Update 3pm ET: Video has been deleted by the user, sorry folks! We'll try to find an alternative soon.
Long Zheng, the brains behind the likes of MetroTwit and more (we interviewed the chap a while back), has come across a handful of concept videos published by UI designer Dave Brinda. It's reported that Brinda worked with Microsoft on the "Windows Mobile 7" project and currently works at HTC, responsible for designing HTC Sense on Android as well as HTC TouchFlo 3D on Windows Mobile. So what's the concept like? Well, see for yourself.
We can't help but want to get in touch with each and every engineer and designer on the Windows Phone team to give each of them a huge cuddle on behalf of the community. Now we're not ones to smash down a concept, but what we have presented here is almost alien-like compared to the Windows Phone UI. No tiles for starters. Where are the tiles?
That said, this is a concept, and an intriguing one at that. The design goes in new directions that (at the time) would have been something "new". It can prove rather difficult to look at a design that's not simplified and sports glass / chrome effects. We can say that Microsoft certainly made the right decision to cut its loss with Windows Mobile and completely refresh its mobile venture with Windows Phone.
How would Microsoft be ranking against the competition should Windows Mobile 7 went ahead (with this concept)? It's impossible to say, but the interface doesn't offer any radical reasons for a consumer to switch from Android, BlackBerry or iOS. Live Tiles, a focus on typography, panorama, these are just a few of the design elements of Windows Phone that punches through the status quo and offers a unique experience.
Check out the full video of the Windows Mobile 7 concept below:
What are your thoughts? Glad Microsoft went with Windows Phone as we know it today? Let us know in the comments.
Source: iStartedSomething, Vimeo, via: @EverythingMicrosoft
