When Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, with its unique touch input method and beautifully designed interface, Apple revolutionized the cell phone industry. The first year's model had some shortcomings, but by 2008 when the iPhone 3G added features such as third party applications and integration with Microsoft Exchange, there was nothing else close.
In January of 2009, I was really impressed when Palm introduced the Palm Pre. But for whatever reason, that phone has not found many buyers. I can only think of two people I know who use a Palm Pre, and one of them works for HP (the company that now owns Palm). Since then, Google's Android operating system has come on strong, and RIM has at least tried to add some improvements to the BlackBerry.
But I've really been waiting to see what Microsoft would add to this space. Microsoft has a history of devoting a lot of resources to new products and, eventually, getting it right. The first version may have some shortcomings, but give the company time and subsequent versions get better and better. (See, e.g., Windows, Internet Explorer, XBox, etc.)
We've seen sneak peaks for a while now, but yesterday Microsoft officially unveiled Windows Phone 7, the company's next generation smartphone. From the demos that I have seen and the reviews that I have read, it looks like Microsoft has a credible product here. The interface is unique for a smartphone (although it clearly has roots in the Zune, Microsoft's ill-fated answer to the iPod) and much like Android, there are several different manufacturers offering different takes on the operating system.
Will this end up like the Palm Pre (or the Zune) — a lot of splash at first, but few sales? I don't think so. Some people ask whether Windows Phone 7 will "beat" the iPhone. I don't think that is possible any time soon — Apple has such a head start with third party apps, the iTunes/iPod music environment, and Apple's expertise in user interface design — but I also don't think that is right question. I just hope that Microsoft has a viable alternative to the iPhone so that we have competition and innovation.
If you want to get a sense of what the Windows Phone 7 interface looks like, check out this page on the Microsoft website. Also, for a good perspective on the new smartphone operating system, I recommend this article by Harry McCracken in Technologizer. And Nick Bilton of the New York Times has a good overview on yesterday's announcements.
