Microsoft’s new mobile operating system is now live and kicking in the US. Mobile retailers and Best Buy have flagship launch units in stock, though today is more about the platform as a whole than it is about specific products.
What’s interesting about the Windows Phone 7 debut is that people know more about the operating system than they do about the phones. It’s similar to when Microsoft launches a new PC operating system. No one points to a specific computer that’s capable of running the new platform, because there are so many of them.
It’s in contrast to Windows Phone 7’s two biggest competitors. Android launched on one phone: the G1. So up to and including the launch of Android, consumers become intimately familiar with not only the Android OS, but of the G1 as well.
Of course, it was the same story with Apple’s iOS software, which came out on one solitary device, the iPhone.
So far Windows Phone 7 is available on T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T. HTC is the most prolific supporter claiming four of the seven launch phones. The available units are as follows:
HTC 7 Mozart
HTC 7 HD7
Dell Venue Pro
HTC 7 Surround
LG Quantum
HTC 7 Pro
Samsung Focus
It’s a make-or-break deal for Microsoft today. The company cannot afford any sort of screw-ups with Windows Phone 7 as it already faces hugely steep competition from the other smartphone platforms.
