News: Windows Unveils Ambitious Mobile OS

Microsoft has finally come up with a contender to wrestle Apple’s growing share of the smartphone market, unveiling Windows Phone 7 in Barcelona.

The new mobile operating system, a previously known as Windows Mobile, uses a cleaner design with bright square icons, and links with Microsoft’s Zune music and Xbox Living gaming service.

Unlike previous iterations, Windows Phone 7 was designed from the ground up, and has concentrated on delivering live web content. With the new system, Microsoft hopes to offer serious competition to market-leaders Nokia and Research in Motion, along with up-and-comers Apple and Google.

“In a crowded market filled with phones that look the same and do the same things, I challenged the team to deliver a different kind of mobile experience,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer at Microsoft. “Windows Phone 7 Series marks a turning point toward phones that truly reflect the speed of people’s lives and their need to connect to other people and all kinds of seamless experiences.”

Phones designed to run the Windows system will feature a dedicated hardware button for Microsoft’s search service, Bing. It also integrates Microsoft’s Office, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace programs, along with Outlook Mobile.

A number of manufacturers have already agreed to release phones sporting the new Microsoft OS, with Samsung, HTC, HP, Sony Ericsson, Dell, LG and Toshiba to begin releasing phones by the end of the year.