A barber shop review: WinMo 7

I don’t have a Windows mobile phone, but that don’t stop me overhearing a conversation between a barber and his client regarding their recent experiences with their new Windows Phone 7. This is from memory so it’s not verbatim, and is hearsay but I think it reflects how people perceive these new phones.

They loved the integration with Hotmail and how it quickly added all their contacts to the phone, and compared the email features to the BlackBerry, claiming it was as good at handling messages as these legendary devices. They were also very impressed with the wifi connectivity, which was very easy to set up.

They thought that the internet browsing was slower than their previous handset although they didn’t mention what make or model that was. This is a very subjective comparison, and it might be due to the content they are accessing. It could even be that the new model has more features (Flash support? Silverlight?) to slow it down. They also found it tricky to find the free apps in the ‘marketplace’ although this is something I can sympathise with – it’s the same with the ‘App Store’ and in the ‘Android marketplace’ too. They mix them together to encourage spending, which is an understandable tactic when listing downloadable games and utilities for mobile phones.

They didn’t like the battery life either, but as far as I can tell all smart phones have much shorter battery life than regular handsets – both the HTC Desire running Android and the iPhone last about 24 hours on a full charge if email, wireless, and other ‘smart’ services are turned on.  In addition, it seems it didn’t come with much of a manual, but that may have been a failing with the packaging of the box or just not looking. Calling the helpline sorted out their problems, and I’m sure it’s possible to download a manual if they wanted to.

They both seemed to like their new phones with some enthusiasm, but it’s too early to say if that will remain the case. They both seemed to have some minor issues, but if this is anything to go by then the future of Windows Phone 7 looks to be filled with promise.