Windows Mobile 7 hardware specs?
We don’t engage in too much speculation here at rgbFilter headquarters (all right we do, we don’t generally post about it though), but over the past few months, there’s been a lot of talk about Microsoft’s Project Pink, which could be a Zune phone, or a software/services platform for future Windows Mobile devices. Heck, some rumours have even floated about Xbox Live integration including gaming.
In any case, it appears that the minimum specs for Windows Mobile 7 have been leaked by none other than Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet, which includes Open GL graphics. Specific chips mentioned include Nvidia’s Tegra, the TI chipset demoed at CES and Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon. As for display, a minimum screen spec of 3.5″ multi touch with a resolution of 800 x 480 is in order.
One of the concerns with a “Zunephone” is that if Microsoft builds their own hardware for the next iteration of WM7, that this could rightly be seen as a snub by their hardware partners. With 3 major chip suppliers on the list of compatible hardware, it suggests that Microsoft plans on continuing to support their current mobile phone strategy of 3rd party manufacturers, regardless of whether they make a Zune branded phone.
As I see it, Microsoft will use the same minimum hardware specs in their next generation Zune portable media player (Zune HD) as they will require for 3rd party manufacturers of WM7 phones, both of which will be using the same basic operating system. Think “iPhone/iPod Touch”, but with Apple allowing other hardware manufacturers to make different form factors.
More specs after the break
WM7 Chassis 1 Specification
Core requirements:
Processor: ARM v6+, L2 Cache, VFP, Open GL ES 2.0 graphics HW (QCOM 8k, Nvidia AP15/16* and TI 3430 all meet spec)
Memory: 256MB+ DRAM, 1G+ Flash (at least 512MB fast flash – 5MB/s unbuffered read @4K block size)
Display: WVGA (800×480) or FWVGA (854×480) 3.5” or greater diagonal
Touch: Multi-touch required
Battery: Sufficient to meet Days of Use LTK requirements.
Controls: Start, Back, Send and End are required (soft controls allowed as long as they are always present).
Peripherals:
Camera: 3MP+, flash optional, 2nd camera optional (VGA resolution sufficient)
GPS: aGPS required
Sensors required: Light Sensor, Compass (3 axis, 5 degrees, 100 Hz sample rate), Accelerometer (3 axis, 2mg resolution, 100 Hz sample rate)
USB: High speed required, 20 MB/s transfer rate.
BlueTooth: BT2.1 required, must run MSFT BT stack, CSR BlueCore6 or later recommended.
Wi-Fi: 802.11B/G required, must run MSFT Native Wi-Fi stack, Atheros 6002 or Broadcomm 4325 recommended.
Connectors: Micro USB and 3.5mm Audio required.
microsoft has denied the zunephone… just sayin…
thank god
Oh yeah, I know that. 🙂 I cleaned up that last line before the break, as I think Microsoft will require WM7 phone makers to meet the same minimum specs as above, as they’ll be unifying the platform, in the same way that the iPod Touch and the iPhone are basically the same other than the phone part.
The only difference is that Microsoft will make the Zune (iPod Touch), and 3rd parties like HTC etc will make the phone versions.
again, thank god
a zunephone is just embarrasing
Oh, if a Zunephone were a separate beast from WM, Microsoft would be shooting themselves in the foot.
I think it’d be a good call to base both their media player and smart phones on the same code base, while letting 3rd parties handle the phones.
I gotta say I’m impressed with the hefty minimum specs that were leaked too. That Tegra chipset is spectacular.
agreed
[…] Fiona Mclutosh added an interesting post on Windows Mobile 7 hardware specs?Here’s a small excerptMemory: 256MB+ DRAM, 1G+ Flash (at least 512MB fast flash – 5MB/s unbuffered read @4K block size) Display: WVGA (800×480) or FWVGA (854… […]
[…] Doug Groves wrote an interesting post today onrgbFilter » bWindows Mobile 7/b hardware specs?Here’s a quick excerptIn any case, it appears that the minimum specs for bWindows Mobile 7/b have been leaked by none other than Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet, which includes Open GL graphics. Specific chips mentioned include Nvidia’s Tegra, the TI chipset demoed at … […]