Just one week after the announcement of the new Windows Phone 7 Series, which is slated to replace Windows Mobile later this year, much discussion about potential form factors has surfaced. It seems the chatter emerged from a podcast involving two Microsoft Australia Developer Evangelists who, among other things, provided some insight into how WinPho7 phones will look in the future.
The first of the three chassis is reported to be that which you've already seen via the MWC 2010 reveal. Chassis 1, which it is affectionately referred to, will sport a full capacitive touchscreen with a 1 GHz processor and no physical keyboard (think iPhone, HTC HD2). Chassis 2 is said to have a full QWERTY keyboard as well as a touchscreen, and may either be a slide phone (like the Motorola Devour or Droid) or something more closely related to the Palm Treo. Chassis 3 is described as a candy bar form factor, however, information on Chassis 3 seems to be strictly speculation at this point.
Having three specific form factors is Microsoft's way of controlling the quality of the products that bear their name. Requiring vendors to provide specific chassis and hardware specifications, yet providing three styles to choose from enables Microsoft to provide a diverse line of handsets while retaining one intentional user experience. This could be a move in the right direction for Microsoft.
If you could decide what your WinPho7 phone would look like, what form factor would you pick?
Via Engadget, ZDNet, Gizmodo, Arstechnica
