar or contacts. Instead, you had to use online services like Windows Live, Google, or Exchange Server. Later updates added back useful tools such as copying and pasting, connecting to hidden Wi‑Fi networks, and more. Even more features like using SD cards and better security came in future versions.

Hardware

Main article: List of Windows Phone 7 devices

Windows Phone 7 devices needed to follow specific hardware rules to give users a smooth experience. These rules were described as both strict and fair by Andy Lees, a top leader at Microsoft.

At first, all Windows Phone 7 devices needed to have 512 MB of memory. Later, with an update called "Tango," the rules changed. Devices could then work with slower processors and only needed 256 MB of memory. However, some features and big apps would not work on devices with less than 512 MB of memory.

Version history

Main article: Windows Phone version history § Windows Phone 7

Windows Phone 7 was the very first version of the Windows Phone operating system. It came out around the world on October 21, 2010, and later in the United States on November 8, 2010. This version was built on an earlier technology called Windows CE 6.0 R3 and was meant to replace an older system known as Windows Mobile 6.5.

Reception

People liked many parts of the Windows Phone 7. The touch screen worked very well, making it easy to scroll and zoom. The design, called "Metro" or "Modern-Style UI," looked clean and fresh. Reviewers enjoyed how the phone connected with Facebook and other services like Windows Live.

Windows Phone 7 received three awards at the 2011 International Design Excellence Awards. It won gold for Interactive Product Experience, silver for Research, and bronze for Design Strategy. People liked its design because it focused on making life easier for users.