Microsoft has held launch events globally to unveil the first devices to use its Windows Phone 7 (WP7) platform, debuting nine devices from HTC, Samsung, LG and Dell. Handsets will be available from more than 60 operators in 30 countries worldwide, although the full portfolio will not be available in all markets, and some operators will also have exclusivity on certain devices. The first shipments of devices are set to reach European customers on 21 October 2010, with the US following on November 8. The company was sanguine about its need for a drastic change in the mobile device market, with Andy Lees, President of Microsoft’s Mobile Communication Business, stating: “I decided we should stop everything, and hit a full reset.”

Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, trumpeted the benefits of the platform as “always delightful, wonderfully mine,” highlighting the personalisation capabilities of the platform as a major selling point: “Everybody should be able to look at a Windows Phone and say, ‘I can represent myself in this device’.” This customisation has also been extended to handset manufacturers and operators, with some degree of tweaking available to differentiate between devices, although it was noted that all of the devices have a “common core.” At the UK event, Microsoft highlighted the importance of operators in its ecosystem, noting that operators are “more than just for pipe, sales and service,” with Ballmer stating: “we appreciate the support of our operators.”

Perhaps the headline feature of Windows Phone 7 is the use of “live tiles” to present information to the device home screen, rather than the static images used in alternative platforms such as Apple’s iOS. For example, the calendar icon can present the most relevant appointment information to the user without the need to actually open the app, functioning like a widget located on a desktop computer. These capabilities can be extended to applications, for example with the developer of a travel application able to show flight data on the home screen, again without the need for user intervention. Data can also be displayed on the device “lock” screen, so that users can see appointments, messages and missed calls without the need to unlock the handset.

Lees detailed the updates by stating: “A grid of icons and a sea of notifications – people are becoming slaves to their phones. Less stop and stare, more glance and go. Less searching, more finding.” Once paired with a PC, content can be synchronised automatically via WiFi, and the platform also integrates with Microsoft’s Skydrive cloud services to enable content to be available across multiple computers and handsets.

Microsoft also trumpeted the platform’s integration of information, with data and services available to customers regardless of the application they are using. For example, from an appointment screen it is possible to send emails to other attendees without the need to launch a separate messaging application, and it is possible to send images to Facebook directly from the camera without the need to use the Facebook app.

The devices unveiled today were Dell’s Venue Pro; HTC’s Surround, HD7, 7 Trophy and 7 Mozart; Samsung’s Focus and Omnia 7 (pictured); and LG’s Optimus 7 and Quantum. Largely the feature list was similar – and unashamedly high-end, with large touchscreens the order of the day. Several include QWERTY sliders; the LG Optimus 7 supports content sharing via DNLA; and the HTC HD7 has the largest screen in the range (4.3 inches) with a kick-stand.

All of the current generation devices are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors. Microsoft also promised devices for Sprint and Verizon Wireless in the future, with – as anticipated – CDMA handsets absent from the launch portfolio. Today’s launch saw operator support from América Móvil, AT&T, Deutsche Telekom AG, Movistar, O2, Orange, SFR, SingTel, Telstra, TELUS, T-Mobile USA and Vodafone.