Windows Phone 7 OS to Launch in October

Microsoft, as you know, is getting back into the smartphone game with its totally redesigned Windows Phone 7 Operating System to compete with the two major players: Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android OS (Better luck next time BlackBerry OS 6).

According to Microsoft COO Kevin Turner, the OS will launch this coming October first in Europe, then to the US, just in time for the holiday season and to hopefully grab a share of the worldwide smartphone market.

Microsoft had one of the first PDA/smartphone Operating Systems out (and they all had terrible names), but has since faded to the background as names like RIM (BlackBerry), Nokia (Symbian), Apple and Google rule the market.

Now Microsoft says it’s time to party with the big boys and is planning an October release of a very attractive mobile OS platform if you ask me. The videos and demos I’ve seen of the new OS are very cool. The main screen is comprised of tiles that contain up-to-date information that changes based on how you use the phone. Favorite sites, contacts, calendar appointments, emails, etc. all change as information on the phone is updated. When you select or swipe to see a more detailed look at the information, there is no lag, and applications load very quickly.

The phones that will use the Windows Phone 7 OS look slick as well. Microsoft, as well as Samsung have immediate plans to house the OS, and both are keypad-only affairs and keep in line with the current minimalistic “the less buttons the better” look of the current smartphone options on the market.

The ONLY hoop Windows has to jump through in my opinion is apps. Can Microsoft provide enough app goodness to make it worthwhile to consumers? Again it’s Apple with a commanding lead followed by Android with a steady stream of apps being added daily. Microsoft must cement itself in the app department in order to climb the ranks and get a solid share of the ever-increasing smartphone sales (an estimated 400 to 450 million sold within the next three to five years).

If Microsoft can deliver a decent UI experience, and seriously compete in the mobile app department (better luck next time RIM), then I would definitely recommend a Microsoft smartphone to anybody without a brand allegiance.

Do you think Microsoft has what it takes in the Windows Phone 7 OS to compete with Apple iOS and Google Android? Or is the stage already set for the epic battle between Apple and Google with Microsoft and the rest merely waiting for the leftovers?