While we can't use it on our devices, it may offer some more insight into Windows Phone 7 Series and may reveal details that Microsoft hasn't released yet. This build was extracted from the emulator that was released yesterday at MIX10. The build date is March 2, 2010 and it will only run on x86 machines. Maybe, just maybe, someone will be able to port this for our devices, but even if they can't, it will give us something to watch until the official release.

Source: XDA-Developers

We knew Microsoft was planning big things for MIX10, which started today. There are quite a few announcements from the blogosphere today, including developer tools, Marketplace news, etc. Read on for more details!

First, according to Endgadget, the only official way to get apps on a Windows Phone 7 Series device is through the Marketplace app. In a meeting with Todd Higgs, he confirmed this rumor, which means that all developers will have to follow Microsoft's guidelines to get published. Sound familiar? Very Apple-like if you ask us. While this is the only "official" way to get apps, that doesn't rule out the fact that there may be "unofficial" ways to do it too. According to Todd, Microsoft plans on avoiding the headaches like Apple head by making the process transparent and predictable.

• Windows Phone Marketplace appears to take some of the best parts of the App Store and the Android Market and throw them together into a hodgepodge, but they've strayed a bit with the trial period system -- with the Marketplace, it's up to the developer to decide how the trial works. There are API hooks to let the developer manage the whole process, actually -- to quote Biggs, a game dev could end the trial after you've killed 50 trolls, for example. There's no additional download after the trial expires; the game just unlocks if you choose to buy it.
• Marketplace membership for developers still costs $99 a year, though Biggs says they're looking at tweaking the 5-app limit per account present in 6.5 -- whether that means they'll remove the limit altogether, though, we don't yet know.
• There are no fees for developers to update their apps, nor fees for users to download them.
• Speaking of user downloads, you'll be able to uninstall purchased apps and redownload them at a later time at your leisure -- the purchases are tied to your Live account, not your phone, so you can move between devices at will. That's a Microsoft policy that developers won't be able to override.
• If a dev wants to post a free, ad-supported app, they've only got two hurdles: the $99 fee and -- of course -- approval by Microsoft. For ad-supported apps specifically, the company will have some guidelines specifically targeted at making sure the ads are appropriate and germane.
• Microsoft's only dealing in real money here -- no points (though there's still an opportunity for direct carrier billing).
• Though there's some development synergy between Zune and WP7S at this point (with XNA, specifically), there's no ecosystem synergy beyond that -- different marketplaces for the developers to submit to and manage.
• You'll be able to browse and buy apps and games through the Zune client.

According to Gizmodo, Microsoft's Marketplace Partners include Pandora, Foursquare, EA Mobile, AP, and more.

According to MobileTechWorld, Microsoft's development tools for Windows Phone 7 is available for download now.

According to WMExperts, Microsoft has also released a carrier's worst nightmare, Netflix Streaming! You can also manage your queue and browse their catalog, but the live streaming is huge. We wonder if carriers will try to make this a WiFi only feature.

Slashgear has reported on a new feature, which reminds us of Android, and that's push notifications. Even apps that aren't running in the background can use the new system, which has a blue scrolling bar across of the top of the device.

WMExperts is also highlighting Microsoft's huge use of using Silverlight 4 in the new Windows Phone 7 Series.

• Hardware-accelerated video with multicodec digital rights management (DRM) and Internet Information Services Smooth Streaming support
• Vector and bitmap graphics with perspective 3-D
• Multitouch support with Accelerometer, an intuitive control that responds to motion
• Deep Zoom support for rich reading experiences
• Camera and microphone support
• Notification Service for pushing information to the phone, regardless of whether or not an application is running
• Integration with the core Windows Phone 7 Series experience features such as hubs

IntoMobile has just posted a picture of the second known Windows Phone 7 device, made by Samsung! We're not sure where the HTC devices are, but so far we have seen a LG device and now a Samsung one, which was shown during Joe Belfiore’s UI demo.

GSMArena has released the hardware requirements for Windows 7 Phones. At launch, the only available resolution will be WVGA (480x800) with HVGA (320x480) being available later. They will be required to have capacitative touchscreens. Hardware keyboard is optional. The CPU needs to have a Cortex or Scorpion, which is inside the Snapdragon. At least 256Mb of RAM and at least 8Gb of flash storage (rumors are that there will be no external storage, so no more memory cards). There is also mandatory GPU acceleration and DirectX support. It will also natively support DivX and H.264. The camera has to be a minimum 5MP with a hardware shutter key and LED flash. Other requirements include A-GPS, compass, accelerometer, ambient light and proximity sensor. The other three required hardware keys are Start, Search and Back.

Also, it has been confirmed that the HD2 will not be getting an upgrade.

Here is The Harvest (click on the images to see the original size):

Here is Battle Punks (click on the images to see the original size):

Source: Engadget

Now you can see Windows Phone 7 in action. It looks very smooth and you can see working hubs also. Let us know what you think!

WMPowerUser has posted this video from TechEd Middle East that shows cross-platform gaming between a PC, Windows Phone 7, and the XBox.

WMPowerUser also posted this video from TechEd Middle East of 2 forms of multi-tasking (which, according to the rumors, didn't exist in WP7).

What we know so far is that these devices won't be running Windows Phone 7 Series, but instead another platform that is centered around social networking and messaging, but it will support apps, its just not known exactly how yet. To protect the tipster's identity, Gizmodo is only releasing the one graphic, but they're saying its legit. There's also no release date or official name (although its rumored to be released around April).

Update: The image above is the "Turtle" phone that's been around the web for some time now. Gizmodo just posted some leaked images of the "Pure", which is similar to a Sidekick. Again, no release date or specs, but their tipster got a chance to play with the phone and said its "better than Android, and decorated with Windows Phone 7-style animations throughout", but its not Windows Phone 7.

PS: Try scanning the code above, you'll be surprised where it takes you

Source: Neowin

This makes sense because of the time frame of Android and the iPhone, which were both gaining popularity. Microsoft knew they had to come up with something new and innovative instead of just further enhancing their old kernel.

With the announcement of a Windows Phone 7 Starter Edition, could they further enhance WM6.5.5 with the old PhotonUI? Given what we know about the new MetroUI and the images of Photon, which would you prefer? I know there's some lovers and haters of the MetroUI out there, so feel free to voice your opinion.

Source: MoPocket (Thanks to those that sent this in!)

As we all know, the HD2 has a 4.3" WVGA screen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 5MP camera, but may or may not be upgradeable to Windows Phone 7.

The CLIQ XT, also known as the Quench, sports Android 1.5 with MOTOBLUR, a 5MP camera, and a 3.1″ 320 x 480 OLED touch display.

Source: IntoMobile

In the mean time, you can always sign the online petition we talked about here.

In other news, Microsoft has confirmed that Windows Mobile 6.5 will be called Windows Phone Starter Edition, so even though Windows Phone 7 is coming out, development shouldn't stop on WM6.5

Source: APCMag

Rumor has it that there will be very few chassis designs available for Windows Phone 7 Series, with only 1 being available at launch. At the big announcement at MWC, Microsoft did say they were going to put more hardware restrictions on the manufacturer. Chassis 1 has a full touchscreen, gigahertz processor, and dedicated graphics acceleration (perhaps without a hardware QWERTY keyboard since that's in the Chassis 2) and is rumored to be the only version available at launch.

Chassis 2 is rumored to be more like the Palm Treo series, with a dedicated QWERTY keyboard. Chassis 3 is unknown at this point, although speculation is leaning towards a candybar style.

Source: Engadget

Developing Games for Windows Phone 7 Series
Speaker: Michael Klucher
Time: 12:00pm-1:00pm
The future of Windows Phone has never looked better. With the release of Windows Phone 7 Series, game developers will be able to create amazing content rapidly. This talk outlines the basic framework for games, presents Windows Phone 7 Series device characteristics, and provides and overview of game development on the phone.

High Performance 3D Games on Windows Phone 7 Series
Speaker: Tomas Vykruta & Shawn Hargreaves
Time: 2:00pm-3:00pm
Windows Phone 7 Series is a highly capable platform for game development. This talk covers 3D game development on Windows Phone 7 Series with an emphasis on the unique characteristics of the platform. The talk also focuses on optimizing high-performance games for the platform, to help developers squeeze out every last drop of performance.

Development and Debugging Tools for Windows Phone 7 Series
Speaker: Cullen Waters
Time: 3:00pm-4:00pm
This talk discusses the basic tools available to game developers on Windows Phone 7 Series, including debugging, emulation, and performance tools. The talk places special emphasis on best practices for performance and profiling tools that can be used to optimize games for Windows Phone 7 Series.

Bringing the Best of Xbox LIVE to Windows Phone 7 Series
Speaker: Adam Schaeffer
Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm
The Xbox LIVE service is going mobile! With Windows Phone 7 Series, core features such as Achievements, Leaderboards, and game invites will be available to games on Windows Phone 7 Series devices. This talk covers the basics of the services available and how they can be used to enable core Xbox LIVE functionality in games. In addition, this talk will present best practices for connecting Windows Phone 7 Series games to back-end servers.

Source: WMPowerUser

You've probably noticed when you first run Marketplace, it says its checking to make sure you have the latest version. Well, it won't actually update itself. Instead, you have to go to the Microsoft site here and download it. You can also visit mp.windowsphone.com from your phone.

In the first week of February, Facebook 1.1.0.14 from the smartphone Marketplace was pulled by a XDA user and made available to us touchscreen users. Well now Microsoft has made this app officially available for touchscreen devices. The blogosphere is calling it v1.2, but its really 1.1.0.17 on the About screen.

You can download it from the Microsoft Marketplace here.

View the documents after the break.

Source: XDA Developers (Post #8)

You can view the demo here: http://www.windowsphone7series.com/.

It covers most of the new layout features that were discussed during the press conference and lets you see some things in action.

Thanks to forum user kev.schu for the tip.

Watch it live!

Read up to the minute updates after the break.

Source: Engadget

4:13PM: Steve Ballmer, "I hope we've given you a chance to look at what we're doing. I think we have an opportunity with these devices. I'm enthusiastic about the direction we're heading. It's a big step, but I think we have a chance to make an impact on the market. Three screens and a cloud. The PC, now mobile. We hope 7 is our lucky number!"

4:08PM: David Christopher from At&t, "We're thrilled to be the premiere partner on these new phones. We'll ship 66 million smartphones in 2010. That's double from the year previous. That will be driven in part by 7 Series phones. We can't wait to get these into the market... thanks!"

4:05PM: Windows Phone 7 Series launch carriers:

4:00PM: Andy Lees, "I joined the mobile group about 2 years ago. We used that as an opportunity to reevaluate our strategy. We've changed a lot of things, but we've kept the partner model the same. There are more than a billion phones sold every year, and a massive shift over to smartphones. Partners can meet the diverse needs of customers. One size does not fit all. People want different phones, different form factors. We want to strive for synergy where the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts. These phones have four point multitouch."

3:52PM: Steve Ballmer, "I hope you share some of my excitement for the opportunity. This market is highly competitive, highly dynamic, and super exciting! You'll see us continue to invest in 6.5, but this is a whole new generation. We built with three fundamental changes in mind. Some should have popped clearly, some probably less so. First, we really wanted to lead and take much more accountability then we had in earlier versions of Windows Phones. At the end of the day, we all understand that in the business of info tech, software and creativity, and the innovation of developers is important. We build a new foundation with a rich set of development tools which we'll discuss at MIX next month. So we'll talk a little bit more about what developers can do next month, but we want to take a very big step forward on that. We also wanted to take a step forward with how we work with partners. We still need to enable partners' innovation. We want to see lots of diversity. And I think the new way we'll collaborate with partners, you'll see that. With out mobile operators, we needed a model that raised the bar, but gave the carriers freedom. I think we're on our way to making the changes we need, and they're pretty exciting. Now I want to invite on stage Andy Lees to talk about our partnerships."

3:47PM: "Okay, I have one more hub to show you... games. As I think about my use of games, I play games on my phone, I connect on my PC, and I play on Xbox LIVE. We wanted to bring that experience together for people. So here's the games hub, which features Xbox LIVE. We're bringing the service as a built in part of the 7 Series."

3:44PM: "So the fun stuff... music and video. Now I love Pandora... it's easy on the PC, but the phone is, again, not a PC. So let me introduce the music and video hub. First off, every 7 Series phone will be a Zune. But we go beyond that. So here's a look at Zune on the 7 Series. Notice the Pandora Train radio here. You'll see the phone is recognized, and the Zune software pops up. I know some of you here in Europe may not have seen it. I want to show how easy it is to get music on your device."

3:41PM: "Most of you have probably used Microsoft Office. I'm a big fan of OneNote, I love it. SharePoint is also a great service... but we've tried to take that experience and bring it together on the phone. Here's the office hub."

3:38PM: "Next up, pictures. The way I use pictures on my PC is really rich and varied. On the PC using different applications is easy... but the phone's not a PC." It has a similar view to the old pictures app, but now has gallery views and integration with social networks like Facebook.

3:34PM: Integrated services are called "integrated experiences Hubs". "On the PC it's easy to switch between those, but the phone is not a PC. So let me introduce the people hub. The idea is to bring together the people you care about the most."

"Now I can press the pin button and add that person to my favorites. That's the idea, bring this stuff together in one place that's simple."

3:33PM: Here's a look at Outlook:

3:31PM: "Here's a look at the browser. This is a much more advanced browser then we've ever shipped. It's based on the desktop version of IE, so it's highly compatible with lots of webpages." The browser looks pretty darn speedy. "I'm going to zoom way in here. I want you to take a look at this, this is a step beyond cleartype, it's called pixel positioning."

3:27PM: "So I'm going to go back, I'm back at my calendar... I'm going to think of a way to use some free time. I haven't had any time to get lunch... so here in Spain, I'm a fan of Sushi -- I touch the search button... and here I am in the Bing search environment." Bing automatically locates you and does a local search. "If I want to pick one of these, the Bing engine tries to provide data... here in Spain we haven't filled out all the data for these items. Directions to here, I can dial the number, I can read reviews. I can businesses near this one."

3:26PM: Maps supports pinch-to-zoom and multitouch.

3:24PM: "Here's the calendar in agenda view... items in red are my personal calendar, blue is exchange. Here's day view -- I see all my appointments. Down on the bottom is something we call the app bar, it's all the commands for the application."

3:22PM: "When my wife updates her Facebook profile, it updates on the tile so I always know what's going on. You can put people on these tiles, you can promote applications, a playlist of the music you're listening to."

3:18PM: "We've tried to make hardware and software that work in unison. Every phone will have three buttons on the front -- start, search, and back. We wanted the software experience to be deeply personal and relevant to your life. It should dynamically change to address where you are physically. I'm going to show you a real live demo of a real live device. This is prototype hardware."


I'm going to show you a real live demo of a real live device. This is prototype hardware.

3:17PM: "We want to make a modern phone that fits people's complex lives. I'm going to show you videos and some code. But there are two parts here. First, we want a smart design that puts the user at the center of the experience. Second, we wanted to design integrated experiences."

3:16PM:

3:15PM: "And with that context, I'm going to step aside and just let you see the new user experience for 7 phones."

3:13PM: Joe said he's been on the team for a year and a half and they recognized an opportunity for change. "Phones kind of look like PCs... and the phone is not a PC. They all started to look the same. We wanted to revisit how we thought about that design. We wanted to move beyond the metaphor that works well for the PC. We asked ourselves a couple of questions. We said how can we build a phone that focuses on the end user?"

3:12PM: Steve Ballmer confirms that Microsoft will be unveiling the next version of the Windows Phone, the 7 Series, then goes on to introduce Joe Belfiore.

Source- MSMobile via WMPowerusers

Source: MuyComputer via Slashgear

He didn't confirm a 2010 release date, but he did say that there would be more information for us at the Mobile World Congress.

Watch the video here and go to about the 4 minute mark.

Source: WMPowerUser (Thanks to our forum member sprinttouch666 for the news tip)

[Microsoft.NTx86]
%Zune.DeviceDesc% = ZuneMTPZUSB, USB\MS_COMP_MTPZ
%Zune.DeviceDesc% = ZuneMTPZUSB, USB\VID_045E&PID_0710
%Zune.DeviceDesc% = ZuneMTPZUSB, USB\VID_045E&PID_063E
%Phone.DeviceDesc% = ZuneMTPZUSB, USB\VID_045E&PID_0640
%Phone.DeviceDesc% = ZuneMTPZUSB, USB\VID_045E&PID_0641
%Phone.DeviceDesc% = ZuneMTPZUSB, USB\VID_045E&PID_0642
%ZuneIp.DeviceDesc% = ZuneMTPZIP, umb\urn:microsoft-com:device:mtpz:1

; Localizable strings
Msft = “Microsoft”
Zune.DeviceDesc = “Zune”
…
Phone.DeviceDesc = “Phone”

You'll see in the code above that there's a reference to Zune.Device and 3 Phone.Device lines. This is an interesting development since there's been talk about integrating Zune into the upcoming Windows Mobile 7. There's a screenshot of the code after the break.

Source: Neowin

Courtesty of Long Zheng