Windows Phone 7 is almost, finally, sort of, pretty much ready to go. And by that, it’s reached the “RTM” milestone. RTM stands for “release to manufacturing,” which basically means that the software is complete enough to send off to the companies who will be making Windows Phone 7 handsets.
Is the Windows Phone team really ready? Has it been thoroughly tested? Let’s reference the Windows Phone Blog:
“Windows Phone 7 is the most thoroughly tested mobile platform Microsoft has ever released. We had nearly ten thousand devices running automated tests daily, over a half million hours of active self-hosting use, over three and a half million hours of stress test passes, and eight and a half million hours of fully automated test passes. We’ve had thousands of independent software vendors and early adopters testing our software and giving us great feedback. We are ready.”
So that answers that. They are ready, yes, and everything’s been thoroughly tested. The first Windows Phone 7 handsets are due this holiday season.
According to a quick chat with one of Microsoft’s PR people, there have also been a couple new Facebook-specific features added since the technical preview that surfaced in July (Microsoft owns part of Facebook, remember). The first is the ability to filter people you’re friends with on Facebook, but never actually communicate with, out of your phone’s contact list (apparently it pulls in your Facebook friends). There’s also the ability to “like” a Facebook update from within the People Hub app, along with now being able to post directly to other people’s walls from the app.
So now the big question: What would it take for Windows Phone 7 to tear you away from your current smartphone of choice?
More on Techland:
How Microsoft Can Gain Ground with Both Tablets and Phones
Reboot: Windows Phone 7 Preview
Windows Phone Live: Remote Wipe, Syncing For Windows Phone 7