Windows Phone 7: The First Six Months

It's a half birthday! Today is 6 months to the day since the official launch of Windows Phone 7, and we're got a roundup like you wouldn't believe! How would you like to know everything that ever mattered about the platform in one single post? That's what's going on here. Behold the successor to the Windows Mobile platform, one that's taken the world by storm! — Depending on how you look at it. We've got all the big steps complimented by hands-on with all the big guns – reviews too!

You all know that Windows Phone 7 launched for the first time on October 21st, 2010, in Europe, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, right? That was the first time a Windows Phone 7 phone ever saw the light of day, correct? Of course not! Let's go back much further than that. Our journey begins when Chris Davies first held a Windows Phone 7 handset and got a good look at it back in February of 2010. We got our first look at the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace then as well. Our very first column on the Windows Phone 7 series was entitled Why there is no Zune Phone

We then headed out to Barcelona to check out Mobile World Congress 2010 and had a good ol' time checking out all the WP7 stuff out in late February. Come March we had additional updates from MIX 2010. Our next big column on the subject came from Michael Gartenberg and decided that Breaking Windows is a Good Idea. Then another big update: March 18th, 2010 – copy and paste is coming! Chris Davies wrote a column by the name of Dumbing Down: The Price of a Good UX?

A column in May of 2010 on the platform was entitled The Fate of Windows Phone 7 while Microsoft planned to sell 30 million Windows Phone 7 devices by the end of 2011. Apps appear to have first been shown as "better than iPhone and Android" on June 11th, 2010. We had one big fat amazing Windows Phone 7 Technical Preview also in June on the 19th.

A gem! August 24th, 2010 there was a story about HTC's executive saying he was 100% convinced of Windows Phone 7 and he scorned Nokia for not ditching Symbian. – Nokia then in September eyed Windows Phone 7 as a third OS strategy.

AT&T announces that their Windows Phone 7 launch would be October 11th, 2010. Next was the big announcement that Windows Phone would be out on the 21st of October in Europe and November 7 in North America. Next came all of the following: HTC 7 Mozart, 7 Trophy, HD7, and 7 Pro. Oh, and HTC 7 Surround.

At this point, October 11th, 2010, Ben Bajarin wrote an analysis called Windows Phone 7 – Can it Compete?

Then came all the Hands-On articles:

Samsung Omnia 7HTC 7 TrophyHTC 7 MozartHTC HD7LG Optimus 7Dell Venue ProLG QuantumSamsung FocusHTC 7 Pro

Next there was a rather popular HTC HD7 vs iPhone 4. There was a column by the name of Windows Phone 7 & what it means for Teens.

Then came the reviews:

HTC 7 SurroundSamsung FocusHTC 7 MozartLAUNCH!HTC HD7T-Mobile HTC HD7HTC 7 Trophy

It's January 26th, 2011, and Over 2 Million Windows Phone 7 phones are shipped. It's said that Nokia CEO Stephen Elop noted that Nokia was "Standing on a burning platform." Then Nokia announces Windows Phone 7 partnership. Learn everything you needed to know in February of 2011 about Nokia Windows Phone

Another review! HTC 7 Pro

Windows Phone 7 finds its way into SG Comics via Nokia and Microsoft's partnership. There was a tiny bit of news on Windows Phone 7 at Mobile World Congress 2011. Nokia pays $6 million to poach CEO Elop. Microsoft rolls out the NoDo update. There's another hands-on experience by your humble narrator on the HTC HD7S. Nokia officially culls Symbian. IDC predicts Windows Phone 7 to be number 2 smartphone by 2015. Windows Phone 7 draws developer interest.

Then, another review! This time of the HTC Arrive Review. Angry Birds is announced for Windows Phone 7 for May 25th. A great big powerful HTC Windows Phone with a 16-megapixel camera is tipped.

And that's it! That's where we are now! Fun, huh?