Today at Mobile World Congress 2010, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled the next generation of Windows® Phones, Windows Phone 7 Series. With this new platform, Microsoft offers a fresh approach to phone software, distinguished by smart design and truly integrated experiences that bring to the surface the content people care about from the Web and applications. For the first time ever, Microsoft will bring together Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music and video experience on a mobile phone, exclusively on Windows Phone 7 Series. Partners have already started building phones; customers will be able to purchase the first phones in stores by holiday 2010.
Unlock a world of friends, entertainment and games from the comfort of your couch, displayed on the best screen in the house, using Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE. Tomorrow, Xbox LIVE members around the world will have their Xbox 360 console transformed and plugged into the best value in home entertainment, with access to Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm and Zune video with instant-on HD, all right in their living rooms.
Over the weekend we pushed out a Zune HD firmware update, version 4.3, which enabled 3-D gaming on Zune HD. Today six new games are available in the Zune Marketplace. The new games take advantage of Zune HD’s beautiful multi-touch OLED screen and accelerometer and some (Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition, Audiosurf Tilt and Vans Sk8: Pool Service) utilize the powerful NVIDIA Tegra processor to deliver immersive, 3D gaming to Zune HD. As with the other games offered for Zune, these games are available for free to Zune HD users and feature a short ad at start-up.
I have to say that Microsoft have surprised me this time round, not only have they created a device that I would like to get my hands on due to its sumptuous looks, it has had decent reviews, sold out (though from what I’m told, not many Zune’s were actually available anyway) and improved the software on it no end.
What a Broken Zune HD Display Looks Like
Gizmodo has posted about some faulty Zune HD’s. It’s tough to know just how often this particular problem is occurring, but we’ve heard a fair share of reports on the Zune HD’s otherwise gorgeous OLED display having performance glitches. And needless to say, you’d notice it.