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The Windows Phone 7 powered Samsung Focus. Richard Drew/AP/Press Association Images
Smartphones

Microsoft unveils Windows 7 phones

Nine new smartphone devices will be launched later this month and early in November.

MICROSOFT HAS UNVEILED NINE new Windows 7 smartphones which will be produced by Dell, HTC Corp., LG and Samsung.

The phones will integrate Microsoft products such as Xbox Live, Bing, Microsoft Office and Zune, and are due to launch in parts of Europe on 21 October. The US launch date has been set as 8 November, according to Microsoft.

Regarding an Irish release date, technology editor of the Sunday Business Post Adrian Weckler tweeted this evening:

Some info on #Phone7 availability. LG available on Voda on 21st. Samsung Omnia 7 on 3, Meteor “end of November”.

This Microsoft video previews the phones:

Speaking at the launch today, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said:

Microsoft and its partners are delivering a different kind of mobile phone and experience — one that makes everyday tasks faster by getting more done in fewer steps and providing timely information in a ‘glance and go’ format.

However, Gizmodo points out that Microsoft has yet to confirm just how many apps will be available for the phones upon launch, citing one source as simply saying: “It’ll be more than iPad at launch. More than the iPhone.”

The iPad had around 350 available apps at the time of its launch, according to Gizmodo.

Copy and paste support will be available for Phone 7 in early 2011, Mashable reports. Microsoft had initially said it would offer context-aware options to allow certain information such as numbers and names to be transferred instead of a full copy and paste function.