A look at the list of forthcoming Microsoft Windows Phone 7 in 2011

Microsoft finally was able to break through into the smartphone business by introducing their new Windows Phone 7 smartphones in 2010. The comeback for Microsoft was not easy after its attempt and tries with their previous Windows Mobile 6.5 Platform.

The first smartphone to grace the Windows Mobile Platform was Sony Ericsson Aspen with Windows Mobile 6.5.3 OS. After which Microsoft jumped was into building and updating its OS platform for smartphones and finally brought out Windows Phone 7 smartphones in October 2010 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. From then on Microsoft was up there along with the big titans like Android, iOS and BlackBerry OS.

The brand new operating system received strong reviews and moderate early commercial success. 7 Series with a completely new home screen along with new interface, improved social networking tools, Xbox LIVE and Zune integration were ready to move on from past.

The home screen consists of 'Tiles' which links applications, features, functions, contacts, web pages and media items wherein users can add, rearrange or even remove 'Tiles'. And the OS is integrated with popular social networks like Facebook and Windows Live, also Gmail is included. Few of the other built-in hubs include Microsoft Office, Windows Phone Marketplace, Games, Music and Video. Another advantage apart from multi-touch (feature which comes close to Apple iOS4) is that the dark theme helps the users to enjoy an increased battery life.

But one disadvantage strikes the OS, as it doesn’t contain universal search option available in iOS, webOS, Android and BlackBerry 6. One more disadvantage of Tiles feature is that it has very limited home screen and customization space compared to Android, iOS and BlackBerry. Apart from these, Windows Phone 7 smartphones won’t be supporting copy and paste out of the box and no third party multitasking of apps. Anyhow Microsoft is bringing a fix for the copy and paste option soon.

The Web browser in Windows Phone 7 is known as Internet Explorer Mobile which is seen as a browser in between IE7 and IE8. And the browser supports 6 tabs, multi-touch gestures, streamlined UI and pinch zooming. The smartphones will receive support for Adobe Flash Player in mid-2011 and YouTube streaming is also available.

When it comes to virtual keyboard it can be compared to Apple’s iPhone and is better than few of best Android smartphones out there. Auto correcting feature is available as one type and will allow the users to change a word after it has been typed by tapping the word.

Ultimately, the smartphones from Microsoft are here to stay and Microsoft has done a good job in terms of navigation, Zune and Xbox Live integration, fast operating system, support for Office and a good email experience. More updates and improved furnishing will be done in near future and the mobile future for Microsoft seems to be bright after its initial failures.

Here is a look at the list of Windows Phone 7 smartphones:

1) HTC Mozart:
Display: 3.7-inch LCD capacitive touch-screen 480x800 pixels 16million color WVGA, backlit TFT LCD
Camera: 8 mega-pixel autofocus CMOS sensor with Xenon flash
Video capture: up to 720p
OS: Windows Phone 7
Input: Multi-touch capacitive touchscreen, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, 3-axis accelerometer, digital compass
Processor: Qualcomm QSD8250 1 GHz Scorpion (Snapdragon)
Storage: 8 GB internal flash
Memory: 512 MB ROM/ 576 MB RAM
Networks: GSM, HSDPA
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, G-Sensor, A-GPS, micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack
Battery: Rechargeable 1300mAh Li-ion battery (Extended Battery Available)
Weight: 130 g
Stand-by: Up to 360 h (2G) / Up to 435 h (3G)
Talk Time: Up to 6 h 40 min (2G) / Up to 5 h 30 min (3G)
Released: October 2010, available in Europe, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Germany, Austria, France, UK, Switzerland, Spain, Singapore, Australia

2) HTC 7 Surround: (Mondrian / T8788)
Display: 3.8-inch (diagonal) widescreen 480x800 WVGA
Camera: 5 mega-pixel autofocus with flash, rear-facing
Video capture: up to 720p
OS: Windows Phone 7
Input: Multi-touch touchscreen display, dual microphone, 3-axis accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor
Processor: Qualcomm QSD8250 1GHz Scorpion (Snapdragon)
Storage: 16 GB
Memory: 448 MB RAM/ 512 MB ROM
Networks: AT&T Mobility Telus Communications, GSM, HSDPA
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, G-Sensor, A-GPS, micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack
Battery: 1230 mAh Lithium-ion battery
Weight: 165 g
Stand-by: Up to 275 h (2G) / Up to 255 h (3G)
Talk Time: Up to 4 h (2G) / Up to 4 h 10 min (3G)
Released: November 2010, available in US (AT&T) and Canada

3) HTC 7 Pro
Display: 3.6-inch Super-LCD capacitive touchscreen 480x800 pixel 16million-color WVGA
Camera: 5 mega-pixel autofocus CMOS sensor
Video capture: up to 720p
OS: Windows Phone 7
Input: Multi-touch capacitive touchscreen, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, digital compass, slide out QWERTY
Processor: Qualcomm QSD8250 1 GHz Scorpion (Snapdragon)
Storage: 8 GB
Memory: 512 MB ROM/ 576 MB RAM
Networks: GSM, HSDPA
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, G-Sensor, A-GPS, micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack
Battery: Rechargeable 1500mAh Li-ion battery
Weight: 185 g
Stand-by: Up to 360 h (2G) / Up to 420 h (3G)
Talk Time: Up to 5 h 30 min (2G) / Up to 7 h (3G)
Released: To be released in Q1 2010. Will be available in US (Sprint) and Europe

4) HTC 7 Trophy
Display: 3.8-inch widescreen, 480x800 WVGA
Camera: 5 mega-pixel autofocus with flash, rear-facing
Video capture: up to 720p
OS: Windows Phone 7
Input: Multi-touch capacitive touchscreen, dual microphone, 3-axis accelerometer proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, digital compass
Processor: Qualcomm QSD8250 1GHz Scorpion (Snapdragon)
Storage: 8 GB
Memory: 512 MB ROM/ 576 MB RAM
Networks: GSM, HSDPA
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, G-Sensor, A-GPS, micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack
Battery: Rechargeable 1300 mAh Li-ion battery
Weight: 140 g
Stand-by: Up to 360 h (2G) / Up to 435 h (3G)
Talk Time: Up to 6 h 40 min (2G) / Up to 3 h 30 min (3G)
Released: October 2010 available Singapore, France, Australia, New Zealand, France, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Spain and UK

5) HTC HD7
Display: 4.3-inch LCD capacitive touchscreen 480x800 pixel 16million-color WVGA
Camera: 5 mega-pixel autofocus with dual LED flash, CMOS sensor
Video capture: up to 720p
OS: Windows Phone 7
Input: Multi-touch capacitive touch-screen, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, 3-axis Accelerometer, magnetometer
Processor: Qualcomm QSD8250 1GHz Scorpion (Snapdragon)/ Adreno 200 graphics
Storage: Europe: 8GB, Asia Pacific: 16GB
Memory: 512 MB ROM/ 576 MB RAM
Networks: HSDPA /WCDMA/GSM
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, A-GPS, micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack
Battery: Rechargeable 1230mAh Li-ion battery (Extended Battery Available)
Weight: 162 g
Stand-by: Up to 310 h (2G) / Up to 320 h (3G)
Talk Time: Up to 6 h 20 min (2G) / Up to 5 h 20 min (3G)
Released: November 2010 available in Hong Kong, France, Malaysia, Spain, UK and Germany, Singapore, US (T-Mobile), Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia

6) LG E900 Optimus 7
Display: 3.8-inch widescreen 480x800 WVGA
Camera: 5 mega-pixel autofocus with flash, rear-facing
Video capture: up to 720p
OS: Windows Phone 7
Input: Multi-touch touch-screen, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, 3-axis Accelerometer, dual microphone
Processor: Qualcomm QSD8250 1GHz Scorpion (Snapdragon)
Storage: 16GB
Memory: 512 MB ROM/ 512 MB RAM
Networks: HSDPA /GSM
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, A-GPS, micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack
Battery: Rechargeable 1500mAh Li-ion battery (Extended Battery Available)
Weight: 157 g
Stand-by: up to 330 h (2G) / Up to 330 h (3G)
Talk time: up to 6 h 40 min (2G) / Up to 5 h (3G)
Released: October 2010 available in Mexico, Singapore, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK

7) LG C900 Optimus 7Q
Display: 3.5-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16 million colors
Camera: 5 mega-pixel autofocus with LED flash, rear-facing Gorilla glass
Video capture: up to 720p
OS: Windows Phone 7
Input: Multi-touch touch-screen, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, slide out QWERTY keyboard
Processor: Qualcomm QSD8650 1GHz Snapdragon
Storage: 16GB
Memory: 512 MB ROM/ 512 MB RAM
Networks: HSDPA /GSM
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, A-GPS, micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack
Battery: Rechargeable 1500mAh Li-ion battery
Weight: 178 g
Stand-by: 350 hours
Talk Time: 6 hours
Released: October 2010 available in US (AT&T) and Australia

8) Dell Venue Pro
Display: 4.1-inch widescreen 480x800 WVGA AMOLED
Camera: 5 mega-pixel autofocus with LED flash, rear-facing Gorilla glass
Video capture: up to 720p
OS: Windows Phone 7
Input: Multi-touch touchscreen, dual microphone, 3-axis accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, slide out QWERTY
Processor: Qualcomm QSD8250 1GHz Scorpion (Snapdragon)
Storage: 8/16 GB
Memory: 256 MB RAM/ 512 MB ROM
Networks: HSDPA/GSM
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, A-GPS, micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack
Battery: Rechargeable 1400mAh Li-ion battery
Weight: 165 g
Stand-by: 336 hours
Talk Time: 7 hours
Released: November 2010 available in US (T-Mobile)

9) LG Quantum
Display: 3.5-inch widescreen 480x800 WVGA AMOLED, Gorilla glass
Camera: 5 mega-pixel autofocus with flash, rear-facing
Video capture: up to 720p
OS: Windows Phone 7
Input: Multi-touch touchscreen, dual microphone, 3-axis accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, slide out QWERTY keyboard
Processor: Qualcomm QSD8250 1GHz Scorpion (Snapdragon)
Storage: 16 GB
Memory: 256 MB RAM/ 512 MB ROM
Networks: HSDPA/GSM
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, A-GPS, micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack
Battery: Rechargeable 1500mAh Li-ion battery
Weight: 176 g
Stand-by: up to 350 h
Talk time: up to 6 h
Released: November 2010 available in US (AT&T)

10) LG GW910 (also known as LG Apollo, LG Panther)
Display: 3.5-inch widescreen 480x800 WVGA AMOLED Gorilla glass
Camera: 5 mega-pixel autofocus with flash, rear-facing
Video capture: up to 720p
OS: Windows Phone 7
Input: Multi-touch touchscreen, digital compass, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, slide out QWERTY
Processor: Qualcomm QSD8250 1GHz Scorpion (Snapdragon)
Storage: 8 GB
Memory: 512MB RAM, 512MB ROM
Networks: HSDPA/GSM
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, A-GPS, micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack
Battery: Rechargeable 1500mAh Li-ion battery
Weight: expected to be 150 g
Stand-by: up to 288 h
Talk time: up to 7 h 30 min
Released: Expected to be released in Q1 2011 and most probably will be available in US (AT&T)

11) Samsung Focus
Display: 4.0-inch widescreen 480x800 Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
Camera: 5 mega-pixel autofocus with flash, rear-facing
Video capture: up to 720p
OS: Windows Phone 7
Input: Multi-touch touchscreen, digital compass, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, dual microphone, 3-axis accelerometer
Processor: Qualcomm QSD8250 1GHz Scorpion (Snapdragon)
Storage: 8 GB
Memory: 512MB RAM, 1GB ROM
Networks: HSDPA/GSM
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, A-GPS, micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack
Battery: Rechargeable 1500mAh Li-ion battery
Weight: 115 g
Stand-by: up to 300 h
Talk time: up to 6 h 30 min
Released: released November 2010 and available in US (AT&T)

12) Samsung I8700 Omnia 7
Display: 4.0-inch widescreen 480x800 Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
Camera: 5 mega-pixel autofocus with flash, rear-facing
Video capture: up to 720p
OS: Windows Phone 7
Input: Multi-touch touchscreen, digital compass, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, dual microphone, 3-axis accelerometer
Processor: Qualcomm QSD8250 1GHz Scorpion (Snapdragon)
Storage: 8 GB/16 GB
Memory: 512MB RAM, 1GB ROM
Networks: HSDPA/GSM
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, A-GPS, micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack
Battery: Rechargeable 1500mAh Li-ion battery
Weight: 138.2 g
Stand-by: up to 390 h (2G) / up to 330 h (3G)
Talk time: up to 5 h 40 min (2G) / up to 6 h 10 min (3G)
Released: released October 2010 and available in Deutsch, Spain, France, UK, France

Other expected to be released Windows Phone 7 smartphones include ASUS E600, Sony Ericsson Xperia X7 and Sony Ericsson Xperia X7 Mini. ASUS E600 is expected to feature 4-inch TFT touchscreen, Li-Ion 1300 mAh and Windows Phone 7 OS. While leaked documents show Sony Ericsson Xperia X7 specification to be 4.3-inch touch-screen display, 8.1 mega-pixel camera with HD video recording at 720p, 1.2 GHz processor and Wi-Fi 802.11n whereas the Sony Ericsson Xperia X7 Mini is expected to feature 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen, Qualcomm QSD8250 1 GHz processor, 10.1-inch mega-pixel camera with xenon flash along noise cancellation headphones budled. All these rumored smartphones are expected to be released in 2011.