Microsoft took the world by surprise when it announced its Windows 7 Phone Series not too long ago and quite frankly people are very excited about it and I don’t see why not. Well at Microsoft’s MIX10 event today, a whole load of juicy information has been dumped on us. Among it was news of the new Windows Phone Marketplace for Windows Phone 7 Series to compete directly with the App Store from Apple.
And just like everything else about Windows Phone 7 Series, it’s a gorgeous sleek interface. It’s just like the rest of the Windows Phone 7 Series layout and is so simple to use and navigate. What’s more it’s got support for credit card purchases, operator billing, and ad-supported content something Google are trying hard to bring to the field.
The Windows Phone Marketplace will also have a “Try before you buy” scheme, where by you don’t have to provide credit card details or pay to try out an app, just like what the Android Marketplace offers at the moment which I’m sure will prove popular among users. As I said above, the marketplace is gracefully integrated into the rest of the OS and you are provided with a “panoramic view” where you can browse categories and titles, see featured items, and get details with ratings, reviews, screen shots, and pricing information.
We’ve also been told that the Microsoft Marketplace will be the only way to officially get apps onto a Windows Phone 7 Series phone. Which means that developers will have to follow Microsoft’s guidelines and meet their specifications, which also means apps may be rejected. Sounds very like Apple….. but I hope Microsoft won’t be as strict about their apps as Apple are.
Microsoft also announced a number of confirmed app partners as well. They now have FourSquare, Pandora, Shazam, EA and the Associated Press on their side helping to develop apps for the marketplace. Sling media are also involved so we may well be seeing a slingbox app for Windows Phone 7 Series as well.
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