Windows Phone 7 Revealed: What You Need to Know

Microsoft officially unveiled its new mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7, at a press event held this morning in New York City. CEO Steve Ballmer described the new line of Windows Phones as "different" and more modern, in both design and principles. With Windows Phone 7, the focus is on how "real people want to use their phones," he said.

Besides being different, a key point Microsoft needs to drive home if wanting to compete in a crowded mobile landscape, there was also a big focus on personalization. "We also wanted these to be wonderfully mine, or yours, or yours, or the next person. Here's my phone, the way I've made it wonderfully mine," explained Ballmer. "My photos, my email, my start screen, my activities, my world... and of course, my avatar."

The Software

Microsoft Corporate VP Joe Belifore described the phone's final software as an operating system that helps you get things done. "We wanted to figure out how to build a phone that simplifies the basics," he said.

One of the ways WP7 achieves this, explained Belifore, is through the use of something called Windows Phone Hubs. These live-updating tiles display on the Windows Phone 7 homescreen, alerting users to new text messages, missed calls, voicemails and more. But hubs can deliver non-phone related info too, like live Twitter and Facebook updates, Internet news and new photos uploaded by friends. One hub even connects the phone to Xbox LIVE, Microsoft's online service for its Xbox 360 gaming console.

The tiles can be moved around and deleted, so as to allow complete customization of the homescreen.

The Camera

Another major feature with the new mobile operating system is how the camera works. Instead of having to launch an app, WP7 users will just press a hardware-based camera button to snap a photo. Then from within the camera's onscreen interface, you can access the photo gallery and immediately upload those photos to the cloud.

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