Live: Windows Phone 7 Launch at Mobile World Congress 2010

Just a few hours left until Steve Ballmer kicks off Microsoft’s presentation at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.  We’ll be seeing some pretty exciting stuff– primarily Windows Mobile 7, or, as it’ll officially be known, “Windows Phone 7 Series.”

Coverage starts at 9 AM EST on February 15. We’ll have a live video and running commentary of the press event below.

8:51 AM and we’re in!

8:54 AM 7 minutes to go

8:59 AM 1 minute!

9:01 AM people still getting seated, should begin soon enough…

9:08 AM still waiting

9:08 AM “Ready. Set.”

9:11 AM here we go

9:11 AM Steve Ballmer is here!

9:12 AM “Windows Phone 7 Series”

9:13 AM joe belfiore, VP, windows phone – design

9:13 AM been at MS 20 years, headed design for windows XP, etc.- but this is the biggest

9:13 AM joined group 1.5 years ago

9:13 AM “opportunity to change”

9:14 AM phone UIs haven’t been updated to match smartphones’ personalized features, apps

9:14 AM “move beyond PC metaphor”

9:15 AM focusing on the individual, organizing info + apps better

9:15 AM demo!

9:16 AM very ZuneHD-like all around

9:16 AM hmm

9:18 AM “smart design”

9:18 AM “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.”

9:19 AM every WP7 device will have 3 buttons at front- start, search, back

9:19 AM all capacitive devices

9:19 AM social integration

9:20 AM “fun”

9:20 AM real device demo

9:21 AM “live tiles” on home page

9:22 AM contacts + email info + social updating all in one place

9:22 AM looks kind of messy?

9:23 AM calendar- integrates windows live, exchange

9:24 AM agenda view, day

9:24 AM “app bar” toolbar at bottom– can pull up for options

9:25 AM auto-processes phone numbers, addresses throughout UI (calendar comments, email, etc.) to link to maps

9:25 AM bing maps app

9:26 AM multi-touch gestures

9:28 AM bing search for sushi

9:28 AM uses input, other data (location)

9:29 AM looking smooth so far

9:30 AM switching to browser, based on desktop IE

9:31 AM sub-pixel positioning in IE mobile

9:31 AM WVGA screen + sub-pixel positioning (beyond cleartype)

9:32 AM browser looks pretty snappy…

9:32 AM inbox

9:32 AM again, everything is very, very zune-like

9:33 AM iphone-like multi-selecting of emails

9:34 AM “integrated experiences”

9:35 AM “hubs” to bring together web, applications, info

9:35 AM on a PC, switching between outlook, facebook, email, etc.

9:36 AM “people hub”

9:36 AM integrates people from contacts, facebook, etc.

9:37 AM contact profiles integrate info, facebook, etc.

9:38 AM demo of replying to facebook message in contact page

9:38 AM “pictures hub”

9:40 AM pictures app integrates facebook (upload, latest feeds)

9:41 AM combines local photos, online sources all in one place

9:41 AM now onto Office

9:42 AM OneNote – notes synced with PC

9:42 AM Documents

9:42 AM SharePoint

9:43 AM nicely integrated– no demo of actual office apps though…

9:43 AM “music+video hub”

9:44 AM “the phone is not a PC” x10,000,000

9:44 AM “every Windows Phone 7 Series phone will be a Zune”

9:46 AM desktop software is the Zune client

9:47 AM demo of the zune desktop software- nothing new here

9:47 AM (but all-new for european audiences)

9:47 AM “games hub”

9:48 AM “wanted to integrate casual games, xbox live”

9:48 AM bringing xbox live service, games to windows phone

9:49 AM 23 million people on xbox live

9:50 AM no word on how third-party apps fit outside of the “hubs”

9:51 AM or multi-tasking

9:51 AM video

9:52 AM “a new beginning”

9:52 AM steve ballmer’s back

9:53 AM wanted to differentiate from prior windows mobile offerings, competition

9:55 AM 3 major changes- “accountability for user experience” (minimum hardware specs), “new platform with deep integrated services,” “strong ecosystem”

9:56 AM will describe new development tools at MIX in march

9:57 AM [Comment From mark] any word on compatibility with current windows mobile phones?

9:57 AM nope, but I wouldn’t expect much…

9:57 AM looking for more consistency

9:57 AM but many form factors, diversity, etc.

9:58 AM working with partners, mobile operators

9:59 AM 1.5-2 years ago, redid design on WM7

10:00 AM Andy Lees – VP, mobile communications

10:00 AM joined mobile 2 years ago, been at MS 20 years ago

10:01 AM will stick to partner model

10:01 AM partners “add specific expertise,” “expand scale,” “increase consumer choice”

10:02 AM “We want to strive for synergy where the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts.”

10:03 AM hardware partners for WM7

10:03 AM new driver model for hardware

10:04 AM qualcomm, htc, garmin/asus, toshiba, sony ericsson, hp, samsung, dell

10:04 AM LG

10:04 AM defined common chassis spec- 4-point multi-touch, accelerometers, compass, etc.

10:06 AM more info closer to launch

10:06 AM operator partners: t-mobile, at&t, verizon, orange, sprint, telefonica, vodafone, sfr, telstra

10:07 AM particularly close with orange, at&t

10:08 AM David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T mobility

10:08 AM at&t first to launch winmo in 2003

10:09 AM “at at&t, we can’t wait to get Windows Phone on the market”

10:09 AM orange launched first smartphone (windows-powered SPV) in 2002

10:10 AM Olaf Swantee, Exec VP, orange

10:11 AM 25% of customers today accessing mobile internet

10:11 AM hah, he called it “windows mobile 7”

10:11 AM (first time today)

10:12 AM want to increase access to mobile internet

10:13 AM ballmer’s back

10:14 AM 3 screens and the cloud

10:15 AM when is WP7 coming– in market by end of year 2010

10:16 AM time for questions

10:18 AM ok, it’s a wrap–we’re out!

Live Video: