Windows phone windows vista

Windows Phone is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft, and is the successor to its Windows Mobile platform,^[1] although incompatible with it.^[2] Unlike its predecessor, it is primarily aimed at the consumer market rather than the enterprise market.^[3] It was launched in Europe, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, Mexico, and the EPAL region in the second half of 2010, and Asia in early 2011.^[4] With Windows Phone, Microsoft offers a new user interface with its design language named Metro, integrates the operating system with third party and other Microsoft services, and controls the hardware on which it runs.^[5]

History[]

Development[]

Work on a major Windows Mobile update may have begun as early as 2004 under the codename «Photon», but work moved slowly and the project was ultimately cancelled.^[6] In 2008, Microsoft reorganized the Windows Mobile group and started work on a new mobile operating system.^[7] The product was to be released in 2009 as Windows Phone, but several delays prompted Microsoft to develop Windows Mobile 6.5 as an interim release.^[8]

Windows Phone was developed quickly. One result was that Windows Mobile applications do not run on it. Larry Lieberman, senior product manager for Microsoft’s Mobile Developer Experience, told eWeek: «If we’d had more time and resources, we may have been able to do something in terms of backward compatibility.»^[9] Lieberman said that Microsoft was attempting to look at the mobile phone market in a new way, with the end user in mind as well as the enterprise network.^[9] Terry Myerson, corporate VP of Windows Phone engineering, said, «With the move to capacitive touch screens, away from the stylus, and the moves to some of the hardware choices we made for the Windows Phone 7 experience, we had to break application compatibility with Windows Mobile 6.5.»^[10]

Naming[]

The name ‘Windows Phone’ is a rebranding of Microsoft’s old mobile OS called ‘Windows Mobile’. Before the official announcement of ‘Windows Phone 7’, Microsoft began to refer to devices running Windows Mobile as «Windows Phones». Microsoft at first announced its new platform as «Windows Phone 7 Series» which initially came under criticism as being too wordy and difficult to say casually. Responding to this, on April 2, 2010 Microsoft announced that the «Series» would be dropped from the name, leaving the platform named Windows Phone 7.^[11] The official statement on the matter was:

«Customers want a simpler way to say and use the name consistently. The important thing is keeping the focus on the Windows Phone brand, which we introduced in October and will continue investing in through Windows Phone 7 and beyond.»

Launch[]

In February 2010, a Microsoft press release listed the companies that would help make and operate Windows Phone. Many hardware makers were listed in the release.

Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone on February 15, 2010, at Mobile World Congress 2010 in Barcelona^[12] and revealed additional details at MIX 2010 on March 15, 2010. The final SDK was made available on September 16, 2010.^[13]

HP later decided not to build devices for Windows Phone, citing that it wanted to focus on devices for its newly purchased webOS.^[14]

Windows Phone supports twenty-five languages and Windows Phone Marketplace allows buying and selling applications in 35 countries and regions.^[15]

Partnership[]

Launch partners[]

On October 11, 2010, Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer announced 10 devices operating Windows Phone, made by HTC, Dell, Samsung, and LG, with sales beginning on October 21, 2010 in Europe and Australia and November 8, 2010 in the United States. The devices were available on 60 carriers in 30 countries, with additional devices to be launched in 2011.^[16]

Partnership with Nokia[]

On 11 February 2011, at a press event in London, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Nokia CEO Stephen Elop announced a partnership between their companies in which Windows Phone would become the primary smartphone operating system for Nokia.^[17] The event was largely focused on creating «a new global mobile ecosystem», suggesting competition with Android and iOS by saying «It is now a three horse race». Integration of Microsoft services with Nokia’s own services were announced; specifically that Bing would power search across Nokia devices, and an integration of Nokia Maps with Bing Maps, as well as Nokia’s Ovi store being integrated with the Windows Phone Marketplace.^[17] The partnership involves «funds changing hands for royalties, marketing and ad-revenue sharing», which Microsoft later announced was, «measured in billions of dollars.»^[18] The first Nokia Windows phones, the Nokia Lumia 800 and Nokia Lumia 710, were announced in October 2011 at Nokia World 2011 event.^[19][20]

Other OEM partners[]

Microsoft, on May 25, 2011, has announced expansion of partners who plan to release Windows Phone. Acer, Fujitsu, and ZTE, in addition to Nokia, released their first Windows Phones based on the first major upgrade to Windows Phone platform.^[21]

Versions[]

Windows Phone 7[]

Main article: Windows Phone 7

Windows Phone 7 was announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, on February 15, 2010, and released publicly on November 8, 2010 in the United States.

In March 22, 2011, was released the first feature update, called NoDo, which added CDMA support and Copy and Paste feature.

In September 27, 2011, Microsoft released Windows Phone 7.5 Mango. The update included a mobile version of Internet Explorer 9 that supports the same web standards and graphical capability as the desktop version, multi-tasking of third-party apps, Twitter integration for the People Hub, and Windows Live SkyDrive access. A minor update released in 2012 known as «Tango», along with other bug fixes, lowered the hardware requirements to allow for devices with 800 MHz CPUs and 256 MB of RAM to run Windows Phone.

Windows Phone 7 devices can not be upgraded to Windows Phone 8 due to hardware limitations. Windows Phone 7.8 was released as a stopgap update in 2013 to include some of the user interface features from Windows Phone 8.

Windows Phone 8[]

Main article: Windows Phone 8

Windows Phone 8 (codenamed Apollo) was announced in June 20, 2012, and publicly released in October 29, 2012. Windows Phone 8 replaced its previously Windows CE-based architecture with one based on the Windows NT kernel with many components shared with Windows 8.

Also, Windows Phone 8 introduced NFC technology, dual-core chipsets support, higher-resolution screens to the platform.

Windows Phone 8.1[]

Main article: Windows Phone 8.1

Windows Phone 8.1 was announced on April 2, 2014, after being released in preview form to developers on April 10, 2014. New features added include a notification center, support for the Internet Explorer 11 web browser, with tab syncing among Windows 8.1 devices, separate volume controls, and the option to skin and add a third column of live tiles to the Start Screen. Starting with this release, Microsoft dropped the requirement that all Windows Phone OEMs include a camera button and physical buttons for back, Start, and Search.

Windows Phone 8.1 introduced Cortana, a voice assistant similar to Siri and Google Now. Cortana replaced the previous Bing search feature, and was released as a beta in the United States in the first half of 2014, before expanding to other countries in early 2015.

Windows 10 Mobile[]

Windows 10 Mobile was announced on January 21, 2015, as a mobile operating system for smartphones and tablets running on ARM architecture. Its primary focus is unification with Windows 10, its PC counterpart, in software and services; in accordance with this strategy, the Windows Phone name has been phased out in favor of branding the platform as an edition of Windows 10, although it is still a continuation of Windows Phone, and most Windows Phone 8.1 devices can be upgraded to the platform.

Windows 10 Mobile emphasized software using the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), which allowed apps to be designed for use across multiple Windows 10-based product families with nearly identical code, functionality, and adaptations for available input methods. When connected to an external display, devices could also render a stripped-down desktop interface similar to Windows on PCs, with support for keyboard and mouse input. Windows 10 Mobile featured Skype message integration, updated Office Mobile apps, notification syncing with other Windows 10 devices, support for the Microsoft Edge web browser, and other user interface improvements. Microsoft developed a middleware known as Windows Bridge to allow iOS Objective-C and Android C++ or Java software to be ported to run on Windows 10 Mobile with limited changes to code.

With the diminishing interest and application development for the platform, Microsoft discontinued active development of Windows 10 Mobile in 2017, and the platform was declared end of life on January 14, 2020.

Features[]

User interface[]

Windows Phone features a new user interface, based upon Microsoft’s Windows Phone design system, codenamed Metro.^[22] The home screen, called the «Start screen», is made up of «Live Tiles». Tiles are links to applications, features, functions and individual items (such as contacts, web pages, applications or media items). Users can add, rearrange, or remove Tiles.^[23] Tiles are dynamic and update in real time — for example, the tile for an email account would display the number of unread messages or a Tile could display a live update of the weather.^[24]

Several features of Windows Phone are organized into «hubs«, which combine local and online content via Windows Phone’s integration with popular social networks such as Facebook, Windows Live, and Twitter.^[24] For example, the Pictures hub shows photos captured with the device’s camera and the user’s Facebook photo albums, and the People hub shows contacts aggregated from multiple sources including Windows Live, Facebook, and Gmail. From the Hub, users can directly comment and ‘like’ on social network updates. The other built-in hubs are Music and Video (which integrates with Zune), Games (which integrates with Xbox Live), Windows Phone Marketplace, and Microsoft Office.^[24]

Windows Phone uses multi-touch technology.^[24] The default Windows Phone user interface has a dark theme that prolongs battery life on OLED screens as fully black pixels don’t emit light.^[25] The user may choose a light theme instead, and can also choose from several accent colors.^[26] User interface elements such as tiles are shown in the user’s chosen accent color. Third-party applications can be automatically themed with these colors.^[27][28]

Text input[]

Users input text by using an on-screen virtual keyboard, which has a dedicated key for inserting emoticons,^[29] and features spell checking^[29] and word prediction.^[30] Users may change a word after it has been typed by tapping the word,^[31] which will invoke a list of similar words. Pressing and holding certain keys will reveal similar characters. The keys are somewhat larger and spaced farther apart when in landscape mode. Phones may also be made with a hardware keyboard for text input.^[32]

Messaging[]

Windows Phone combined messaging through «threads». Threads allow the Windows Phone user to engage with their contacts through Windows Live Messenger and Facebook Chat as well as traditional text messages. Text message can also be composed through voice recognition. Voice recognition allows speech to be converted to text message and also allows text message to be converted to speech which can be read aloud.

Web browser[]

Windows Phone 7.5 features a version of Internet Explorer Mobile with a rendering engine that is based on Internet Explorer 9.^[33]

Internet Explorer on Windows Phone allows the user to maintain a list of favorite web pages and tiles linking to web pages on the Start screen. The browser supports up to 6 tabs, which can all load in parallel.^[34] Other features include multi-touch gestures, a streamlined UI, smooth zoom in/out animations, the ability to save pictures that are on web pages, share web pages via email, and support for inline search which allows the user to search for a word or phrase in a web page by typing it.^[35] Microsoft has announced plans to regularly update the Windows Phone web browser and its layout engine independently from the Windows Phone Update system.^[36]

In a demo, Microsoft said that users will be able to stream YouTube videos from the browser. Clicking on a video from the mobile YouTube website will launch the video in a standalone app and will also add the YouTube video to the Music + Video Hub.^[37]

Contacts[]

Contacts are organized via the «People hub«. Contacts can be manually entered into contacts or imported from Facebook, Windows Live Contacts, Twitter, and LinkedIn. A «What’s New» section show news feed and a «Pictures» section show pictures from those social networks made by the contacts. A «Me» section show the phone user’s own social networks status and wall, allow the user to update his status, and check-in to Bing and Facebook Places. Contacts can be added to the home screen by pinning them to the start. The contact’s «Live Tile» displays his social network status and profile picture on the homescreen and the contact’s hub displays his Facebook wall as well as all of the rest of his contact information and information from his other social networks.

If a contact has information stored on multiple networks, users can link the two separate contact accounts, allowing the information to be viewed and accessed from a single card.^[38] As of Windows Phone 7.5, contacts can also be sorted into «Groups». Here, information from each of the contacts is combined into a single page which can be accessed directly from the Hub or pinned to the Start screen.

Email[]

Windows Phone supports Hotmail, Exchange, Yahoo! Mail, and Gmail natively and supports many other services via the POP and IMAP protocols. For the native account types, contacts and calendars may be synced as well. Users can also search through their email by searching in the subject, body, senders, and receivers. Emails are shown in threading view and multiple email inboxes can be combined or kept separate.

Multimedia[]

Zune for Windows Phone is a built-in application providing entertainment and synchronization capabilities between PC and Windows Phone.^[39] The Windows Phone multimedia experience is divided into two distinct hubs, the «Music + Videos» hub and the «Pictures» hub, both of which are similar in appearance and functionality to that of the Zune HD.

The «Music + Videos hub» allows the user to access music, videos, and podcasts stored on the device, and links directly to the Windows Phone Marketplace to buy music, or rent it with the Zune Pass subscription service. When browsing the music by a particular artist, users are able to view artist biographies and photos, provided by the Zune Software.^[29] This hub integrates with many apps that provide video and music service, including, but not limited to, iHeartRadio, Youtube, and Vevo. This hub also includes Smart DJ which compiles a playlist of songs stored on the phone similar to the song or artist selected.

The «Pictures hub» displays the user’s Facebook and Windows Live photo albums, as well as photos taken with the phone’s built-in camera. Users can also upload photos to social networks, comment on others photos, and tag photos on social networks directly from the Pictures hub.^[29] Multi-touch gestures permit zooming in and out of photos.

Media support

According to Brandon Miniman’s test review for pocketnow.com, he stated «if Zune can play it, your Windows Phone 7 device can play it» — this refers to the supported playback of files.^[40] The audio file formats, supported, include WAV, MP3, WMA, AMR, AAC/MP4/M4A/M4B and 3GP/3G2 as standards. The video file formats, supported, include WMV, AVI, MP4/M4V, 3GP/3G2 and MOV (QuickTime) standards. These supported audio and video formats would be dependent on the codecs contained inside them. It has also been previously reported that the DivX and Xvid codecs within AVI are also playable on the system.^[41][42] Unlike the previous Windows Mobile operating system, there are currently no third-party applications for handling other video formats. The image file formats that are supported include JPG/JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIF and Bitmap (BMP).^[43][44]

Games[]

Main article: List of Xbox Live games on Windows Phone

Xbox Live on Windows Phone provides some Xbox 360 features on Windows Phone devices by displaying the user’s avatar in a 3D fashion. Via «Games hub«, the users are able to interact with the avatar, view gamerscore and leaderboards, message Xbox Live friends, and Spotlight.^[45] Multiplayer (turn-based) gaming with live multiplayer are also released.^[46]
Microsoft has unveiled more than 50 premium Windows Phone Games titles at Gamescom that makes use of Xbox Live on mobile.^[47] Xbox Live on Windows Phone currently doesn’t offer real-time multiplayer games, but will be added in the future.^[48] Some key features of Xbox Live on Windows Phone include ability to be signed in simultaneously on the console and phone, send and receive messages between Console and Phone, unlock unique gamer points only available by purchasing the gaming title on the phone, etc.

Search[]

Microsoft’s hardware requirements stipulate that every Windows Phone must have a dedicated Search button on the front of the device that performs different actions.^[24] Pressing the search button while an application is open will allow users to search within applications that take advantage of this feature; for example, pressing Search in the People hub will let the users search their contact list for specific people.^[49] This has been changed in Windows Phone 7.5 however — as the search button is reserved for Bing — so applications that previously used this feature (such as the Marketplace) now include soft search buttons.

In other cases, pressing the Search button will allow the user to perform a search of web sites, news, and map locations using the Bing application.^[50]

Windows Phone also has a voice recognition function, powered by TellMe, which allows the user to perform a Bing search, call contacts or launch applications by speaking. This can be activated by pressing and holding the phone’s Start button.

Bing is the default search engine on Windows Phone handsets due to its deep integration of functions into the OS (which also include the utilization of its map service for location-based searches and queries). However, Microsoft has stated that other search engine applications can be used.^[50][51][51]

Aside from location-based searches, Bing Maps also provide turn-by-turn navigation service to Windows Phone user and Local Scout shows interest points such as attractions and restaurants in the nearby area.

Bing Audio allows the user to match a song with its name and Bing Vision allows the user to match barcodes and tags with the product online.

Office suite[]

The «Office hub» organizes all Microsoft Office apps and documents. Microsoft Office Mobile provides interoperability between Windows Phone and the desktop version of Microsoft Office. Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile, OneNote Mobile, and SharePoint Workspace Mobile allow most Microsoft Office file formats to be viewed and edited directly on a Windows Phone device.

Microsoft Office files from SkyDrive and Office 365, as well as files stored locally on the phone, can be accessed through the Office Hub. Office files are sorted by tiles: Word documents (blue tile), Excel spreadsheets (green tile), PowerPoint presentations (red tile), and OneNote documents (purple tile).

Multitasking[]

In Windows Phone 7, multitasking is limited to bundled apps. Starting with Windows Phone 7.5, a card-based task switcher can be accessed by pressing and holding the back button. The screenshot of last five open app are shown as cards. Apps can be kept running even when out of view through «Live Agents».^[52] In other cases, apps are suspended and can be quickly resumed.

Sync[]

See also: Zune Software

Zune Software manages the contents on Windows Phone devices and Windows Phone can wirelessly sync with Zune Software. In addition to accessing on the Windows Phone devices, Zune software can also access the Zune Marketplace to purchase music, videos, and all apps for Windows Phone. While music and videos are both stored locally on the PC and on the phone, apps are only stored on the phone even if purchased from the Zune Software. Zune Software can also be used to update all Windows Phone devices. Although Zune Software is unavailable on Mac OS X operating system, Microsoft has released Windows Phone Connector which allow Windows Phone devices to sync with iTunes for Mac and iPhoto.^[53][54][55]

Updates[]

According to Microsoft documentation, software updates will be delivered to Windows Phone users via Microsoft Update, as is the case with other Windows operating systems.^[56] Microsoft had the intention to directly update any phone running Windows Phone instead of relying on OEMs or wireless carriers,^[57] but on January 6th 2012, Microsoft changed their policy to let carriers decide if an update will be delivered.^[58] The software component, called Windows Phone Update, exists both on the phone (for smaller updates, over-the-air) and in the Zune Software for Windows PCs (for larger updates, via USB connection). Users will be notified to attach their phones to a PC if such an update is required.^[59] Microsoft has said that in the future, all updates, both large and small will eventually support over-the-air downloads.^[60] Charlie Kindel, Program Manager for the developer experience of Windows Phone, confirmed that the update infrastructure system for Windows Phone was available and that Microsoft is «in a position where we have the systems in place to effectively and reliably deliver updates to (Windows Phone) users».^[61]

Microsoft plans to regularly ship minor updates that add features throughout the year, and major updates once a year.^[62]

All third-party applications can be updated automatically from the Windows Phone Marketplace.^[63]

Advertising platform[]

Microsoft has also launched an advertising platform for the Windows Phone platform. Microsoft’s General Manager for Strategy and Business Development, Kostas Mallios, said that Windows Phone will be an «ad-serving machine», pushing advertising and brand-related content to the user. The platform will feature advertising tiles near applications and toast notifications, which will bring updating advertising notifications. Mallios said that Windows Phone will be able to «preserve the brand experience by going directly from the web site right to the application», and that Windows Phone «enables advertisers to connect with consumers over time».^[64] Mallios continued: «you’re now able to push information as an advertiser, and stay in touch with your customer. It’s a dynamic relationship that is created and provides for an ongoing dialog with the consumer.»^[65]

Bluetooth[]

Windows Phone supports the following Bluetooth profiles:^[66]

1. Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP 1.3)
2. Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP 1.3)
3. Hands Free Profile (HFP 1.5)
4. Headset Profile (HSP 1.1)
5. Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP 1.0)

Marketplace[]

The Windows Phone Marketplace is used to digitally distribute music, video content, podcasts, and third party applications to Windows Phone handsets. The marketplace is accessible using the Zune Software client or the marketplace hub on devices (though videos are not downloadable through the marketplace hub and must be downloaded and synced through the Zune software).^[67] The marketplace is managed by Microsoft, which includes an approval process.

Music and videos[]

Zune Marketplace offers 14 million songs up to 320 kbit/s in DRM-free MP3 format from the big four music groups (EMI, Warner Music Group, Sony BMG and Universal Music Group), as well as smaller music labels. It offers movies from Paramount, Universal, Warner Brothers, and other studios and also offer television shows from popular television networks.

Microsoft also offers Zune Pass music subscription service which allows subscribers to download an unlimited number of songs for as long as their subscription is active.

Applications and games[]

Development[]

Third party applications and games for Windows Phone must be based on XNA or a WP7 specific version of Silverlight^[68] only.^[69] For Windows Phone apps to be designed and tested within Visual Studio 2010 or Visual Studio 2010 Express editions, Microsoft offers Windows Phone Developer Tools as an extension. Windows Phone Developer Tools run only on Windows Vista SP2 and later.^[70] Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 are not supported. Microsoft also offers Expression Blend for Windows Phone for free.^[71] On November 29, 2009, Microsoft announced the Release to web (RTW) version of its Visual Basic .NET Developer Tool, to allow development in Visual Basic.^[71]

Submission[]

Registered Windows Phone and Xbox Live developers can submit and manage their third party applications for the platforms though the App Hub web applications.^[72] The App Hub provides development tools and support for third-party application developers. The submitted applications undergo an approval process for verifications and validations to check if they qualify the applications standardization criteria set by Microsoft.^[73] The cost of the applications that are approved is up to the developer, but Microsoft will take 30% of the revenue (the other 70% goes to the developer).^[74] Microsoft will only pay developers once they reach a set sales figure, and will withhold 30% tax from non-US developers, unless they first register with the United States Government’s Internal Revenue Service. Microsoft only pays developers from a list of thirty countries.^[75] A yearly fee is also payable for developers wishing to submit apps.^[76]

In order to get an application to appear in the Windows Phone Marketplace, the application must be submitted to Microsoft for approval.^[75] Microsoft has outlined the content that it will not allow in the applications, which includes content it deems «sexually suggestive».

Hardware[]

Main article: List of Windows Phone devices

System requirements[]

Microsoft has said that it is issuing «tough, but fair» hardware requirements to manufacturers.^[77]
All Windows Phone devices, at minimum, must include the following:^[78][79]

Until November 7th, 2011 camera, compass and gyroscope had been required.^[81][82]

Reception[]

Reviews[]

Reception to Windows Phone has been generally positive which Engadget and Gizmodo felt were notable omissions in a modern smartphone OS which has largely been addressed in the Mango update. ZDNet praised the OS’s virtual keyboard and noted the excellent touch precision as well as powerful auto-correct and revision software.^[29][83] The touch responsiveness of the OS has also been universally praised by all three sites with reviewers noting the smoothness of scrolling and gestures like pinch to zoom in web browsing.^[84]

The reception to the «Metro» UI and overall interface of the OS has also been highly praised for its style, with ZDNet noting its originality and fresh clean look.^[85] Engadget and ZDNet applauded the integration of Facebook into the People Hub as well as other built in capabilities, such as Windows Live, etc.

[]

According to Gartner, 1.7 million smartphones using a Microsoft mobile OS were sold world wide in the second quarter of 2011, for a 1.6% market share.^[86] In the third quarter of 2011, WP7’s world wide market share dropped slightly to 1.5%.^[87]

Studies carried out by Nielsen Company indicated that in the US, WP7 achieved a smart phone market share of 1% each in the periods March to May,^[88] and May to July 2011.^[89] For Q3 2011, Nielsen reported a US market share of 1.2% for WP7,^[90] which rose to 1.4% in Q4 2011.^[91]

Awards[]

Windows Phone was presented with a total of three awards at the 2011 International Design Excellence Awards; Gold in Interactive Product Experience, Silver in Research and Bronze in the Design Strategy.

«The Windows Phone 7 was built around the idea that the end user is king. The design team began by defining and understanding the people who would use this phone. It was convinced that there could be a better user experience for a phone, one that revolves more around who the users are rather than what they do. The Windows Phone 7 lets users quickly get in, get out and back to their lives.»^[92]

At the awards ceremony, Windows Phone 7 was given «the noteworthy People’s Choice Award, an award handed to the favorite IDEA 2011 gold award winner.»^[93]

it’s very good admit card and answer key …

See also[]

• List of Windows Phone devices
• Metro (design language)
• Microsoft Silverlight
• Microsoft XNA
• Mobile operating system
• Zune HD
• Windows Mobile
• Xbox Live
• Windows 8

References[]

External links[]

• Windows Phone official website (archived 2012-10-11)
  • Windows Phone at Windows Mobile Developer Center (archived 2012-10-22)
  • Popular Windows Phone downloads at Microsoft Download Center
• Windows Phone and Windows Phone version history at Wikipedia

Windows Phone

Windows Phone (WP) is a discontinued^[6] mobile operating system developed by Microsoft Mobile for smartphones as the replacement successor to Windows Mobile^[7][8] and Zune.^[9] Windows Phone featured a new user interface derived from the Metro design language. Unlike Windows Mobile, it was primarily aimed at the consumer market rather than the enterprise market.^[10]

It was first launched in October 2010 with Windows Phone 7.^[11] Windows Phone 8 succeeded it in 2012, replacing the Windows CE-based kernel of Windows Phone 7 with the Windows NT kernel used by the PC versions of Windows (and, in particular, a large amount of internal components from Windows 8). Due to these changes, the OS was incompatible with all existing Windows Phone 7 devices, although it still supported apps originally developed for Windows Phone 7. In 2014, Microsoft released the Windows Phone 8.1 update, which introduced the Cortana virtual assistant, and Windows Runtime platform support to create cross-platform apps between Windows PCs and Windows Phone.^[12]

In 2015, Microsoft released Windows 10 Mobile, which promoted increased integration and unification with its PC counterpart, including the ability to connect devices to an external display or docking station to display a PC-like interface. Although Microsoft dropped the Windows Phone brand at this time in order to focus more on synergies with Windows 10 for PCs, it was still a continuation of the Windows Phone line from a technical standpoint, and updates were issued for selected Windows Phone 8.1 devices.

While Microsoft’s investments in the platform were headlined by a major partnership with Nokia (whose Lumia series of smartphones, including the Lumia 520 in particular, would represent the majority of Windows Phone devices sold by 2013)^[13] and Microsoft’s eventual acquisition of the company’s mobile device business for just over US$7 billion (which included Nokia’s then-CEO Stephen Elop joining Microsoft to lead its in-house mobile division), the duopoly of Android and iPhone remained the dominant platforms for smartphones, and interest in Windows Phone from app developers began to diminish by mid-decade.^[14] Microsoft laid off the Microsoft Mobile staff in 2016,^[15] after having taken a write-off of $7.6 billion on the acquired Nokia hardware assets,^[16] while market share sank to 1% that year.^[17] Microsoft began to prioritize software development and integrations with Android and iOS instead,^[18] and ceased active development of Windows 10 Mobile in 2017.^[19]

Work on a major Windows Mobile update may have begun as early as 2004 under the codename «Photon», but work moved slowly and the project was ultimately cancelled.^[20] In 2008, Microsoft reorganized the Windows Mobile group and started work on a new mobile operating system.^[21] The product was to be released in 2009 as Windows Phone, but several delays prompted Microsoft to develop Windows Mobile 6.5 as an interim release.^[22]

Following this, Windows Phone was developed quickly. One result was that the new OS would not be compatible with Windows Mobile applications. Larry Lieberman, senior product manager for Microsoft’s Mobile Developer Experience, told eWeek: «If we’d had more time and resources, we may have been able to do something in terms of backward compatibility.»^[23] Lieberman said that Microsoft was attempting to look at the mobile phone market in a new way, with the end user in mind as well as the enterprise network.^[23] Terry Myerson, corporate VP of Windows Phone engineering, said, «With the move to capacitive touch screens, away from the stylus, and the moves to some of the hardware choices we made for the Windows Phone 7 experience, we had to break application compatibility with Windows Mobile 6.5.»^[24]

From the beginning of Windows Phone until at least 2015, Joe Belfiore was the head of development and the face of the platform’s initiatives.^[25]

On February 11, 2011, at a press event in London, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Nokia CEO Stephen Elop announced a partnership between their companies in which Windows Phone would become the primary smartphone operating-system for Nokia, replacing Symbian.^[26] The event focused largely on setting up «a new global mobile ecosystem», suggesting competition with Android and iOS with the words «It is now a three horse race». Elop stated the reason for choosing Windows Phone over Android, saying: «the single most important word is ‘differentiation’. Entering the Android environment late, we knew we would have a hard time differentiating.»^[27] While Nokia would have had more long-term creative control with Android (MeeGo as used by Nokia resembles Android more than it does Windows Phone 7 as both Android and MeeGo are based on the Linux kernel), Elop enjoyed familiarity with his past company where he had been a top executive.^[28][29]

The pair announced integration of Microsoft services with Nokia’s own services; specifically:^[26]

• Bing would power search across Nokia devices
• integration of Nokia Maps with Bing Maps
• integration of Nokia’s Ovi store with the Windows Phone Store

The partnership involves «funds changing hands for royalties, marketing and ad-revenue sharing», which Microsoft later announced as «measured in billions of dollars».^[30] Jo Harlow, whom Elop tapped to run Nokia’s smartphone business, rearranged her team to match the structure led by Microsoft’s VP of Windows Phone, Terry Myerson. Myerson was quoted as saying, «I can trust her with what she tells me. She uses that same direct and genuine communication to motivate her team.»^[31]

The first Nokia Lumia Windows Phones, the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710, were announced in October 2011 at Nokia World 2011.^[32][33]

At the Consumer Electronics Show in 2012 Nokia announced the Lumia 900, featuring a 4.3-inch AMOLED ClearBlack display, a 1.4 GHz processor and 16 GB of storage.^[34] The Lumia 900 was one of the first Windows Phones to support LTE and was released on AT&T on April 8, 2012.^[35] An international version launched in Q2 2012, with a UK launch on May 11, 2012.^[36] The Lumia 610 was the first Nokia Windows Phone to run the Tango Variant (Windows Phone 7.5 Refresh) and was aimed at emerging markets.

On September 2, 2013, Microsoft announced a deal to acquire Nokia’s mobile phone division outright, retaining former CEO Stephen Elop as the head of Microsoft’s devices operation.^[37][38] The merger was completed after regulatory approval in all major markets in April 2014. As a result, Nokia’s hardware division became a subsidiary of Microsoft operating under the name Microsoft Mobile.

In February 2014, Nokia released the Nokia X series of smartphones (later discontinued) using a version of Android forked from the Android Open Source Project. The operating system was modified; Google’s software was not included in favour of competing applications and services from Microsoft and Nokia, and with a user interface highly modified to resemble Windows Phone.^[39]

Windows Phone 7 was announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, on February 15, 2010, and released publicly on November 8, 2010 in the United States.

In 2011, Microsoft released Windows Phone 7.5 Mango. The update included a mobile version of Internet Explorer 9 that supports the same web standards and graphical capability as the desktop version, multi-tasking of third-party apps,^[40][41] Twitter integration for the People Hub,^[42][43][44] and Windows Live SkyDrive access.^[45] A minor update released in 2012 known as «Tango», along with other bug fixes, lowered the hardware requirements to allow for devices with 800 MHz CPUs and 256 MB of RAM to run Windows Phone.^[46]

Windows Phone 7 devices can not be upgraded to Windows Phone 8 due to hardware limitations. Windows Phone 7.8 was released as a stopgap update in 2013 to include some of the user interface features from Windows Phone 8.^[47]

On October 29, 2012, Microsoft released Windows Phone 8, a new generation of the operating system. Windows Phone 8 replaced its previously Windows CE-based architecture with one based on the Windows NT kernel with many components shared with Windows 8.

Windows Phone 8.1 was announced on April 2, 2014, after being released in preview form to developers on April 10, 2014.^[48][49][50] New features added include a notification center, support for the Internet Explorer 11 web browser, with tab syncing among Windows 8.1 devices, separate volume controls, and the option to skin and add a third column of live tiles to the Start Screen. Starting with this release, Microsoft dropped the requirement that all Windows Phone OEMs include a camera button and physical buttons for back, Start, and Search.

Windows Phone 8.1 introduced Cortana, a voice assistant similar to Siri and Google Now. Cortana replaced the previous Bing search feature, and was released as a beta in the United States in the first half of 2014, before expanding to other countries in early 2015.^[51]

Windows 10 Mobile was announced on January 21, 2015, as a mobile operating system for smartphones and tablets running on ARM architecture. Its primary focus is unification with Windows 10, its PC counterpart, in software and services; in accordance with this strategy, the Windows Phone name has been phased out in favor of branding the platform as an edition of Windows 10,^{[52][53][54][55]} although it is still a continuation of Windows Phone, and most Windows Phone 8.1 devices can be upgraded to the platform.^[56][57][58]

Windows 10 Mobile emphasized software using the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), which allowed apps to be designed for use across multiple Windows 10-based product families with nearly identical code, functionality, and adaptations for available input methods.^[59][60][61] When connected to an external display, devices could also render a stripped-down desktop interface similar to Windows on PCs, with support for keyboard and mouse input.^[62][63] Windows 10 Mobile featured Skype message integration, updated Office Mobile apps, notification syncing with other Windows 10 devices, support for the Microsoft Edge web browser, and other user interface improvements.^[53][64][65] Microsoft developed a middleware known as Windows Bridge to allow iOS Objective-C and Android C++ or Java software to be ported to run on Windows 10 Mobile with limited changes to code.^[66][67][68]

With the diminishing interest and application development for the platform, Microsoft discontinued active development of Windows 10 Mobile in 2017,^[19] and the platform was declared end of life on January 14, 2020.^[69][70]

Windows Phone features a user interface based on Microsoft’s «Metro» design language,^[71] and was inspired by the user interface in the Zune HD.^[72] The home screen, called the «Start screen», is made up of «Live Tiles», which have been the inspiration for the Windows 8 live tiles. Tiles are links to applications, features, functions and individual items (such as contacts, web pages, applications or media items). Users can add, rearrange, or remove tiles.^[73] Tiles are dynamic and update in real time – for example, the tile for an email account would display the number of unread messages or a tile could display a live update of the weather.^[74] Since Windows Phone 8, live tiles can also be resized to either a small, medium, or large appearance.

Several features of Windows Phone are organized into «hubs«, which combine local and online content via Windows Phone’s integration with popular social networks such as Facebook, Windows Live, and Twitter.^[74] For example, the Pictures hub shows photos captured with the device’s camera and the user’s Facebook photo albums, and the People hub shows contacts aggregated from multiple sources including Windows Live, Facebook, and Gmail. From the hub, users can directly comment and ‘like’ on social network updates. The other built-in hubs are Xbox Music and Video, Xbox Live Games, Windows Phone Store, and Microsoft Office.^[74]

Windows Phone uses multi-touch technology.^[74] The default Windows Phone user interface has a dark theme that prolongs battery life on OLED screens as fully black pixels do not emit light. Alternatively, users may choose a light theme in their phone’s settings menu.^[75] The user may also choose from several accent colors.^[76] User interface elements such as links, buttons and tiles are shown in the user’s chosen accent color. Third-party applications can be automatically themed with these colors.^[77] Windows Phone 8.1 introduces transparent tiles and a customizable background image for the Start screen. The image is visible through the transparent area of the tiles and features a parallax effect when scrolling which gives an illusion of depth. If the user does not pick a background image the tiles render with the accent color of the theme.

Users input text by using an on-screen virtual keyboard, which has a dedicated key for inserting emoticons,^[78] and features spell checking^[78] and word prediction.^[79] App developers (both inhouse and ISV) may specify different versions of the virtual keyboard in order to limit users to certain character sets, such as numeric characters alone. Users may change a word after it has been typed by tapping the word,^[80] which will invoke a list of similar words. Pressing and holding certain keys will reveal similar characters. The keys are somewhat larger and spaced farther apart when in landscape mode. Phones may also be made with a hardware keyboard for text input.^[81] Users can also add accents to letters by holding on an individual letter. Windows Phone 8.1 introduces a new method of typing by swiping through the keyboard without lifting the finger, in a manner similar to Swype and SwiftKey.

Internet Explorer on Windows Phone allows the user to maintain a list of favorite web pages and tiles linking to web pages on the Start screen. The browser supports up to 6 tabs, which can all load in parallel.^[82] Other features include multi-touch gestures, smooth zoom in/out animations, the ability to save pictures that are on web pages, share web pages via email, and support for inline search which allows the user to search for a word or phrase in a web page by typing it.^[83] Tabs are synced with Windows 8.1 devices using Internet Explorer 11.

Contacts are organized via the «People hub«, and can be manually entered into contacts or imported from Facebook, Windows Live Contacts, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google, and Outlook. A «What’s New» section shows a user’s Facebook news feed and a «Pictures» section show pictures from those social networks, while a «Me» section within the «People» hub shows a user’s own social network status and wall and allows them to view social network updates. Contacts can also be pinned to the Start Screen. The contact’s «Live Tile» displays their social network status and profile picture on the homescreen. Clicking on a contact’s tile or accessing their card within the «People» hub will reveal their recent social network activity as well as the rest of their contact information.

If a contact has information stored on multiple networks, users can link the two separate contact accounts, allowing the information to be viewed and accessed from a single card.^[84] As of Windows Phone 7.5, contacts can also be sorted into «Groups». Here, information from each of the contacts is combined into a single page which can be accessed directly from the Hub or pinned to the Start screen.

Windows Phone supports Outlook.com, Exchange, Yahoo! Mail and Gmail natively and supports many other services via the POP and IMAP protocols. Updates added support for more services such as iCloud and IBM Notes Traveler. Contacts and calendars may be synced from these services as well. Users can also search through their email by searching in the subject, body, senders, and receivers. Emails are shown with threads, and multiple email inboxes can be combined into a single view (a feature commonly referred to as «combined inbox») or can viewed separately.

Xbox Music and Xbox Video are built-in multimedia hubs providing entertainment and synchronization capabilities between PC, Windows Phone, and other Microsoft products.^[85] The two hubs were previously combined until standalone apps were released in late 2013, shortly before Windows Phone 8.1 debuted.^[86] The hubs allow users to access music, videos, and podcasts stored on the device, and links directly to the «Xbox Music Store» to buy or rent music and the «Xbox Video Store» to purchase movies and TV episodes. Xbox Music also allows the user to stream music with an Xbox Music Pass. When browsing the music by a particular artist, users are able to view artist biographies and photos.^[78] The Xbox Music hub also integrates with many other apps that provide video and music services, including, but not limited to, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and Vevo. This hub also includes Smart DJ which compiles a playlist of songs stored on the phone similar to the song or artist selected.

The Pictures hub displays the user’s Facebook and OneDrive photo albums, as well as photos taken with the phone’s built-in camera. Users can also upload photos to social networks, comment on photos uploaded by other people, and tag photos posted to social networks.^[78] Multi-touch gestures permit zooming in and out of photos.

An official file manager app called Files, which is available for download from the Windows Phone Store, enables users to move and rearrange documents, videos, music and other files within their device’s hard drive or to an external SD card.^[87]

Windows Phone supports WAV, MP3, WMA, AMR, AAC/MP4/M4A/M4B and 3GP/3G2 standards. The video file formats supported on WP include WMV, AVI, MP4/M4V, 3GP/3G2 and MOV (QuickTime) standards.^[88] These supported audio and video formats would be dependent on the codecs contained inside them. It has also been previously reported that the DivX and Xvid codecs within the AVI file format are also playable on WP devices.^[89][90]

Windows Phone does not support DRM protected media files that are obtained from services other than Xbox Music Pass.^[91]

The image file formats that are supported include JPG/JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIF and Bitmap (BMP).^[92][93]

Users can also add custom ringtones which are less than 1MB in size and less than 40 seconds long. DLNA streaming and stereoscopic 3D are also supported.^[86]

The «Games hub» provides access to games on a phone along with Xbox Live functionality, including the ability for a user to interact with their avatar, view and edit their profile, see their achievements and view leaderboards, and send messages to friends on Xbox Live. The hub also features an area for managing invitations and turn notifications in turn-based multiplayer games.^[94] Games are downloaded from Windows Phone Store.

Bing is the default search engine on Windows Phone handsets because its functions are deeply integrated in the OS (which also include the utilization of its map service for location-based searches and queries). However, Microsoft has stated that other search engine applications can be used.^[95][96]

In the area of location-based searches, Bing Maps (which is powered by Nokia’s location services) provides turn-by-turn navigation service to Windows Phone users, and Local Scout shows interest points such as attractions and restaurants in the nearby area. On Nokia devices, Nokia’s Here Maps is preinstalled in place of Bing Maps.

Furthermore, Bing Audio allows the user to match a song with its name, and Bing Vision allows the user to scan barcodes, QR codes, and other types of tags.

Every Windows Phone has either a dedicated physical Search button or an on-screen Search button, which was previously reserved for a Bing Search app, but has been replaced on Windows Phone 8.1 devices and later in the United Kingdom and United States by Cortana, a digital personal assistant which can also double as an app for basic searches.

Cortana allows users to do tasks such as set calendar reminders and alarms, and recognizes a user’s natural voice, and can be used to answer questions (like current weather conditions, sports scores, and biographies). The app also keeps a «Notebook» to learn a user’s behavior over time and tailor reminders for them. Users can edit the «Notebook» to keep information from Cortana or reveal more about themselves.

All Windows Phones come preinstalled with Microsoft Office Mobile, which provides interoperability between Windows Phone and the desktop version of Microsoft Office. Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile, and SharePoint Workspace Mobile apps are accessible through a single «Office Hub», and allow most Microsoft Office file formats to be viewed and edited directly on a Windows Phone device. The «Office Hub» can access files from OneDrive and Office 365, as well as files which are stored locally on the device’s hard drive. Although they are not preinstalled in Windows Phone’s «Office Hub», OneNote Mobile, Lync Mobile, and OneDrive for Business can be downloaded separately as standalone applications from the Windows Phone Store.

Multitasking in Windows Phone is invoked through long pressing the «back» arrow, which is present on all Windows Phones. Windows Phone 7 uses a card-based task switcher, whereas later versions of Windows Phone utilize true background multitasking.

Zune Software manages the contents on Windows Phone 7 devices and Windows Phone can wirelessly sync with Zune Software.

Syncing content between Windows Phone 8 and 8.1 and Windows PCs or Macs is provided through the Windows Phone App, which is available for both Windows and Mac OS X. It is the official successor to Zune software only for Windows Phone 8 and Windows Phone 8.1, and allows users to transfer content such as music, videos, and documents.

Users also have the ability to use a «Tap and Send» feature that allows for file transfer between Windows phones, and NFC-compatible devices through NFC.

Software updates are delivered to Windows Phone users via Microsoft Update, as is the case with other Windows operating systems.^[97] Microsoft initially had the intention to directly update any phone running Windows Phone instead of relying on OEMs or wireless carriers,^[98] but on January 6, 2012, Microsoft changed their policy to let carriers decide if an update will be delivered.^[99]

While Windows Phone 7 users were required to attach their phones to a PC to install updates,^[100] starting with Windows Phone 8, all updates are done via over-the-air downloads.^[101] Since Windows Phone 8, Microsoft has also begun releasing minor updates that add features to a current OS release throughout the year.^[102] These updates were first labeled «General Distribution releases» (GDRs), but were later rebranded simply as «Updates».

All third-party applications can be updated automatically from the Windows Phone Store.^[103]

Microsoft has also launched an advertising platform for the Windows Phone platform. Microsoft’s General Manager for Strategy and Business Development, Kostas Mallios, said that Windows Phone will be an «ad-serving machine», pushing advertising and brand-related content to the user. The platform will feature advertising tiles near applications and toast notifications, which will bring updating advertising notifications. Mallios said that Windows Phone will be able to «preserve the brand experience by going directly from the web site right to the application», and that Windows Phone «enables advertisers to connect with consumers over time».^[104] Mallios continued: «you’re now able to push information as an advertiser, and stay in touch with your customer. It’s a dynamic relationship that is created and provides for an ongoing dialog with the consumer.»^[105]

Windows Phone supports the following Bluetooth profiles:^[106]

1. Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP 1.2)
2. Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP 1.3)
3. Hands Free Profile (HFP 1.5)
4. Headset Profile (HSP 1.1)
5. Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP 1.1)
6. Bluetooth File Transfer (OBEX) (from Windows Phone 7.8)

Windows Phone BTF support is available from Windows Phone 7.8, but is limited to the transferring of pictures, music and videos via a ‘Bluetooth Share’ app.^[107][108]

Microsoft kept a site where people can submit and vote on features they would like to see added to Windows Phone.^[109]

The Windows Phone Store was used to digitally distribute music, video content, podcasts, and third-party applications to Windows Phone handsets. The store was accessible using the Zune Software client or the Windows Phone Store hub on devices (though videos were not downloadable through the store hub and must be downloaded and synced through the Zune software).^[110] The Store was managed by Microsoft, which included an approval process. As of March 2012, the Windows Phone Store was available in 54 countries.^[111]

Xbox Music offered approximately 50 million songs up to 320 kbit/s in DRM-free MP3 format from the big four music groups (EMI, Warner Music Group, Sony BMG and Universal Music Group), as well as smaller music labels. Xbox Video offered HD movies from Paramount, Universal, Warner Brothers, and other studios and plus television shows from popular television networks.

Microsoft offered the Xbox Music Pass music subscription service, which allowed subscribers to download an unlimited number of songs for as long as their subscription was active and play them on current Microsoft devices.

Third-party applications and games for Windows Phone can be based on XNA, a Windows Phone-specific version of Silverlight, the GUI-based Windows Phone App Studio, or the Windows Runtime, which allows developers to develop an app for both the Windows Store and Windows Phone Store simultaneously.^{[112][113][114]} App developers can develop apps using C# / Visual Basic.NET (.NET), C++ (CX) or HTML5/JavaScript.

For Windows Phone apps to be designed and tested within Visual Studio or Visual Studio Express, Microsoft offers Windows Phone Developer Tools, which run only on Windows Vista SP2 and later, as an extension^[115] Microsoft also offers Expression Blend for Windows Phone for free. On November 29, 2009, Microsoft announced the Release-to-web (RTW) version of its Visual Basic .NET Developer Tool, to aid development of Windows Phone apps in Visual Basic.

Later versions of Windows Phone support the running of managed code through a Common Language Runtime similar to that of the Windows operating system itself, as opposed to the .NET Compact Framework. This, along with support for native C and C++ libraries, allows some traditional Windows desktop programs to be easily ported to Windows Phone.^[116]

Registered Windows Phone and Xbox Live developers can submit and manage their third-party applications for the platforms through the App Hub web applications. The App Hub provides development tools and support for third-party application developers. The submitted applications undergo an approval process for verifications and validations to check if they qualify the applications standardization criteria set by Microsoft.^[117] The cost of the applications that are approved is up to the developer, but Microsoft will take 20% of the revenue (the other 80% goes to the developer).^[118] Microsoft will only pay developers once they reach a set sales figure, and will withhold 30% tax from non-US developers, unless they first register with the United States Government’s Internal Revenue Service. Microsoft only pays developers from a list of thirty countries.^[119] A yearly fee is also payable for developers wishing to submit apps.^[120]

In order to get an application to appear in the Windows Phone Store, the application must be submitted to Microsoft for approval.^[119] Microsoft has outlined the content that it will not allow in the applications, which includes content that, among other things, advocates discrimination or hate, promotes usage of drugs, alcohol or tobacco, or includes sexually suggestive material.^[121]

Windows Phone 7 devices were first produced by HTC, LG and Samsung. These hardware partners were later joined by Acer, Alcatel, Fujitsu, Toshiba, Nokia, and Chinese OEM ZTE.

Windows Phone 8 devices were being produced by HTC, Huawei, Nokia, and Samsung.

At the 2014 Mobile World Congress, Microsoft announced that upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 devices would be manufactured by Celkon, Gionee, HTC, Huawei, JSR, Karbonn, LG, Lenovo, Longcheer, Micromax, Microsoft Mobile, Samsung, Xolo, and ZTE among others.^[122] Sony (under the Xperia or Vaio brand) had also stated its intention to produce Windows Phone devices in the near future.^[123] Yezz announced two smartphones in May, and at Computex 2014 BYD, Compal, Pegatron, Quanta and Wistron were also named as new Windows Phone OEMs.^[124]

In August 2014, Huawei said it was dropping support for Windows Phone due to low sales.^[125]

The Metro UI and overall interface of the OS were highly praised for their style, with ZDNet noting their originality and fresh, clean look.^[126] Engadget and ZDNet applauded the integration of Facebook into the People Hub as well as other built-in capabilities, such as Windows Live, etc. However, in version 8.1, the once tight Facebook and Twitter integration was removed, so updates from those social media sites had to be accessed via their respective apps.^[127]

For the first months, market specialists were optimistic about its adoption, with IDC forecasting that Windows Phone would surpass the iPhone by 2015.^[128]

According to Gartner, there were 1.6 million devices running Microsoft OS sold to customers in Q1 2011 worldwide.^[129] 1.7 million smartphones using a Microsoft mobile OS were sold in Q2 2011, for a 1.6% market share.^[130] In Q3 2011, Microsoft’s worldwide market share dropped slightly to 1.5%.^[131] In Q4 2011 market share increased to 1.9%,^[132] and it stayed at 1.9% for Q1 2012.^[133] Reports for Q2, Q3 and Q4 of year 2011 include both Windows Phone and small part of Windows Mobile marketshare under the same «Microsoft mobile OS» banner, and do not make the distinction of separating the marketshare values of the two. According to Nielsen, Windows Phone had a 1.7% market share in Q1 2012,^[134] and then dropped back to 1.3% in Q2 2012.^[135]

After the release of Windows Phone 8, Gartner reported that Windows Phone’s market share jumped to 3% in Q4 2012, a 124% increase over the same time period in 2011.^[136]

In mid-2012, IDC had suggested that Windows Phone might surpass the faltering BlackBerry platform and potentially even Apple iOS because of Nokia’s dominance in emerging markets like Asia, Latin America, and Africa, as the iPhone was considered too expensive for most of these regions and BlackBerry OS was possibly going to feature a similar fate as Symbian.^[137][138] IDC’s projections were partially correct, as in Q1 2013 Windows Phone shipments surpassed BlackBerry shipment volume for the first time.^[139] IDC had to slash the Windows Phone predictions once again, to 7 percent of total market in 2018, because of the slow growth.^[140]

As of the third quarter of 2013, Gartner reported that Windows Phone holds a worldwide market share of 3.6%, up 123% from the same period in 2012 and outpacing Android’s rate of growth.^[141] According to Kantar’s October 2013 report, Windows Phone accounted for 10.2% of all smartphone sales in Europe and 4.8% of all sales in the United States.^[142] Some analysts have been attributing this spike in sales to both Windows Phone 8 and Nokia’s successful push to market low and mid-range Windows Phones like the Lumia 520 and Lumia 620 to a younger audience.^[143] Gartner reported that Windows Phone market share finished 2013 at 3.2%, which while down from the third quarter of 2013 was still a 46.7% improvement from the same period in 2012.^[144]

IDC reported that Windows Phone market share, having peaked in 2013 at 3.4%, had dropped to 2.5% by the second quarter of 2014.^[145]

In August 2017, the New York Police Department ordered Apple iPhone products to replace its deployment of 36,000 Lumia 830 and Lumia 640 XL Windows Phone devices, partly citing Microsoft’s end of support for Windows Phone 8.1 on July 11, 2017, and its minuscule market share.^[146]

Microsoft’s developer initiative programs and marketing have gained attention from application developers. As of Q3 2013, an average of 21% of mobile developers used the Windows Phone platform, with another 35% stating they are interested in adopting it.^[147] Some reports have indicated that developers may be less interested in developing for Windows Phone because of the lower ad revenue when compared to competing platforms.^[148] The main criticism of Windows Phone was the lack of applications when compared to iOS and Android.^{[149][150][151][152]} This also affected Microsoft’s largest partner in the platform, Nokia, whose vice president showed his frustration at the lack of apps for the platform.^[153]

A few developers refused to develop apps while preventing third-party alternatives. A well-known example was Snapchat, which announced a crackdown on third-party apps for its service and its users in November 2014. Microsoft was forced to remove third-party Snapchat apps (including the popular 6snap) from the Windows Phone Store a month later, while Snapchat never developed an official app for those users.^[154] A petition from users requesting an official Snapchat app reached 43,000 signatures in 2015.^[155] In addition, Google twice blocked Microsoft’s own YouTube app for violating its terms of service, objecting to the app’s ability to download videos and prevent ads.^[156] The app returned in October 2013 but stripped of many features.^[157]

By 2014, Windows Phone was losing share and relevance; between 2014 and 2015, it was reported that developers were backing out of the platform and retiring apps because of the low market share.^[158][159] Many high-profile apps were discontinued by 2015 such as American Airlines, NBC, Pinterest and others. In addition, Microsoft itself retired some of its own first-party apps.^[160]

• Comparison of mobile operating systems
• Surface Duo
• Telephones portal

• Official website (Archive)

Feb 15, 2010 20:05 EST

· Hot!

Scott Barnes, formerly a Microsoft Rich Platform Product Manager (WPF & Silverlight), has voiced his opinions on the Windows Phone 7 user interface (UI).

Barnes covers various topics of thought on the Windows Phone 7 announcements and admits when he initially saw the early specs, whilst he was working at Microsoft, he was «a little jaded with the whole level of commitment to the UX.» He compares the new UI to that of the iPhone:

«the UI is trying a little to hard to do the opposite of the iPhone, like it’s a challenge they need to rise up against. Examples like no Icons, panning up/down instead of left / right for content etc seems to pack a little too much anti-iPhone.»

Barnes also feels the Windows Phone 7 launch is similar to Vista. «This is the Windows Vista launch, as after some code resets and downward pressure from above this is almost exactly the same internal conditions Windows Vista team had before their launch, ‘get it to market, get it fast and we’ll come back around for the bits we wanted to put in place’.»

After playing with a Windows Phone 7 series device I have similar concerns about the user interface. It’s fast and gives you a quick overview of information but having to «Pivot» (slide) through panels of information isn’t natural and could easily cause usability issues. Sliding to different parts of content is fine in principle, providing you know there’s more content to slide to and you have a preview or understanding of what content you can slide to in either direction. I feel that Windows Phone 7 doesn’t address this and buries options and content too far into what is referred to as a «Hub».

Microsoft switched their strategy for Windows Mobile approximately two years ago when they decided to «reset». Similar to the Longhorn (Vista) reset and subsequent development of Windows 7, Windows Mobile internal groups went through restructuring and a series of changes designed to improve the development process. I can’t help but feel despite this effort, and the tasks involved, that it could be too late. The UI is basic and doesn’t offer anything really compelling that makes you want to purchase a Windows Phone 7 device yet. The integration with web services is fantastic and a great step in the right direction but the UI is lacking somewhat. HTC spent years covering up the UI problems in Windows Mobile and Microsoft seems to have addressed this by ensuring every part of the OS now looks the same and functions the same. The problem is by doing this they have lost a great UI that they could have embraced and built upon in partnership with HTC. It’s still not fully clear whether HTC will bring a cut down version of Sense to Windows Phone 7. The company could create a Start Screen tile or Custom Hub. Looking at Windows Phone 6.5 with the Sense UI and comparing this to Windows Phone 7, I don’t get the feeling of «wow» or usability that I get with the HTC Sense bar or impressive weather animations. The rest of the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system underneath isn’t as consistent however, Windows Phone 7 fixes that issue.

Despite my UI reservations, Microsoft has many months until Windows Phone 7 will hit the market. We know very little about how applications will interface with the operating system and which developers plan to create Windows Phone 7 apps. The juicy details of how Windows Phone 7 will position itself in the market won’t arrive for another few weeks until MIX 2010 in March. Meanwhile Apple is likely to react to the announcements with its own plans for the iPhone OS 4.0 and next generation iPhone device due in June/July. If Apple has some interesting changes to their iPhone OS and impressive hardware then Microsoft could be on the back foot before Windows Phone 7 Series devices have even shipped.

Until then there’s a lot of excitement and curiosity around Microsoft’s latest announcements but will Apple play its ace card in the summer?

Windows Phone и Windows Vista — устаревшая связка или идеальное сочетание?

Windows Phone и Windows Vista – это два различных продукта, однако они имеют некоторые общие черты и значительное влияние на мир информационных технологий.

Начнем с Windows Phone. Это операционная система для смартфонов, разработанная компанией Microsoft. Впервые представленная в 2010 году, она была попыткой Microsoft войти на рынок смартфонов и конкурировать с iOS и Android. Windows Phone отличалась своим уникальным пользовательским интерфейсом, известным как «Windows Phone Metro», а также высокой интеграцией с другими продуктами Microsoft, такими как Office и Xbox.

С другой стороны, у нас есть Windows Vista — операционная система для персональных компьютеров, выпущенная Microsoft в 2006 году. Windows Vista претерпела значительные изменения по сравнению с предыдущей версией, Windows XP. Она представляла новые возможности и функции, такие как улучшенный пользовательский интерфейс Aero и расширенные мультимедийные возможности. Однако, Windows Vista также имела некоторые проблемы, связанные с производительностью и совместимостью с некоторым программным обеспечением.

Не смотря на то, что Windows Phone и Windows Vista являются различными продуктами, обе эти операционные системы оказали значительное влияние на развитие и восприятие миром информационных технологий. Они отражают стремление Microsoft к инновациям и конкуренции на рынке, а также демонстрируют преимущества и недостатки различных подходов в сфере операционных систем.

В данной статье мы более подробно рассмотрим эти две операционные системы, сравним их основные характеристики и выявим их роль в истории IT-технологий.

Преимущества Windows Phone перед Windows Vista

1. Простота и удобство использования. Windows Phone предлагает простой и интуитивно понятный интерфейс, который легко освоить даже новичку. Он оптимизирован для работы на смартфонах и позволяет быстро переключаться между приложениями и выполнять различные задачи.

2. Большой выбор приложений. Windows Phone имеет впечатляющий каталог приложений, который позволяет пользователям находить и устанавливать приложения для различных нужд. Это позволяет адаптировать смартфон под индивидуальные требования и получить доступ к широкому спектру функций.

3. Интеграция с другими устройствами и сервисами. Windows Phone предлагает удобную интеграцию с другими устройствами и сервисами компании Microsoft, такими как учетная запись Microsoft, OneDrive и Skype. Это обеспечивает легкий доступ к персональным файлам и коммуникации с друзьями и коллегами.

В целом, Windows Phone отличается от Windows Vista своим интерфейсом, функциональностью и специфическими возможностями. Однако, обе операционные системы имеют своих поклонников и находят применение в различных сферах. Выбор между ними зависит от потребностей и предпочтений каждого отдельного пользователя.

Удобство и простота использования Windows Phone

Одной из отличительных особенностей Windows Phone является его стартовый экран, который представляет собой своеобразную смесь традиционного меню и персонализированной информации. На стартовом экране пользователь может разместить плитки с ярлыками приложений, контактами, календарями и другой полезной информацией. Это позволяет быстро получать доступ к нужным функциям и приложениям без лишних телодвижений.

Windows Phone также отличается интуитивно понятным интерфейсом, который удобен для любого пользователя. Настройки и функции устроены таким образом, чтобы всё было просто и понятно с первого взгляда. Использование жестов пальцами для навигации и масштабирования экрана делает взаимодействие с устройством еще более удобным и естественным.

Windows Phone также предлагает широкий выбор приложений и сервисов из Windows Store, которые могут быть установлены на устройство с помощью нескольких нажатий. Это позволяет пользователям находить и устанавливать приложения в несколько раз быстрее, чем на других платформах.

В итоге, Windows Phone предлагает удобство и простоту использования, что делает его привлекательным выбором для пользователей, ценящих комфорт и интуитивно понятный интерфейс.

Безопасность и защита данных в Windows Phone

С ростом популярности мобильных устройств, вопрос безопасности и защиты данных становится все более актуальным. Windows Phone, операционная система разработанная компанией Microsoft, предлагает надежные механизмы для обеспечения безопасности пользовательской информации.

Одним из основных аспектов безопасности Windows Phone является встроенный механизм шифрования данных. Это позволяет защитить конфиденциальную информацию от несанкционированного доступа. Кроме того, Windows Phone предлагает возможность установки пароля или использования биометрических данных для разблокировки устройства, что делает его еще более защищенным.

Для обеспечения безопасности в Windows Phone также применяются механизмы контроля доступа. Пользователи могут устанавливать различные уровни доступа к своим данным и приложениям. Это позволяет предотвратить несанкционированное использование информации и защитить ее от вредоносных программ или хакеров.

Интеграция с облачным хранилищем, таким как OneDrive, также позволяет пользователю сохранять свои данные в безопасности. В случае утери или повреждения устройства, данные остаются доступными с любого другого устройства через облачное хранилище. Это обеспечивает дополнительный уровень защиты и безопасности данных в Windows Phone.

Экосистема приложений для Windows Phone

Одним из главных преимуществ экосистемы приложений Windows Phone является наличие магазина приложений Windows Store. Здесь пользователи могут найти и загрузить приложения для различных целей и задач. Windows Store предлагает широкий выбор приложений — от игр и развлечений до продуктивности и бизнеса. Благодаря этому разнообразию, пользователи могут найти и скачать приложения, которые соответствуют их интересам и потребностям.

Важной составляющей экосистемы приложений Windows Phone являются также встроенные приложения, включенные в операционную систему. Эти приложения, такие как Календарь, Карты, Камера и другие, предлагают базовый функционал и удобство использования. Они обеспечивают надежную и удобную платформу для работы с устройством и взаимодействия с другими приложениями. Благодаря этому, пользователи Windows Phone могут быстро и эффективно выполнять различные задачи и получать максимальную отдачу от своего устройства.

Примеры популярных категорий приложений для Windows Phone:

• Социальные сети: Приложения для доступа к популярным социальным сетям, таким как Facebook, Twitter, Instagram и другим, позволяют пользователям оставаться на связи с друзьями и делиться своими впечатлениями.
• Игры: Windows Phone предлагает широкий выбор игр различных жанров — от головоломок и аркад до стратегий и гонок. Пользователи могут наслаждаться игровым процессом и конкурировать с другими игроками в многопользовательском режиме.
• Продуктивность: Приложения для управления задачами, заметками, календарем и другими аспектами повседневной жизни помогают пользователю быть более организованным и эффективным.
• Музыка и видео: Пользователи Windows Phone могут наслаждаться своей любимой музыкой и видео благодаря приложениям для прослушивания музыки онлайн, стриминга видео и просмотра фильмов.

Таким образом, экосистема приложений для Windows Phone предлагает широкий выбор функциональных и развлекательных приложений, которые делают использование устройства более удобным и интересным. Благодаря этим приложениям, пользователи могут настроить свое устройство под свои индивидуальные потребности и наслаждаться полным многообразием возможностей, которые предлагает Windows Phone.

Оптимизация Windows Phone для мобильных устройств

Windows Phone представляет собой операционную систему, разработанную компанией Microsoft специально для использования на мобильных устройствах. Передовые возможности и удобство использования делают Windows Phone привлекательным выбором для множества пользователей. Однако, чтобы достичь максимальной производительности и эффективности на своем устройстве Windows Phone, важно провести оптимизацию системы.

Первым шагом в оптимизации Windows Phone является установка последних обновлений операционной системы. Обновления регулярно выпускаются разработчиками, чтобы исправлять ошибки, повышать безопасность и улучшать функциональность устройства. Установка этих обновлений поможет улучшить производительность и исправить возможные проблемы, с которыми могут столкнуться пользователи.

Другим важным шагом в оптимизации Windows Phone является очистка памяти устройства. Накопление ненужных файлов и данных может замедлить работу системы и занимать драгоценное пространство на устройстве. Использование инструментов очистки памяти, таких как удаление кеша приложений, удаление неиспользуемых файлов и оптимизация базы данных, поможет освободить память и улучшить производительность устройства.

Кроме того, оптимизация Windows Phone также может включать настройку энергосбережения. Это позволит продлить время работы устройства, уменьшив расход энергии во время простоя. Различные опции, такие как установка времени блокировки, отключение функций связи в фоновом режиме и использование темных тем оформления, помогут снизить потребление энергии и увеличить автономное время работы устройства.

Улучшенная производительность Windows Phone по сравнению с Windows Vista

Когда речь идет о производительности, Windows Phone имеет ряд преимуществ перед Windows Vista. Во-первых, Windows Phone имеет более оптимизированную архитектуру, что позволяет устройствам работать быстрее и более эффективно. Во-вторых, Windows Phone имеет более легкий и быстрый пользовательский интерфейс, который значительно улучшает общую производительность смартфона.

Одной из ключевых особенностей Windows Phone является его способность к многозадачности. Смартфоны под управлением Windows Phone могут быстро переключаться между приложениями и выполнять несколько задач одновременно без проблем с производительностью. Это особенно полезно для пользователей, которые часто работают с множеством приложений одновременно.

Windows Phone также обладает более продвинутыми функциями энергосбережения, которые позволяют устройству работать более долго без подзарядки аккумулятора. Это особенно важно для пользователей, которые используют свои смартфоны на протяжении всего дня и не хотят постоянно искать розетку для зарядки.

Несмотря на то, что Windows Phone и Windows Vista предназначены для разных устройств и имеют различные характеристики, Windows Phone обладает значительно улучшенной производительностью по сравнению с Windows Vista. Это делает смартфоны под управлением Windows Phone отличным выбором для пользователей, которым важна скорость работы и эффективность.

Большая интеграция и синхронизация Windows Phone с другими устройствами

Современные технологии с каждым днем становятся все более интегрированными и синхронизированными. И Windows Phone не исключение. В последние годы разработчики Microsoft внедряют все больше функций, позволяющих пользователям легко и удобно работать с разными устройствами одновременно.

Одной из главных особенностей Windows Phone является возможность синхронизировать данные и приложения между различными устройствами. Например, вы можете начать работу над документом на своем компьютере с операционной системой Windows Vista, а затем продолжить ее на своем Windows Phone, не потеряв при этом ни одного символа. Это очень удобно, особенно когда вы находитесь в поездке или в другом месте, где у вас под рукой только смартфон.

Кроме того, Windows Phone позволяет легко интегрироваться с другими устройствами, такими как наушники, колонки или автомобильные системы. Вы можете легко управлять воспроизведением музыки на своем смартфоне с помощью кнопок в наушниках или на колонках, не доставая телефон из кармана. Это упрощает использование устройств и позволяет сосредоточиться на важных делах.

Продолжительный срок поддержки и обновлений для Windows Phone

Microsoft активно продолжает поддерживать свою операционную систему для мобильных устройств. Это означает, что даже после выпуска новых версий Windows Phone, пользователи предыдущих моделей не останутся без поддержки. Вся доступная на данный момент функциональность и возможности будут постоянно обновляться и дорабатываться, чтобы пользователи могли наслаждаться оптимальным и стабильным опытом использования своего устройства.

Долгосрочная поддержка и обновления для Windows Phone также означают, что пользователи получат защиту от потенциальных угроз и уязвимостей, которые могут влиять на безопасность данных и конфиденциальность. Microsoft активно работает над выявлением и исправлением уязвимостей, чтобы обеспечить безопасность своих пользователей.

Кроме того, продолжительный срок поддержки и обновлений Windows Phone позволит пользователям получить доступ к новым функциям и возможностям, которые могут быть внедрены в будущих обновлениях. Это означает, что пользователи смогут использовать последние технологические достижения и улучшения, даже если их устройство было куплено несколько лет назад.

В целом, продолжительный срок поддержки и обновлений для Windows Phone является одним из преимуществ этой операционной системы. Пользователи могут быть уверены, что их устройство будет актуальным и функциональным на протяжении длительного времени. Это позволяет сэкономить на покупке нового устройства и продолжать использовать уже привычный интерфейс и программное обеспечение.