AT&T's Windows Phone 7 launch lineup is less than impressive

[AllanUSC]

I suppose I should have known this would happen.

AT&T/Microsoft officially announced WP7 yesterday and it appears that the devices bound for AT&T are not what most would call "flagship" quality phones.

All the phones have 1 GHz processors that have been around forever. Most of the phones only have 8 GB of storage, and can't be officially upgraded. And even though AT&T said they would be the premire provider of WP7 devices, T-Mobile gets the HD7 (the closest thing to a WP7 flagship device), while AT&T has no phone with a screen size larger than 4 inches.

At this point I'm hoping that AT&T releases more impressive devices once they lose iPhone exclusivity early next year (I can't wait for that to happen!).

Will we ever get the HTC Mondrian which is rumored to have a 1.3 GHz processor? Engadget's WP7 Comparison Chart calls the HTC Surround the "Mondrian/T8788." Is it the Mondrian?? It looks nothing like the pictures we've seen.

Right now the only handset I would consider getting is the Samsung Focus: Nice large screen, and the thinnest WP7 device available. Do you like any of the phones they've announced?

[Paolo01]

You are absolutely correct.  The handset vendors all seem to have stuck to the letter of the law which MS set down quite a while ago resulting in devices which are going to fall alongside their peers technology wise instead of setting any benchmarks.  At this point all we can do is hope that this has been done because of speed and economy factors of the UI as well as the fact that they just want to see if the OS has legs.

All reviewers have commented that the phone feels snappier than they had anticipated.  This is probably a result of a much more efficient OS than WM and maybe even IOS and Android. 

As for mediocre batteries and cameras.  I guess they were just playing it safe.  I am not a big believer in phone cameras at this point.  They could be 20MP's and the pictures would still look awful because of their light capacitors.  So 5MP is jjust fine.  The batteries need work, but if the OS is more efficient, then there is no better way to demonstrate this than getting longer times ouut of existing batteries.  Although this does not seem to be the case from numbers published by the OEM makers right now.

I am going to buy the focus on the 8th, simply to support the OS.  I do not really like it.  I think that I'll end up replacing in in 2011, hopefully when a nice slider with an improved processor is released with a great screen.  But I want to jump into the OS and get a feel for it.

Heck, we are the consumers.  If we don't like it, it will fail and Android and IOS will swell and fill the market while getting better.  I have chosen to believe, perrhaps in errror, that these initial systems are introductory handsets and not flagship handsets.  All of the manufacturers want to see if there is a genuine market for another OS before investing research and design dollars into another set of handsets.

[DarienA]

My biggest disappointment about the launch is that the next Tilt device (I've owned/own the first 2) will go to Sprint.... how could AT&T let that new one pass? Sigh.... For AT&T none of the 3 announcement devices look like anything special...  pass.

[redpoint73 ACE - Wizard]

Has you seen it confirmed that the 1 GHz CPU is of the older generation?  I ask this, because the 800 MHz CPU being used in the HTC G2/Desire Z is of a newer generation Snapdragon, and is actually faster than the older 1 GHz Snapdragon procs.

The info I've seen on the WP7 handsets (at least for the 7 Pro) just says "1 GHz CPU" and not much else.  Don't peg the performance based on just the MHz number. 

Plus the GPU being used has a big impact on performance also.

EDIT:  I now see the chart posted in the OP says "Qualcomm MSM825" for all the new WP7 phones (except the 7 Pro), which seems to be the same proc from the Leo.  So if true, this is disappointing, and a pretty old proc.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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redpoint73 wrote:

Has you seen it confirmed that the 1 GHz CPU is of the older generation?  I ask this, because the 800 MHz CPU being used in the HTC G2/Desire Z is of a newer generation Snapdragon, and is actually faster than the older 1 GHz Snapdragon procs.

The info I've seen on the WP7 handsets (at least for the 7 Pro) just says "1 GHz CPU" and not much else.  Don't peg the performance based on just the MHz number. 

Plus the GPU being used has a big impact on performance also.

EDIT:  I now see the chart posted in the OP says "Qualcomm MSM825" for all the new WP7 phones (except the 7 Pro), which seems to be the same proc from the Leo.  So if true, this is disappointing, and a pretty old proc.

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One thing to rememebr, these phones have been in development and engineering for awhile and utilized the then current technology, unless the new component is 100 percent plug, pin, voltage and size exact it would be a complete redesign ot the circuity board to accomedate the change, in the terms of engineering development this is not a undertaking that is lightly done since it mena loss of all teh R&D that was put into the original design

here is the first "official" list for the HTC I have seen, BB is taking preorders onthe HTC

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HTC+-+Surround+Mobile+Phone+(AT%26T)/1446208.p?id=1218259758574&skuId=14...=

[NiteFreight]

I agree.

There are two phones I am interested in, the HD7, and the Touch Pro 7 (AT&T Tilt 7….??????).  I really don’t understand why they can’t combine these two.  Why not a tilting hard keyboard with a larger, high-quality display?

The HD7 will be available soon on other networks world-wide.  The TP7 will not be available anywhere until 2Q or 3Q 2011 and has been announced for Sprint.  There has been no mention of either of these devices for AT&T.

I’m going to go look and the Samsung because of the large, high-quality (Super-AMOLED) display, but I may be holding off or switching carriers. 

I like what I’ve seen of the HTC sense for WP7.

[wvmstr]

Switch to Android. Far more advanced than W7.

[DarienA]

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wvmstr wrote:

Switch to Android. Far more advanced than W7.

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What a great contribution to the thread. :rolleyes

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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wvmstr wrote:

Switch to Android. Far more advanced than W7.

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really? How long have you been actually comparing the two phone OS's? Which loaner phones are you using to base your determination on? Are you planning on publishing a detailed comparision of the two OS's?

[Virtual]

Hey, don't laugh at wvmstr.

Don't you see he's a professional Time Traveler and he already tested and owns a W7 AT&T smartphone?

[oneryt]

Personally, I shouldn't think it to be too much of a loss for at&t. Microsoft should stay out of the mobile market. I don't foresee them being any real competition to the already established devices, despite their measly attempts at defaming the Android OS with silly ambiguous patent threats.

[Paolo01]

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oneryt wrote:

Personally, I shouldn't think it to be too much of a loss for at&t. Microsoft should stay out of the mobile market. I don't foresee them being any real competition to the already established devices, despite their measly attempts at defaming the Android OS with silly ambiguous patent threats.

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This is a strange post.  I guess that you have not followed smartphones in the past ten years.  Microsoft really led this field until recently when they simply stopped prioritizing WM.  They realized the OS needed to be started over from the kernal up and now we have WP7.  Is this OS a few years behind, yes.  Should it have been released in 2006 back when they were talking Crossbow, YES.  Yes Microsoft has lost a few years and is now behind the powercurve, but there is nothing really to indicate that they will not surpass both IOS and Android.  IF MS can create a genuinely useable OS and not push away their business base, they will take this field over again.

[DarienA]

Of all the forums I frequent it seems beyond weird to me that a cell phone forum has trolls....

[circuitdragon]

As this happens to be the proper forum to discuss such things, never forget who started the whole "smart phone" war...

http://www.htc.com/www/product/touch/overview.html

Combining a PDA with a phone radio AND a touch screen...the race was born. That said, it was also Microsoft that helped that project. Had it not been them, who knows how it would have gone. But it was Microsoft, and not some open source project. If they were so inferior, can we claim still that they did not at least inspire the creative aspects to the "smart phone" wars to make things better and faster? Given my 2 recent choices of new phones (though they both were the same phone) it is obvious where my choice lays, but still, having used WinMo for a few years, I will always give that credit first. One term on the battlefield for the leaders are"first in, last out"...so don't count Microsoft out yet...since they were one of the first. Just my thoughts, which never amount to much.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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oneryt wrote:

Personally, I shouldn't think it to be too much of a loss for at&t. Microsoft should stay out of the mobile market. I don't foresee them being any real competition to the already established devices, despite their measly attempts at defaming the Android OS with silly ambiguous patent threats.

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We must be reading different reviews and developers posts. Would be interested in knowing what you are basing your comments on.  Where exactly are the making "measly attempts ad defaming the Android OS" - ahh I take it back, now I understand you are talking about the lawsuit and the patent violation - curious - just what makes you believe that it is "silly and ambigous" - do you know the filing details of the patent case? There is not enough information that is verifiably to beable to prove or disprove your statements. Android maybe outselling aple right now - but it takes what 30 or 40 different phones and multiple manufacturer's to dethrone a single manufacturer with a single phone. That is amusing

Lets face it, as it stands the andrroid OS is in no way secure when it comes to a lot of things. 2.2 makes the first step towards making it more secure. For it to live under the securit auspices of Exchange, 2.2 is the first relase that pretty well implements the needed security and then to complete it you need a Good server running at your Exhange shop. 2.1 needs a third party application - best one out there is Touchdown, and again you need the good server.

[oneryt]

These are my opinions.

The way I see the circumstances is that Microsoft won't have the best product, and it will be considered lackluster compared to what is available within the competition. They know this already about their product, so instead of shiny marketing campaigns and showing the devices, their strategy is to create public statements meant to tarnish their competitions reputation and the confidence their OEM has in Google's product.

Ultimately, Microsofts patent moves were attempts at public bullying, in order to overtake Google's business with HTC. They're threatening HTC basically, on the grounds of these patents. I have a doubt that the conclusions to these patent accusations will ever be published.

[DarienA]

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oneryt wrote:

These are my opinions.

The way I see the circumstances is that Microsoft won't have the best product, and it will be considered lackluster compared to what is available within the competition. They know this already about their product, so instead of shiny marketing campaigns and showing the devices, their strategy is to create public statements meant to tarnish their competitions reputation and the confidence their OEM has in Google's product.

Ultimately, Microsofts patent moves were attempts at public bullying, in order to overtake Google's business with HTC. They're threatening HTC basically, on the grounds of these patents. I have a doubt that the conclusions to these patent accusations will ever be published.

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So you mean the various commercials that I've seen via the various cell news website like boygenius etc aren't part of a marketing promo? The big Windows 7 Phone displays in AT&T stores aren't either?

This won't be the first launch, nor will it be the last where there IS a marketing programming running while at the same time a legal battle is going on.

And have you been FOLLOWING the cellphone industry this year? Patent lawsuits have been flying left and right including IIRC Apple suing HTC earlier this year... all old news, and all part of the industry.

[oneryt]

I have been following it actually (admittedly not as close as I was back from January - March as I've lost internet access for periods of time due to economic reasons), and I really don't see the ads by Microsoft as highlighting anything awesome about their phones.

[DarienA]

One route they've gone with a few of the early commercials is to make the info you are looking for much easier to get to (because the hub pushes it to the top), so that you can get the info and get back to life in the case of the below commercials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHlN21ebeak&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv-fbO-_xl0&feature=player_embedded

Leaked little trailer videos:

http://www.intomobile.com/2010/10/11/video-first-windows-phone-7-commercials-are-here/

The two bottoms ones have just been feature specific little clips.

There's more of the 30 sec like clips out and about that focus on specific features.

I'm not going to get in to a back and forth, I simply think its a bit early to claim MS isn't advertising anything about their phones! The hardware doesn't even ship til next month so we're probably at the very edges/beginning of any TV marketing.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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oneryt wrote:

I have been following it actually (admittedly not as close as I was back from January - March as I've lost internet access for periods of time due to economic reasons), and I really don't see the ads by Microsoft as highlighting anything awesome about their phones.

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guess you have never seen a large marketing roll out my MS, they have the bucks to do it and they are planning on putting Mobile 7 on every ones mind.

You have the tone of a devot microsoft discenter on veryone of your posts, it appears that you have already made up your mind that the roll out will flub and the devieces will crash and burn just from reading pre-release information.

[AllanUSC]

I'm sorry. I just can't bring myself to take this post seriously. You are making too many assumptions with a product that has yet to be released. I, myself, am disappointed with the initial device offerings but that doesn't mean I'm going to declare WP7 a failure, that would be illogical.

I really hope WP7 is a great success. For that to happen, Microsoft has to launch a massive publicity campaign (which they are doing) and they have to release truly compelling devices that can demonstrate the abilities of the new OS.

Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people that can afford to by a launch day WP7 device and then a few months later buy another, better one.

I want WP7 to succeed, and that's why I'm hoping a phone with better specs is released very soon.

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oneryt wrote:

These are my opinions.

The way I see the circumstances is that Microsoft won't have the best product, and it will be considered lackluster compared to what is available within the competition. They know this already about their product, so instead of shiny marketing campaigns and showing the devices, their strategy is to create public statements meant to tarnish their competitions reputation and the confidence their OEM has in Google's product.

Ultimately, Microsofts patent moves were attempts at public bullying, in order to overtake Google's business with HTC. They're threatening HTC basically, on the grounds of these patents. I have a doubt that the conclusions to these patent accusations will ever be published.

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[redpoint73 ACE - Wizard]

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wingrider01 wrote:

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oneryt wrote:

I have been following it actually (admittedly not as close as I was back from January - March as I've lost internet access for periods of time due to economic reasons), and I really don't see the ads by Microsoft as highlighting anything awesome about their phones.

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guess you have never seen a large marketing roll out my MS, they have the bucks to do it and they are planning on putting Mobile 7 on every ones mind.

You have the tone of a devot microsoft discenter on veryone of your posts, it appears that you have already made up your mind that the roll out will flub and the devieces will crash and burn just from reading pre-release information.

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I was initially very skeptical of MS's commitment to WP7, since they have historically not put much backing behind Windows Mobile.  But that appears to be changing.  Reports indicate that MS will be spending up to half a billion dollars marketing WP7.  And they've spent tons of money developing it.  As we have all seen with XBox and Windows 7, MS succeeds when they decide they really want to and put their money where their mouth is.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/26/microsoft-half-billion-dollars-windows-phone-7/

The phones won't even be hitting the street until next month, and just a few of them (with more gradually coming by the end of the year).  Maybe MS  is waiting until they are closer to the release of the hardware to really whip up their marketing machine?

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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redpoint73 wrote:

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wingrider01 wrote:

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oneryt wrote:

I have been following it actually (admittedly not as close as I was back from January - March as I've lost internet access for periods of time due to economic reasons), and I really don't see the ads by Microsoft as highlighting anything awesome about their phones.

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guess you have never seen a large marketing roll out my MS, they have the bucks to do it and they are planning on putting Mobile 7 on every ones mind.

You have the tone of a devot microsoft discenter on veryone of your posts, it appears that you have already made up your mind that the roll out will flub and the devieces will crash and burn just from reading pre-release information.

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I was initially very skeptical of MS's commitment to WP7, since they have historically not put much backing behind Windows Mobile.  But that appears to be changing.  Reports indicate that MS will be spending up to half a billion dollars marketing WP7.  And they've spent tons of money developing it.  As we have all seen with XBox and Windows 7, MS succeeds when they decide they really want to and put their money where their mouth is.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/26/microsoft-half-billion-dollars-windows-phone-7/

The phones won't even be hitting the street until next month, and just a few of them (with more gradually coming by the end of the year).  Maybe MS  is waiting until they are closer to the release of the hardware to really whip up their marketing machine?

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half billion is just the startup. Wp7 phones advertising. Euope release is about 7 days from today

[gmfeld]

I think AT&T's WP7 lineup of devices stinks. The LG Quantum the only device with a physical keyboard. And the HTC device with a slide out speaker??? This post on the Mobility Digest site says it all. http://windowsphone.mobilitydigest.com/focused-on-the-focus-and-att/comment-page-1/#comment-81117

[DarienA]

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gmfeld wrote:
I think AT&T's WP7 lineup of devices stinks. The LG Quantum the only device with a physical keyboard. And the HTC device with a slide out speaker??? This post on the Mobility Digest site says it all. http://windowsphone.mobilitydigest.com/focused-on-the-focus-and-att/comment-page-1/#comment-81117

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Oh I agree with you their lineup is crap... the LG Quantum is an incredibly average looking device. There's no way I'm giving up my Tilt 2 for that thing... and it annoys me to NO end, that HTC's new tilt.. is going to Sprint first(actually I say first but there's been no indication yet that AT&T is eventually getting it either I'm just hoping that's the case).

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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gmfeld wrote:
I think AT&T's WP7 lineup of devices stinks. The LG Quantum the only device with a physical keyboard. And the HTC device with a slide out speaker??? This post on the Mobility Digest site says it all. http://windowsphone.mobilitydigest.com/focused-on-the-focus-and-att/comment-page-1/#comment-81117

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depends on what your criteria is for a phone, if you want bells whistles and toys then you are right

[AllanUSC]

I couldn't agree more with the cited article.

I was so happy when I heard that my long time provider, AT&T, would be the "premier carrier for Windows Phone 7." That had to mean that, I, a loyal AT&T customer, would have access to the BEST devices running WP7. I began to dream about getting the rumored HTC HD3 (now called the HD7) or the Dell Lightning (now the Venue Pro) that looked fantastic in photos leaked months ago. Surely my "premier carrier" would offer these phones long before any lowly regular carrier.

But no. We now all know that both those phones are headed to the non-premier T-Mobile.

Instead we get phones that really have nothing new other than the WP7 OS. OK, I'll admit that the HTC Surround's slide out speaker is "unique" but only because the feature is also useless and everyone else was smart enough not to burden their phones with it. Maybe next year we'll get the "HTC Dial." It comes with a slide out rotary dialing wheel.

The only device I'm slightly interested in is the Samsung Focus, because of the nice screen and relative thinness. But would it have killed them to put some style into that thing? When it's turned off it looks like a shinny piece of cheap plastic. No matter what you think of it, you could never say that about the iPhone.

As I've said before, I sincerely hope that AT&T quickly releases a second wave of WP7 devices that truly impresses. Will we ever get the rumored 1.3 GHz HTC Mondrian?

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gmfeld wrote:
I think AT&T's WP7 lineup of devices stinks. The LG Quantum the only device with a physical keyboard. And the HTC device with a slide out speaker??? This post on the Mobility Digest site says it all. http://windowsphone.mobilitydigest.com/focused-on-the-focus-and-att/comment-page-1/#comment-81117

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[gammite]

the phones are not impressive.

i played with them all last week for a couple of days while at a wp7 developers conference.

slick os.  terrible hardware.  i hope that there is a second wave a 'great' devices coming soon.

sitting my tilt 2 next to them made my tilt look like a nice luxury car next to a datsun 510. 

i was really disappointed.  i want to support the os but i can not justify purchasing crappy hardware just to do it.  i will support it by developing for it.  i just wish that there were some truly great devices available for launch on att. 

[redpoint73 ACE - Wizard]

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gammite wrote:

the phones are not impressive.

i played with them all last week for a couple of days while at a wp7 developers conference.

slick os.  terrible hardware.  i hope that there is a second wave a 'great' devices coming soon.

sitting my tilt 2 next to them made my tilt look like a nice luxury car next to a datsun 510. 

i was really disappointed.  i want to support the os but i can not justify purchasing crappy hardware just to do it.  i will support it by developing for it.  i just wish that there were some truly great devices available for launch on att. 

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Are you talking about all the devices from all carriers, or just ATT?  Because the 7 Pro and the HD7 look really nice in photos, videos, and on paper.  I'd be curious to see what your opinion was hands-on.  It seems that HTC is doing a really nice job with very high build quality these days.   Although I think most everyone agrees the Surround is a just stupid design.

[gmfeld]

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 Although I think most everyone agrees the Surround is a just stupid design.

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Really.  I don't get it at all.  What a waste.  And I can't believe that's the only HTC device AT&T is offering at launch.