A New Storm is Brewing
Following the footsteps of Apple’s iPhone OS and Google’s Android OS, software giant Microsoft has unveiled its latest product to hit the mobile world – the Windows Phone 7. It is of no doubt that the smartphones market is taking Singapore by storm. According to Jessica Tan, Managing Director of Microsoft Singapore, smartphone subscribers have accounted for about 50% of the mobile market since its inception and its soaring popularity in 2009.
So what does the Windows Phone 7 aim to deliver? “It caters to today’s user who is constantly interacting online and lives a life in motion. Windows Phone 7 is designed to give users a new phone experience – one that delivers what they want faster and smarter, be it social networking, music, pictures, emails, or games. It even has Xbox LIVE, a first for any phone,” said Tan.
Indeed, the premise of the new OS platform is built around the concept of “glance and go” rather than “stop and stare”. Meant for work-centric folks who need information fast on the go, Windows Phone 7 has specially catered to provide convenience and ease while not compromising on the look and feel.
New features include “tiles” on the main user interface for easy customisation and prioritisation. Users are able to “pin” their favourite items like Facebook contacts or favourite songs right up on the first page for quick and easy access. And all these are done by a flip of the thumb.
The much anticipated handsets will be available in Singapore from October 21, 2010, and SingTel, StarHub and M1 will join 60 mobile operators in 30 countries worldwide to bring the phone to market, with a variety of handsets available from HTC, LG and Samsung.
As the spokesperson for Microsoft Singapore puts it, they hope that the new OS mobile platforms will reach a top 3 ranking status in Singapore by 2011. Judging from the large market shares of Apple and Google, does Microsoft stand a chance to be a competitive player in not just the software industry, but also the mobile arena?
What’s certain for sure is that a new storm is brewing, and here’s the start of a new mobile era. So brace yourselves, techies!
