NFL RedZone– coming soon to Verizon Wireless

We know, it’s March. All our focus should be on Selection Sunday next week and March Madness (and baseball, for those who only care about the pros) and not so much on football for the next couple of months, with football taking a seat in the way back. (And don’t worry, we’re gonna have a lot of ways for you to use tech to keep up with both March Madness and the MLB season very soon).

Today, however, we’re gonna keep the focus on the NFL– as what Verizon and the NFL announced today is pretty sick for all you Verizon users out there. Not only will you guys soon get exclusive Skype, but for the next 4 years (at least, according to the Wall Street Journal) you will soon be getting exclusive access to the NFL Mobile. Starting next month with the NFL Draft, Verizon users will not only be able to follow live on their phones (we’re talking live video, not just an ESPN livecast), but also will have access to on-demand video of NFL Network analysis of the Draft, pick-by-pick Draft tracker updated in real time, and in-depth prospect profiles, blogs, news and more.

And come next season, users will be able to not only watch Sunday and Thursday night games, NFL RedZone, and the NFL Network live from your phones, but also game highlights and an extensive collection of on-demand video featuring analysis and inside access from NFL Network and NFL Films, live radio broadcasts of every regular season and playoff game from both home and away teams, access to fantasy information, news, and player and team statistics, and customizable NFL alerts, ringtones and graphics.

All I can say, if your a football fan on Verizon, than today truly is your lucky day. We’re not yet sure exactly which phones will get the app or how much the app will cost (which again, is a Verizon exclusive, so sadly all you Sprint users that had the NFL Mobile Live app look to be out of luck now), but hopefully we’ll know more info before April 22nd.

In the meantime, who you think goes number one next month?

Is this the BlackBerry Slider?

BlackBerry fans out there- brace yourself. What we’re about to tell you is pretty HUGE news. Like seriously HUGE.

As you can see in the pic above, pix are leaking out all over the web of this– a BlackBerry that isn’t just touchscreen and isn’t just a regular BlackBerry with a full QWERTY keyboard– BUT BOTH, in a sleek-looking slider design.

Unfortunately, all that we have to go on is the pix (thanks to a site called BBLeaks)– which look to feature a touchscreen (though no SurePress as with the Storm), the new trackpad, and of course that awesome slide out full QWERTY keyboard. All in a design that doesn’t look to be much thicker than a Curve.

The BlackBerry Slider– closed and with the Curve

Ok, now for what some of the rumors on what else could be in this mysterious device. According to Boy Genius Report, this phone will run BlackBerry OS 6.0 (today’s BlackBerrys like the Bold 9700 are on 5.0, hopefully this new OS begins to separate itself from the same old BlackBerry OS we’ve been seeing for years), as well as pack WiFi capability with wireless N, for getting onto the latest and greatest WiFi networks out there. The device is also expected to use GSM/HSPA, the tech for networks like AT&T and T-Mobile, unlike the Storm, which is a Verizon exclusive (though that does not necessarily confirm nor deny the phone, or a version of it, to any of the networks). Additionally, according to CrackBerry, the Slider will also be a part of the Bold line– not the Storm.

This is clearly in the very early stages of rumors (yes, just to make sure it’s all loud and clear– this is still a rumor), but a rumor that looks to be absolutely awesome and one were hoping RIM makes official ASAP. What you think– would you buy a BlackBerry if it was a slider like this, or do you prefer your BlackBerrys to remain the same in terms of design? Share your thoughts in the comments.

We briefly mentioned the new Motorola Devour for Verizon in our post on the new Skype-Verizon deal, but that wasn’t the only new Android phone Motorola was getting ready to unveil. Both T-Mobile and AT&T are set to get new Motorola phones of their own very soon as well in the Cliq XT and Backflip respectively.

So what’s new in these 3 phones? Read on to find out.

Motorola Devour

This one’s arrival has been long-rumored, but now Verizon and Motorola have finally released the details on this bad boy’s release date. Verizon’s 3rd Android phone, the Devour (formerly known as the Calgary), is no Droid, but definitely a respectable phone in it’s own right.

So what’s in the Devour? Some pretty solid specs including:

• 3.1 capacitive touchscreen (smaller than the Droid’s massive 3.7 inch screen)
• Motorola’s custom Android interface MOTOBLUR as seen on the Cliq to keep you constantly connected to all your friends latest Tweets and Facebook status updates
• microSD card slot with an 8 GB card pre-installed
• a full slide out QWERTY keyboard
• 3 megapixel camera
• Android 1.6 with all we know and love from Android, like Google Maps (with Navigation) and the Android Market.

Also included in the Devour is support for Flash, which definitely is great to hear and should give this a little more of an advantage over other Verizon smartphones like the Palm Pixi Plus (at least until webOS gets it’s Flash support).

While we’re not sure when/if this will have multi-touch as the Nexus One and Droid have recently received (or even an update from 1.6 to 2.1), let’s hope Motorola and Google spread some of the latest Android love here as well.

Verizon will be selling the Devour for what I think is a pretty steep $149.99,  considering that is only $50 less than the Droid and not as powerful (this is more on the likes of the Pixi Plus– which goes for $79.99, a much more reasonable price for a phone like this) and the same price as the much more powerful Pre Plus. Heck, at Best Buy (where you can order the Devour now), the Devour goes for a much more sensible $99.99, but Best Buy also is selling the Droid for that same $99.99. Let’s hope this gets a little cheaper to help separate from the much more powerful Droid.

Motorola Backflip

We know this has been a longtime coming (I mean, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon have all launched multiple Android phones last year), but AT&T is finally jumping in on the Android fun today, announcing their first Android phones (one of 5 to come this year, including one from Dell): the Motorola Backflip. The Backflip is a pretty cool phone, and not just with the specs. The design of the phone is definitely a unique one, taking the pretty traditional full touchscreen with full keyboard design one step further– the keyboard doesn’t slide out like on the Droid or Cliq, rather it has a “reverse flip design” where you flip it from the back of the phone to the front. Not only that, but the screen can also “flip back”  to enable a media mode– good for watching videos, sharing pix or using your phone on say a desk or table, as seen in the pic below.

Sure, this too is more of a Cliq than a Droid (as are all these phones), but it’s also got some solid features as AT&T’s first Android phone. Specs include:

• 3.1 inch touchscreen with slide out keyboard
• Backtrack, otherwise known as a touchpad behind the touchscreen, so that you can navigate the phone with full view of the screen– without question something we haven’t seen before
• 3G, GPS, and WiFi (all musts on any smartphone)
• 5 megapixel camera with flash, autofocus and video recording
• microSD card slot with 2 GB pre-installed
• 3.5 mm headphone jack
• Android 1.5 (which will be upgraded to 2.1 at some point)
• last but not least– MOTOBLUR as with the Devour.

Pricing on this bad boy is said to be in a much more reasonable $99.99 with 2 year contract (with a smartphone plan) after $100 mail in rebate when the Backflip launches this Sunday, March 7th.

Motorola Cliq XT

So you’re on T-Mobile (the first carrier to start the Android craze), and want a new Android phone, but want something like Cliq with MOTOBLUR just don’t want the keyboard part? Try the Motorola Cliq XT.

Not only does it have a sleek, all touchscreen design, but it too has a solid amount of specs including:

• 3.1 inch multitouch screen
• T-Mobile 3G with GPS and WiFi
• 5 megapixel camera with flash, autofocus and video recording (similar to the Backflip)
• Android 1.5 with MOTOBLUR (though here there is no definite word on if this too will be upgraded to 2.1)
• touchpad (like on the Backflip, just here its on the front of the phone)
• built-in Adobe Flash Lite to view the real web
• FM radio
• microSD card slot with 2 GB included

There is no price known yet on the Cliq XT, but expect this too to come out sometime this month.

So there you have it, some solid new Motorola phones coming soon to a Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile store near you. We wanna know– if your looking at a new phone on any of these carriers– you gonna go with any of these? Sound off in the comments.

You can learn more about the Devour and Cliq XT from Motorola’s sites, the Backflip from AT&T’s site

Meebo – it’s fun to say! Meebo.  Meebo.

A while back, I wrote a review of Beejive IM, for the iPhone – an IM app that did nearly everything. It’s a great app, but somewhat pricey for IM, ($10) – although it was the best way to IM everyone on all your networks.

But, recently, after showing the app off at the original iPhone 3.0 announcement, Meebo has finally been released, and joined the IM fray. And for most of you – the presumably cheap especially – Meebo might be the solution you’ve been looking for for using AIM, Facebook Chat, Google Talk, Yahoo Chat, and Windows Live simultaneously. (Although you might want to look at consolidating some of those networks…). And unlike the still-fantastic Beejive, Meebo comes at that lovely, lovely price of free.

Also, Meebo has the usual features of a great iPhone IM app: push support for getting IMs outside of the app, speed, and full chat history. It also has the ability to connect to the Meebo website – which allows a pretty sweet seamless transition from iPod/iPhone to computer. One minor qualm I had was related to my use of an iPod Touch – it takes a few seconds to reconnect/load your accounts when returning to the app from a notification – something that is due to the use of WiFi over 3G or EDGE.

But, for delivering almost all functionality of Beejive for free makes Meebo at least worth checking out. Link’s right here.

When you want a slim, cool, phone you used to think companies like LG, Motorola, and Samsung. But recently, HTC has been continuously releasing phones which compete with the big phone companies. The Google Nexus One, myTouch and HTC-branded Hero, Touch Pro2, and Imagio are just a few of the big name phones that HTC has released over the last year; and at Mobile World Congress last week, HTC unleashed a few more phones that are sure to be ones you will want to be in your pocket when they become available later this year. Read on for all the details.

The HTC Legend is a very sleek phone, but at its core it is really a refinement of the HTC Hero mixed with some of the awesomeness of the Nexus One. It has the same screen size (3.2) and resolution as the Hero, but it gets an all new AMOLED screen with multitouch as seen on the Nexus One. Now you’re probably saying, I have heard of LCD  and LED, but what on earth is AMOLED? Basically, this allows you to have a sharper, brighter, more vibrant screen, while saving you battery power. The HTC Legend also has a number of other cool features:

• Android 2.1– Like the Nexus One, just this is coming with an updated even sicker version of HTC’s custom Sense UI for Android (making the homescreen a lot nicer and adding a bunch of features and apps, which we’ll get to soon), and the usual Android 2.1 goodness like Google Maps with Navigation, and the Android Market.
• WiFi, GPS and 3G (though sadly, no US 3G)
• FM Radio
• Aluminum unibody design– Yes, like that found on the MacBook Pros, just here on your phone. The new design also allows for an Optical Joystick instead of the usual trackball like on the Hero and Nexus One.
• A 3.5 mm headphone jack for listening to all your tunes on the go using normal headphones.
• A 5 megapixel camera that will include flash, auto focus, and widescreen photo capturing

Now for those of you on Sprint listen up– according to the Boy Genius Report, Sprint may be bringing the Legend to the US as the actual Hero2 (which is said to be it’s name), and like the initial Hero, will be slightly modified in look and feel from what you see above (just keep that aluminum design please!). Now before you jump for joy, remember– right now this is just a rumor and Sprint and HTC have not said anything on the possibility of the Legend coming to the US.

The HTC Desire looks even more like the Nexus One. It has a 3.7 inch AMOLED multitouch screen, a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor (to keep everything running really fast), WiFi, GPS, FM Radio, and 3G (though also not US 3G), a normal 3.5 mm headphone jack, as well as Android 2.1. However the Desire has one thing the Nexus One does not have, and that is HTC Sense (to be discussed below). The Desire also has a very nice web browser. Like the HTC Legend, the HTC Desire also has an Optical Joystick.

Now for those on AT&T listen up as this rumor, also from BGR, is directed at you. According to the same Boy Genius Report post, AT&T will be picking up the Desire in time for a May or June release. Keep in mind, this too is not official and only a rumor at this point. Of course, both of these rumors we’ll make sure to keep you posted.

Now let’s take a break in the phone coverage to talk about HTC’s updated Sense UI coming to all the phones mentioned here.

HTC’s Sense, is an HTC custom user interface that was made for Android and Windows Mobile, and is really a friendly and different take on what the homescreen and parts of the phone should look and feel like. This new version of Sense has a lot of features that allow for cooler homescreens and awesome new apps and features, like:

• Groups– which allow you to put your contacts into groups depending on what they are, say co-workers, classmates, teammates. It is really the bold interface that makes this application so slick and great. Friend Stream which allows you to see Facebook, Twitter updates, and Flickr updates all in one place. Leap (as seen in the pic below) is very much like Expose on the Mac; when you pinch the screen all home panels (weather, messaging) become smaller and go to the center of the screen. From there you can choose which panel you want to go to.

• HTC Sense also has features like animated weather (such as if it’s raining outside, you’ll see animated rain drops on your screen and then a virtual windshield wiper come and wipe them off), agenda– which is basically a glorified to-do list, and a mail application that allows you to see all of your mail in list form instead of just one message.
• When you lift up your phone, the volume automatically lowers, so no one hears that your ring tone is Party in the U.S.A.
• If you lie your phone on a flat surface it automatically mutes, as seen with the Touch Pro2.
• And of course, the essential Twitter app, HTC Peep, which allows you to update your Twitter on the go.

The HTC HD2 has already been available in Europe and Asia since last year, but now T-Mobile is bringing this huge (both physically and in awesomeness) smartphone to the U.S. I say huge because the screen is the equivalent of a PSP screen, which is 4.3 inches! This 4.3 inch multi-touch screen is great for writing documents, looking up scores on the web, checking Facebook, watch movies– you name it! This feature packed smartphone also comes with:

• Windows Mobile 6.5– With a Windows Mobile version of HTC Sense as seen in the pic above, with all the usual Windows Mobile goodies you’d expect like the Windows Marketplace for Mobile app store. No word though on if this will be upgradable to Windows Phone 7 Series when that launches later this year.
• WiFi, GPS and 3G
• Barnes & Noble eReader app, which allows you to read over one million books, newspapers, and magazines that you can download directly to your HD2 with this app
  
• Compatibility with Blockbusters On-Demand video app. While you won’t be able to watch the downloaded videos on your phone, you can hook your phone up to your TV and watch it on your big screen.
• A 1 GHz Snapdragon processor to make your phone super fast (such as with the Desire)
• T-Mobile is shipping the HTC HD2 with a 16 GB memory card already loaded with both Transformers movies. Both movies are optimized to look their best on the screen, so you should be able to see every explosion crystal clear.
• One of the coolest features, 6 months free in-flight WiFi. Which means you can be on Facebook while you’re 30,000 feet in the air (that is when you fly on a inside the US flight with WiFi– though a lot of airlines such as Virgin America, Delta and American Airlines among others have begun rolling this out across their fleets, making those long cross country flights much easier).

T-Mobile plans to release the HTC HD2 this spring. They have yet to release the most important detail, the price.

If carrying around a 4.3 inch long phone isn’t your idea of an ideal phone, HTC is releasing a smaller version of the HTC HD2 called the HTC Mini HD. The Mini has a 3.2 inch touch screen as opposed to the 4.3 inch the HD2 has.

Also, the Mini HD will be running a more finger-friendly updated version of Windows Mobile– Windows Mobile 6.5.3, and not only that, but also HTC Sense as well as some other solid features:

• WiFi, GPS, and 3G (though not US 3G)
• FM Radio with microSD card slot and 3.5 mm headphone jack for music
• A multitouch screen, for zooming in and out of web browsers
• And HTC Sense of course

All of these phones, except the HD2, right now, are not available in America, and it has not yet been revealed when they will come to America, but let’s hope that some of these do come, and soon.

Info and pix from T-Mobile and CNET

Doubletwist – like iTunes, for non-Apple stuff

The age-old issue: you, like nearly everyone else, uses an iPod for music – be it Touch, Nano, Shuffle, or Classic — and you are very happy with using iTunes for syncing and so on. But unfortunately, unless you have an iPhone, the iTunes program is quite unhelpful when it comes to your phone. Unlike your iPod, you can’t just plug in to your computer and sync your music, and while phones have separate applications for syncing media, lets face it – getting everything to work, getting your music from iTunes…its annoying– especially every time you get a new phone.

Enter Doubletwist. iTunes for everything else- literally. Able to recognize and import your iTunes library (even playlists), Doubletwist is compatible with a whole slew of companies and devices – PSP, Zune, Nokia’s, LG’s, Motorola’s, etc. True, it’s not compatible with everything – but it’s certainly more then an iPod and it does a great job syncing. The interface is simple, and familiar to iTunes’, and features the drag/drop method we all know and love. Videos – provided they aren’t purchased (and therefore, DRMed) from iTunes – are converted into a suitable format and synced. Photos – same deal. (Note: iTunes Plus songs, without DRM, are fine)

Best of all – it’s not only a Mac application – Doubletwist is for Windows as well. It also has features for sharing – or “twisting” as they call it – media with friends and family, as well as integration with the Amazon MP3 store.

If you’d like Doubletwist, check it out on the site here to see if they support your phone or device. Also, you might want to check that you have a USB cable to connect your phone to your PC. Finally, if you’re looking to keep a fair amount of songs, look into getting a MicroSD card, so you have memory to store ‘em.

And next time your iPhone toting friend is bragging about having his music on his phone – you’ll have the last laugh.

The future of the cell phone: the Windows Phone 7 Series, iPhone 3GS, BlackBerry Curve 8530, Palm Pre Plus and the Nexus One

Cell phones. We live by them. They’re by our sides 24/7, wherever we are. They are our ways of connecting with the world, through texts, IM’s, or just regular calls. Getting a new one is no longer just picking up a free phone, it’s a choice of style and design. Do we want a full keyboard, something that has a good camera and music player, a simple phone that doesn’t cost much, or something completely loaded with all of the latest features? The choices are endless, no matter what carrier you’re on– Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, or T-Mobile.

But recently there’s been a major shift in the cell phone market, led by new phones like the iPhone, Pre, BlackBerry, Droid and Nexus One. This is the rise of the smartphone (as those phones are called), phones that no longer just do texts but also email, internet, Facebook and Twitter. These phones are growing rapidly and more and more of us are switching to them when we look for new phones. Let’s take a look at why that is and where this is all leading.

Look around at your friends, siblings, teammates and classmates. How many of them are seriously interested in purchasing an iPhone or BlackBerry? You’d be more surprised at the at the amount of yes’ . I know from personal experience with my family, friends, teammates and classmates. More and more they are looking for smartphones, and they are not what you would call “business types” or “techies.” Just regular 15-18-year-olds like the rest of us who are just looking for something cool and easy to use that does everything they want. When they ask us for advice on what phone to get, they usually have narrowed down the list to something like an iPhone, BlackBerry or another smartphone.

Now why is this? We think that a lot of the reasons behind this massive shift is the way phones have evolved. The internet you now get on your phone is pretty darn close to what you’ll find on your computer (and will only get closer with the ability to play Flash videos like those found on sites like Hulu, coming to Android and Palm phones this year), and 3G, which provides quick online access, is rolling out at rapid pace on all networks (most major cities and areas now get 3G no matter what carrier your on, and carriers AT&T, Sprint and Verizon already gearing up to begin/continue roll outs of even faster 4G networks later this year/early next year).

And then there are all the apps. You got apps for Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace for keeping your social network’s up to date on your lives. You got apps for sports such as the MLB At Bat app for the iPhone that for $10 gives you live video over 3G to live games and the NBA League Pass app which (for a higher $20 for the rest of the season) that let’s you watch all NBA games– on 3G or WiFi– right from your iPhone or Android phone (for now though only myTouch or G1 running 1.6). You can IM your friends with AIM or BeeJive and you got radio apps like iHeartRadio and Pandora that give you free access to tons of stations and music online. You can order off Amazon, or place a bid on eBay, or even order movie tickets with Fandango. All right from your pocket.

The iPhone App Store, Windows Marketplace for Mobile, Android Market, BlackBerry App World, and Palm App Catalog

And this isn’t just iPhone apps. A lot of apps (such as Twitter, Facebook and the radio apps) are becoming more readily available all of the time for phones like Palm’s webOS, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile (and upcoming Windows Phone 7 Series), Research In Motion’s BlackBerry, and Google’s Android. As Apple once put it, you really have a computer sitting in your pocket.

Another big reason we see in the quick rise of smartphones is the dramatic drop in pricing, coupled with the priceless, sick designs. You can get an a sleek BlackBerry Curve 8520 with T-Mobile and Palm’s Pixi Plus for Verizon for only $80, as well as the iPhone 3G with AT&T and the Android running Samsung Moment for Sprint for $100 (and if you look to places like Amazon or Walmart, you can get phones for even cheaper). Even phones that come closer to $200 like the Pre Plus, Nexus One, iPhone 3GS and Droid have been getting a lot of attention because they look cool and do so much. Why carry (and pay for) multiple devices to make calls and play your music and movies when you can take one that does a solid job of doing everything?

And since these were traditionally aimed for businesses (like the Pre and BlackBerry’s), you get solid touchscreens and full keyboards that make doing some of the more simple tasks like texting much easier and better.

This is not to say phones like the Samsung Impression, LG Chocolate 3 or enV3 or Sidekick are going to die out anytime soon. Those phones too have been evolving. Look at your carrier the next time your up for an upgrade and see how many phones offer a full keyboard and full web browser along with Facebook, YouTube and Twitter apps. That number is growing rapidly too, and is perfect for those that really don’t want something as “fancy” as a BlackBerry or Droid.

Oh, and your cell phone carrier is picking up on these trends too. T-Mobile for example, has new plans known as Even More and Even More Plus that give you unlimited calling, text, and web for $50 to $70 a month. They know the money is in web use (my brother, who’s 15 and didn’t have an internet plan until recently, logged on to the internet for a minute maybe once or twice a couple months back to check his email and got a $15 bill– the money for them really is here). Don’t be surprised if we see AT&T and Verizon to follow suit soon with similar plans of their own.

The future of the way we use the cell phone in my opinion is in the internet, and just as texting caught on a couple of years back and became the unquestionable “basic feature” it is today, I think the internet will be the same way, with this change being led by smartphones like the Pre, Droid, BlackBerry and iPhone.

We wanna know your thoughts. What do you use your cell phone for and what phones to plan to look to upgrade to when your current contract is up? You think the future of how we use our phones is in the smartphone and the internet, or do you think the future still is in just full keyboard phones like the enV3 and that will remain the future for how teens will use their phones? Share your opinions in the comments.

If you would prefer to email your thoughts, you can email me at eli@teentechblog.com.

At first you might not think so, but this recent announcement at the Mobile World Congress is BIG news. Today, Skype and Verizon announced a new partnership and smartphone app that will allow Verizon users to chat– both through Skype IM AND through calling– to Skype users around the world. The free app, which will come in late March, will be available on the BlackBerry (models Curve 8830, Storm 1 and 2, Tour, Curve 8330 and Curve 8530), as well as the Android-running Motorola Droid, HTC Droid Eris, and the upcoming Motorola Devour (a phone we’ll have more on soon–think of as less powerful Droid with full keyboard and MOTOBLUR).

The name of the app is Skype Mobile and is an “always-on app,” meaning that it will constantly running in the background. Now here’s the big part of this partnership– the calls made on Skype Mobile are made over Verizon 3G data network and will NOT use your minutes. This is huge in multiple ways– 1) for those close to running over minutes and have one of these phones, you can use this to help keep you from running over. 2) Not only do Verizon users have unlimited calling to the 90 million customers on their carrier, but now they now can also call the 500+ million Skype  users, even if those users are online internationally!

Now you will need a data plan to use Skype Mobile (though since the application is only for smartphones, and that Verizon requires data plans for all the phones mentioned above, we don’t see this as much of a problem), and yes, AT&T has recently approved a Skype iPhone app that also allows calls over 3G and not just WiFi (which by the way, this app won’t be able to do)– but this is still definitely a big win for Verizon users if for no other reason than that Verizon is finally opening up their network for Skype and hopefully other services in the very near future.

Via Verizon Wireless and Skype

Microsoft today has finally announced the long awaited successor in it’s Windows Phone line, as was anticipated; and after watching the announcement unfold all I can say is– WOW! Yeah, if you were thinking this was similar to the tired and true Windows Mobile that we’ve seen over the years you’d be really wrong, like dead wrong. Take notice everyone– Microsoft is back in mobile, and it looks like they’re gonna be here to stay.

Microsoft changed up a lot here in this latest version of Windows Mobile– called Windows Phone 7 Series, and from the early looks of it, all for the much, much better.

The Interface

Let’s start with the overall interface. Like was rumored, this new interface really resembles that of the Zune HD (though in a much deeper way than we though,t as this looks nothing like the rumored pix of the OS); heck it pretty much is the Zune HD’s (look at the start menu in the pic above). And you know what, I’m really digging it. Not only is the Zune HD’s interface sleek and slick, but with the new enhancements added onto it in the Windows Phone variation, it’s a really nice change from the iPhone and Android OS’s of the world, and looks to be something that will appeal to many users.

You see, unlike with phone like the iPhone and Nexus One, where the homescreen is mainly icons, the Windows 7 Phone Series is made up of a bunch of  icons for “hubs.” These icons, are kinda like live widgets when viewed from the homescreen, giving you live information such as how many new texts or emails you got, or a mini photo slideshow for the photos app– more than just an icon. The hubs are instead of the usual apps and make up the bulk of the phone, for pretty much everything:

• Zune– aka the Media part of the phone for music and videos. And this is the full Zune experience– we’re talking Zune Pass and even the requirement for all phones to have built in FM radios like the Zune line.
• Pictures– for viewing pix, just like the People hub, this isn’t just for the photos on your phone, but also those on your Facebook and Windows Live social networks. Yeah, insanely cool). And yes, there is multitouch. (you can see the picture hub in the top pic)

• Xbox Live– for gaming. No, this isn’t an “Xbox Portable” with full intense games like Halo (though who knows, maybe one day we will have Halo in our pockets– let’s hope), but you do have Xbox Live on your phone which is pretty big by itself. Not only do you get to view all your achievements and gamer points which is done by using the same Xbox Live account you have on your 360, as well as customize your avatar even more. But here’s the kicker– you also will be able to get Xbox Live games on here that you can play and which will sync your achievements with your 360 (which could definitely kill the iPhone’s gaming). Now this is still the basics of what to expect from the Xbox part of the phone, but hopefully more will be revealed soon at Microsoft’s Mix developer event next month (which already is gonna have a huge focus on Windows Phone).
• Me– Basically shows you what you’ve been doing on social networks such as pix your in, things you wrote, etc. (like say, you just became a fan of TeenTechBlog on Facebook), and also let’s you update your status’s for Windows Live and Facebook.

• People– think of this as a Contacts app on steroids where you don’t just see your contacts list, but also your social networks with built in support for Facebook and Windows Live. And this is the full Facebook and Windows Live where you can view status updates from both and even post updates to post at the same time.
• Marketplace– for downloading apps. Worth noting: as you can probably already tell, this is an entirely new animal than older variations of Windows Mobile, and therefore not all (if any) of the older apps will work without being redone for the new OS. Though don’t worry, there will be apps for this phone, and a lot more info on the developer process will be announced by Microsoft next month at their Mix Conference.
• Office– with programs Word, PowerPoint, Excel as well as OneNote for notes, as well as other office apps like Outlook for handling email.

These hubs are on top of normal apps like the dialer for phone calls, Bing and Bing Maps for search and maps (with multitouch!), as well as the much improved Internet Explorer Mobile– which when I say much improved, I mean leaps and bounds above the older versions and near the iPhone’s Safari and the Android browser. Pages finally load fluently as they would on your computer’s version of IE, and of course there is multitouch here as well, which is absolutely great.

Navigating the interface also looks to be fairly simple, with a tap on the icon to launch the hub, and a tap on the bottom Windows key to get back to the homescreen. Now once your inside the hub, well, that’s where things are really interesting. The inside of the hubs are really cool– with navigating between different options and menus not in clicks and menus, but rather swipes right and left to reveal different options (as you can see in the pix of the hubs above).

And what about syncing your phone back with your PC? Well, Microsoft made that easier today as well– announcing that Windows Phones will sync with the Zune Software, which is also a much needed improvement from previous Windows Mobile phones and should make this a lot easier to use. All of this is very cool, and honestly (and ironically), something we would have first expected to see from someone like Apple rather than Microsoft.

Here’s a complete video walk through of how everything looks in the new OS:

Hardware

So unlike some rumors, Microsoft didn’t announce their own phone here (some say that will happen sometime this Spring), but they did make a big step in terms of hardware– setting a minimum requirement for phones to run Windows Phone 7 Series (we know, it’s a long name, even longer to constantly type!). And this is a pretty powerful bar I must say; in order to run this new version of Windows Phone the phone maker will need at least a capacitive, multitouch screen with support for at least 4 points touch (think like the iPhone screen, just with better multitouch), 5 megapixel camera, FM radio, as well as 1 GHZ Snapdragon processor (like in the speedy Nexus One) to keep things running fast and smooth under the hood.  There also will need to be a Windows key and a search key for the built in Bing search.

As you can see, these are pretty powerful specs to say the least, but remember these are just the minimum Microsoft needs the phone to have. They’re not saying it has to be all touchscreen or have a slide out keyboard, the design of the actual phones will be up to the manufacturers– and boy do they look to have a bunch of the big guys signed up. We’re talking HTC, Dell, HP, Sony Ericsson, LG, Samsung and Toshiba to name a few– so you can be sure someone will make the type of phone your looking for. Oh, and while we’re talking hardware, don’t expect anything like HTC’s TouchFlo 3D or Sense to come to Windows Phone 7, as Microsoft has offically banned the idea of custom phone skins ontop of the standard homescreen– a call we can’t really argue with as this homescreen and OS look 1000x better than the standard Windows Mobile homescreens we’ve ever seen before.

Availability/ Wrap Up

So when can we expect some of this Windows Phone 7 to come our way? While Microsoft didn’t set an exact launch date, they did say we can expect them to begin rolling out until the end of the year. And unlike the Droid, G1, Pre and iPhone which were exclusive to there respective carriers at launch– all 4 major carriers are on board with Microsoft here (with AT&T being a “Premier” partner– though don’t worry that doesn’t mean they’re exclusive), so wherever you are– you should have no problem being able to pick one of these up (at least, none on Microsoft’s end).

Now what does this mean in terms of us and buying a new phone? Well, between now and the end of the year (Microsoft is saying it’s coming “Holiday 2010″) is a HUGE amount of time, particularly in the fast moving cell phone world. I mean, think about it– there will probably be a new iPhone with all new software, and who knows what else from the likes of Google, Palm and RIM (the makers of the BlackBerry), so it’s to early to say whether or not this is the device of the year (we also haven’t yet seen any actual Windows Phone 7 phones, as Microsoft demoed this today on unnamed prototypes). However, one thing we can say– Microsoft is back in the mobile space with something that is not just innovative, but cool too– and I personally can’t wait to see what comes next.

Info from Windows Phone 7 Series.com

Rumored shots of Windows Mobile 7

This week is a big week for all things cell phone related with the Mobile World Congress (aka MWC) taking place in Barcelona, Spain. This event is seriously HUGE– think of it as a CES for cell phones. A lot of big stuff plan to be announced next week– newer, more powerful, and just plain better phones, new services for phones (such as TV, video calling), more info on the 4G that is set to begin being rolled out by Verizon and AT&T (as well as many other carriers around the world) later this year and early next year– but none of this seems to be as big as what Microsoft has in store.

According to the Wall Street Journal (note: subscription needed to read the whole article) and tons of other news outlets, Monday– which is the start of MWC– will finally be the day where Microsoft finally announces a truly new and much better version of Windows Mobile. We’re talking the release of Windows Mobile 7, not some small decimal point like last year’s Windows Mobile 6.5, where the OS was nearly the same as it was for most of the last decade, save for some nicer menus and an updated homescreen.

So what can we expect in this new OS that will keep it up to date with the likes of Android, webOS and the iPhone OS? If some of these rumors are true– then a lot. Everything from Zune and Xbox tie-ins (yes, Xbox– though to what extent is still very much up in the air) to a much, much better media and overall user experience (we love the Zune HD and it’s interface, which is said to play a pretty big role here throughout Windows Mobile 7). There is also talk that the Zune software will be where you sync your phone with your computer, similar to iTunes and the iPhone. There also is said to be better support for touchscreens (particularly capacitive/finger-friendly ones that don’t require a stylus, like the iPhone, Pre and most Android phones), multi-touch, a better version of Internet Explorer Mobile (which is much-needed as well), and just much more powerful hardware, which, supposedly, Microsoft is working more closely with device manufacturers to make sure all phones run this well. Heck, there is even talk Microsoft may release their own phones.

Whatever Microsoft plans to do, we’ll make sure you stay in the know. Their press conference is called for Monday at 9 AM Eastern time (or 3 PM Barcelona time), so make sure to check back Monday for all the news both and Microsoft and everything going down at MWC.

Pic from Engadget