Microsoft connects with smartphone

Microsoft is making a major push to outgun Apple and Android in the smartphone market, launching an operating system that departs from the traditional desktop screen with a slew of icons.

The Windows Phone 7 is made up of a series of "hubs," which alleviate the need for lots of different applications. Instead of clicking on an icon, users view information on the home screen, organized through a series of "live tiles" that contain up-to-date information on friends, phone calls and tasks.

For instance, instead of clicking on separate applications for Facebook and contacts, users simply locate people in a hub that contains information including friends' pictures, status updates and phone numbers all in one place.

All the major wireless carriers and dozens overseas now offer phones running the Windows Phone 7 platform, such as the HTC Trophy on Verizon, which became available in stores on Thursday. What's more, Microsoft plans to push out a major software update for phones already in use, called "Mango," that will have over 500 new features.

Though the phone itself is promising, some analysts are skeptical that Microsoft will have the marketing prowess to compete with the buzz of iPhone and Android.

"It could be the best phone in the world, but it's got to crack the code with the customer," said telecom analyst Jeff Kagan. "That means you have to get the customers to want it. You've got to build a brand. Get sizzle. And that's the hardest thing to do."

Some have also questioned the wisdom of naming the phone after an operating system that although reliable, is hardly sexy.

"Windows is one of the most recognizable brands in the world and is core to Microsoft's strategy, so it made sense to align the phone with that brand," said Microsoft spokeswoman Pamela Jonah.

Some forecasts are surprisingly optimistic for the Windows Phone 7, spurred by Nokia's recent announcement that it will to shift from its Symbian operating system to the Windows Phone.

International Data Corp.'s quarterly mobile tracker predicts 45 percent of smartphone users worldwide will have an Android model by 2015, up from 40 percent today, making it the most popular platform. Use of the Windows Phone is forecast to go from 6 to 21 percent, and projections have Apple's iPhone increasing its market share (by just 3 percent) to 19 percent of all smartphone users by 2015.

Said Kagan, "Every time we look at the company, we think it's a natural. It's a great company with a great customer base and great technology. But Microsoft hasn't been successful yet, and we have to ask why."