What is Windows Phone 7?

Windows Phone 7 offers a whole new way of using a smart phone. If you have seen any of the adverts for Windows Phone 7, you might have picked up on slogans like ‘glance and go’ and the phone that lets you get back to life. Windows Phone 7 has really changed the game in terms of offering a fully dynamic home screen which allows you to see all the latest info without having to go into individual apps, or constantly have messages popping up.

How is it different to other smartphones?

The homepage screen is a set of hubs, groups of applications and services that let you glance and see the latest information- whether that’s the latest gossip on Facebook, or the latest news. The Hubs are fully configurable and allow you to customise your phone to suit your individual needs.

The phone has a smooth swipe action which allows you to intuitively move through pages, send texts and emails or get directions.

Can it handle my emails?

Integration with Exchange, Outlook, Gmail and Windows Live is seamless, and you can easily sort through read and flagged emails.

How does Windows Phone 7 work for business?

For the business person, Windows Phone 7 offers superb office integration allowing you to create and edit office documents on the go, meaning you can make the most of a long commute or access that crucial document in a meeting.

Is it a good phone for someone with a busy social life?

If you just want to use your phone for fun, then Windows Phone 7 gives you intuitive ways of staying in touch with your friends, with a person rather than app based system. You can save time by choosing who you want to contact and then decide if you want to call, text, email or even post something to their Facebook page.

Can I play games on it?

Windows Phone 7 also offers xBox integration, enabling you to game on the go with your favourite games. There are also a whole host of downloadable phone games, so you there is no excuse to be bored.

What about my apps?

Windows Phone 7 may not have quite as many apps as iPhone or Android at the start, but all the key bases are covered with games, twitter apps, tip calculators and even stop smoking courses that will be available from the Marketplace.

What about maps?

When smart phones launched with their GPS and ability to work as hand held sat navs, there were suddenly a lot less lost people on the streets. Using Google maps on an iPhone or Android has become a way of life for many, and the thought of changing sounds daunting.

The Bing Maps interface is very similar to Google maps, and if you are familiar with using them then you should have no trouble getting the hang of Bing. Bing also has a nice directions list, similar to the directions Google maps will give you when sat at a PC, but tapping on these allows you to zoom in and out of the map.