The Windows Phone 7 went on sale in the U.S. this past week. And the early reviews are in. So far, so good. Smart design. Unique features. But, still lacking an active app store.
Now, this release spurred a few questions. Could this phone rival the iPhone or even the Android-based phones? Can the new version of Windows Mobile get over its buggy history? And will the success of Windows Phone 7 spur the continued growth of Microsoft Bing due to its built-in Bing browser integration?
Google has to be at least slightly nervous. Especially as Microsoft Bing and Facebook seem to be developing a true, deep relationship. And you’ll experience that with the Windows 7 Phone. It’s not just designed to “look social”. There is true and real information integration with your Facebook community. But, unless the app store quickly evolves, I’m not sure that will be enough to push it into the level of Android and Apple.