Microsoft is launching windows based mobile against competitors like Apple’s Iphone and Google’s Android.They have made deals with some big names like HTC,Toshiba, Samsung and LG, to use the software (Windows 6.5) in more than 30 devices in over 20 markets around the world by the end of the year.
The new range of Windows Phone devices will battle with a slew of new handsets to be released in the next few weeks, in time for the crucial Christmas trading season. Orange will launch the Motorola Dext, which uses Google’s Android platform, while Sony Ericsson will launch the Satio, which has a mammoth 12.1 megapixel camera, and the rather more compact Aino. O2 will be selling the Palm Pre.
Microsoft has shipped about 50 million Windows phones in the past few years, but recently its annual shipments are estimated to have been overtaken by sales of the iPhone.
Windows Phone, which was initially revealed in a ‘beta’ test version in February, sees the company jettison the traditional Windows menu system in favour of a new ‘today’ screen which gives the user a quick overview of their email, calendar, calls, instant messages and texts and provides easy access to web browsing through a new version of Internet Explorer which – crucially – supports Flash, unlike other devices such as the iPhone and Pre.
