Microsoft to make its own phone in three versions

Geoff Spick
25 February 2010, 3:00 PM


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A Microsoft Australia Evangelist, Michael Kordahi is talking up the upcoming Microsoft Phones. Yes, "phones", as in a little community of humping rabbits.


While chatting away on the Frankly Speaking podcast, Windows Evangelists Michael Kordahi and Andrew Coates might have let slip a few details about the upcoming Windows 7 phones. Rather than go the strict route of one flavour for all, there will be a range of basic designs to cater for a wider level of budget and need.

Unfortunately the podcast has been pulled, which gives a good indication of the validity of the story. So we've had to turn to ZDNETter Mary-Jo Foley for the gist of the chatter. She reports that:

"Chassis 1 is for PC makers developing “big touch screen” phones, the hosts said. These will be touch-only devices, with 1 GHz processor (hello, Snapdragon!) and a dedicated graphics processor, the Frankly Speaking guys said. These are the phones that will be out first at launch this holiday season.

Chassis 2-compliant phones will support real sliding keyboards plus touch, the podcasters claimed. They said these would be more Palm-Treo-like. There also will be Chassis 3 phones, about which the pair didn’t have any details. One of the hosts (I couldn’t tell which) said he expected Chassis 3 phones might be candy bar phones. The pair didn’t say when Chassis 2 and 3 phones might ship."

Of course, Microsoft will be firmly in charge of the OS and software (including GUI -- all changes are prohibited), and its in this area that any phone will be judged a success or failure. The range of hardware will give the phone wider appeal across a broader range of buyers but if the software has to be tweaked to the different types of phone, will that cause devs a problem and will compatibility issues arise?

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Raindog (New user):

The final release versions are likely to be as follows.

MS-Phone home: This will be the cheapest version, the home version will be the one featured heavily in department store discount promotions. Of course if you want to do anything useful, like say connect to a carriers network, you will have to upgrade MS-Phone Home to MS-Phone Pro. MS-Phone Home will be available in a a range of exciting colours including Solar Flare.

MS-Phone Pro: is pitched at the corporate market. MS-Phone Pro feature Handset Genuine Advantage or HGA security software which will use voice recognition technology to verify an invalid caller and lock the handset. Valid users locked out by HGA can call MS during normal US business hours and have their MS-Phone reactivated by simply providing your user receipt, a valid passport and birth certificate and your credit card details.

MS-Phone Ultimate: is the big guns release, initially Ultimate will be released a copy of MS-Phone Pro at twice the price, but you can be assured that there are some mighty fine advantages to be announced for Ultimate Phones at some future date. :)

25 February 2010, 3:31 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Phred (New user):

Quoting Raindog:
MS-Phone Home
MS-Phone Pro
MS-Phone Ultimate

Why don't they just stick with a formula that has worked for them in the past, One size fits all. No need to bring the Windows XP, Visa & 7 experience to a phone.

25 February 2010, 3:44 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymousewiuu2945u389 (User):

What about MS-Phone Enterprise (exactly the same as Ultimate but without the 'future extras'), MS-Phone Starter (even cheaper than Home but doesn't do anything), MS-Phone Home-Basic (only in developing markets), MS-Phone Home-N (No Media Player, what a pity), MS-Phone Pro-N (Again, no media player), MS-Phone Home-E (no internet browser to satisfy the EU, instead comes with a bollot screen to choose which version of PIE to use as all other browsers are blocked from the marketplace), etc...

01 March 2010, 12:16 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

AlexF (New user):

What happens to a Microsoft "Evangelist" when leaves (or fired by) Microsoft? Does he need to repent or/and recant?

02 March 2010, 4:59 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Ausman (New user):

Wow... Very original Microsoft. When will you bring out the security software we need to run on these things?

28 March 2010, 11:40 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

AlexF (New user):

Since WP7s won't have any 3rd party _native_ software, I suspect never.
Once the cat is out of the bag, then you get all sorts of problems, http://www.redmondpie.com/iphoneprivacy.a-virus-hits-jailbroken-iphone-9140101/

29 March 2010, 1:07 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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