Microsoft’s already done a lot right with Windows Phone 7, and it’s not even due out until late this year. But after today’s announcements, there’s still one lingering question: How can Windows Phone 7 possibly catch up, in terms of apps?
What many feared (or briefly thought about without much emotion either way) has turned out to be true: Microsoft PR has confirmed that Windows Marketplace for Mobile will be the only source for Windows Phone 7 apps, meaning that you can’t sideload apps, and that Microsoft will be the sole gatekeeper for all apps on the platform.
You can download the Windows Phone 7 SDK right now from this link. Make us some good stuff, programmers. [Windows Phone Developer]
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Harvest shows what Xbox Live gaming will be like on Windows Phone 7, and it’s pretty damn impressive. Achievements, explosions and glorious gamerpoints. Leaving your house officially no longer means stalling your gamerscore.
So this is how apps are going to look on Windows Phone 7: visually captivating, great animations, 3D transformations. It’s a very distinctive look and feel from iPhone apps, and may be just what Microsoft needs to establish themselves.
It’s not clear yet when Microsoft’s newly announced Windows Phone Marketplace is going to launch, but when it does they’ll have a bevy of partners already on board, ranging from the AP to Foursquare to Pandora. And they look good!
