12 years ago, Microsoft launched Windows Phone 7 and won a celebrity with followers
What you need to know
- On October 21, 2010, Microsoft released Windows Phone 7 globally
- The official US launch took place a few weeks later, on November 8
- Windows Phone 7 borrowed a lot from the Zune media player and stood out from the crowd
Windows Phone 7 is one of the defining moments of Microsoft’s mobile ambitions. Until then, the company was going on fumes with Windows Mobile 6.5 With earlier rumors of a “photonic operating system”, also known as Windows Mobile 7, to replace it.
But instead of continuing into a new era of Windows Mobile design, the company has chosen the very bold path Windows Phone 7 series (Microsoft, fortunately, later Projection “string” from the noun).
Windows Phone 7 was a whole new way to think about the operating system. The user interface borrowed a lot from Zone Series of music players borrowed from media center windowsand found inspiration from the Swiss movement of the 1960s. Steeped in fonts like Helvetica and later Segoe WP, Microsoft’s “modern and clean” design language had a philosophy behind it and even a smart name – Metro UI – where the design was like road signs: clear, iconic, text-driven.
The Metro user interface later evolved into “Windows 8 user interface“Because of trademark claim By German multinational corp Metro AG. That hasn’t stopped many apps, like MetroTube, from embracing the philosophy that Windows Phone fans have embraced as a badge of honour.
Of course, what made Windows Phone 7 so interesting at the time was how unique it was compared to iOS and Android. Microsoft’s design was based on a pure white or black “theme”, with no background and bold live tiles showing images, app updates, and whatever developers came up with.
Live Tiles were developed for Windows 8, which, unfortunately, was dismissed by the public as too radical a change from the classic desktop. Xbox has also embraced tile-like design for many years as the company has sought to align its design philosophy across brands.
Despite Microsoft’s radical and very forward-looking reimagining of what a modern user interface should look like, many people found the mobile operating system too stark or even confusing from afar against the icons of the more popular apps in the iOS and Android desktop approach.
Basically, you either “got” the Metro user interface, or you don’t.
But let’s face it, Microsoft’s flat design language for Metro UI, which rejected skeuomorphism, was practically an art. His appearance still resonated with the people he caught Windows Phone 7 devices Such as Focus on SamsungHTC HD7, Dell Venue Pro, LG Quantum, HTC Surround, LG Optimus 7 per day.
Was Microsoft ahead of its time or was it simply too late to party?
The answer is both of course. Windows Phone 7 came Too late to the market, having to catch up since its inception. But Microsoft and the talented people behind Windows Phone 7 deserve all the credit for making the bold decision to create an operating system that is still fondly discussed 12 years later.
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