You saw our recap of CES where we told you a little about Windows Phone, but here’s the full scoop on the most important things you need to know about Windows Phone when you’re shopping for a smartphone!
The Interface
The first thing you’ll notice about Windows Phone is that its interface is really different from what you’re accustomed to seeing on iPhone and Android devices. Instead of displaying a sea of icons, you have what Microsoft is calling its Metro interface: a two-column grid of square and rectangle tiles, some of which are “live tiles” and constantly update with fresh content. The Phone and Messaging tiles act like you would expect – quick shortcuts to make a call or send a text. The “People Hub” is a multi-panel list of your contacts, along with the newest updates from them across all your integrated social networks.
The Philosophy
The People Hub is a great example of Windows Phone’s philosophy, which focuses on an integrated experience rather than an app-driven one. Whereas iPhone and Android enthusiasts tend to focus on the number and diversity of apps available in their app stores, Microsoft has consistently emphasized its alternative approach of baking in integrations and traditionally app-based functionality into the operating system itself. In practice, this means that once you connect to all your relevant social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more) in your Settings dialogue, you can directly post a picture to Facebook from your camera rather than having to take a picture, close that app, open Facebook, browse for the picture, and then upload it.
Perhaps even more useful to us collegiettes is what this means for the Messaging “app” – message threads consolidate every communication channel available, so if you start a conversation with your roommate via a Facebook message and she then signs off, you can continue as a text message, completely seamlessly! Time will tell just how far Microsoft will be able to implement this philosophy in developing integrations, as more and more apps are becoming irreplaceable for us (Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, and the list goes on).
By the way, Microsoft’s app store, while significantly smaller than the Apple and Android ones, still has many essentials, including Facebook, Twitter, Angry Birds, Netflix, Spotify, and more.
Our Favorite Features
Some of our favorite features of the Windows Phone are:
- The ability to pin anything to the start screen. Do you call your mom everyday on your way to the gym? Pin her contact card to your start screen as a live tile, and click it for easy access to calling, texting, and all her latest Facebook posts (yes, we’re shocked at how often she posts about The Bachelor, too)
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The integration with other Windows products. Your Windows Phone is synced with the full suite of Microsoft products available, including Skydrive, Xbox, via your Windows Live ID.
- The great hardware. Nokia, HTC, and Samsung all currently manufacture several Windows Phones. Some phones offer really stunning specs, like a 16 megapixel camera on the upcoming HTC Titan 2. Several devices are on the 4G network including the Nokia Lumia 710 and the gorgeous upcoming Nokia Lumia 900.
For more information on Windows Phone, visit its website or tweet at the Windows Phone Team!
What else are you curious about when it comes to shopping for smartphones? Leave us a comment below!
We were provided with a Windows Phone to write this review.