Windows Phone 7 gets Xbox Live integration
First handsets to appear before the end of 2010
Microsoft has announced the integration of Xbox Live and Zune services in its newly-unveiled Windows Phone 7 Series operating system.
The first devices to use the new OS will hit retail for the 2010 holiday season, allowing users to access Xbox Live games and accounts on the move.
The system was unveiled today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, by CEO Steve Ballmer and Andrew Lees, senior VP of mobile communications at Microsoft. It allows users to play Xbox Live games, view Spotlight feeds and access a gamer's avatar, Achievements and profile.
"With Xbox Live if you want to play with your friends, we make that super easy, even though they’re on a PC and you’re on a phone," offered Lees. "These things all work in an integrated way across screens, so the phone supports your digital life much more completely."
As well as a Zune music service, Windows Phone 7 will also integrate search engine Bing.