MWC: Windows Phone 7 Maturing. But Is It Fast Enough?

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While new smartphones and tablets are taking center stage at the Mobile World Congress MWC), software and mobile ecosystems are part of the story too. Microsoft reminded us of this with news about future plans for Windows Phone 7, which is perhaps far more interesting now that Nokia will use Microsoft’s mobile platform in place of Symbian. Speaking today at a MWC keynote, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer mapped out plans that include a number of new features as well as increased social networking integration. Let’s hope competitors don’t move too quickly, however; Ballmer noted that most of the improvements will appear in the second of 2011.

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s on tap for Windows Phone 7 devices, along with rough timelines:

  • Platform update. Within the next four weeks, Microsoft will release a free software update for all Windows Phone handsets, including copy/paste functionality and improved application performance.
  • CDMA support. Windows Phone 7 handsets are currently available on GSM networks, but within the first half of 2011, CDMA phones will be available to customers that use Verizon Wireless or Sprint networks, for example.
  • Tweet this. Facebook and Windows Live will be joined by Twitter in the People Hub, although such integration won’t appear until the second half of the year.
  • Office in the cloud. Windows Phone 7 handsets will be able to share and store Office documents through a Windows Live SkyDrive feature in the latter half of 2011.
  • Mobile web. Microsoft will add an improved version of Internet Explorer 9 to Windows Phone 7 in the second half of this year. The mobile browser will provide the same support for web standards and hardware-accelerated graphics as the desktop version of the browser by the same name.
  • Multitasking arrives. Microsoft will add application switching and background application support through multitasking. Although not slated for the latter half of 2011, developers will hear more about how the multitasking implementation will work come April at the Microsoft’s annual MIX developer event.

There’s little question that the high-level list will bring Windows Phone 7 up to speed with competing platforms from Apple, Google and others. But essentially, Microsoft is catching up to where those competing platforms were prior to this year, which makes it a challenge to attract consumers, and perhaps developers and hardware partners, too. But the company did just recently announce a partnership with the largest maker of handsets in Nokia, which will help extend the Windows Phone 7 brand across many markets; Nokia currently sells phones in nearly 200 countries, for example.

My recent review of one of the first Windows Phone 7 devices showed me that Microsoft’s platform is a fresh take on how a mobile phone should work, but there was still a lot of room for improvement. And as Ballmer announced today, such improvements are coming, but slower than I would have expected. Am I alone in that regard? What do you think of this timetable to mature Windows Phone 7: too slow, too fast (not likely) or just right?

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