Smartphone Guide 4) Windows Phone

I want to make this 100% clear: WP 7 devices will NOT be receiving the WP 8 update. It runs off a different kernel, and isn't compatible (WP 7 ran off a really old kernel that didn't allow for HD resolutions or more than a single core processor, Microsoft decided to go with a kernel that doesn't have any limits we know of)

Windows Phone 8
Windows Phone 8 might not look like too much, but as they say, "life lives in the little things", and that sure holds true here. WP8 is very simple, yet still allows you to do what you want to do with your phone fast, and effectively. Take their "Smoked by Windows Phone" campaign for example. 88% of tests were won by the Windows Phones, and that was WP7...

Apps
Apps aren't quite up to snub when compared to Android or iOS, but if you are a smartphone noob, you won't even notice. The Market is filled out enough that it covers Have a look here if you are interested in WP apps.

Style
I haven't included style in the Android or iOS overviews, because they are what you'd expect from a smartphone experience. Windows Phone 8 takes a step away from the norm - and I think it works.

It's all about the simplicity with WP. On your homepage you have a vertically scrolling list of tiles that update, and can be sized to small, medium, and large. Each size will display different amounts of information: the smallest simply act as app icons, while the larger sizes display information relevant to the app (for example the messaging app will display the number of new messages when the tile is medium size, and it will display recent texts when it is large).

Every menu is amazing, and unique looking. They have giant headings up top that bleed off the edge, and by scrolling horizontally through the sub-headings you can reveal more letters of the heading.

Absolutely everything is ultra-smooth; just like WP7, WP8 makes even a "single core look like a Ferrari". The WP operating system is so lightweight with very few graphics to keep track of, it really makes the hardware seem better than it is.

Features
The features found on the phones will vary by manufacturer, with the Lumia devices having the most. Don't worry though: if you get one of the HTC 8 series or the Samsung Ativ, you still get Nokia Mapps which is very near on par with Google Maps, but adding neat features like augmented reality.

Overall
WP8 looks amazing, and is gaining traction. It may not be able to do quite as much as an android or have as many epic apps as the iPhone, but the design of each and every Windows Phone is stellar. You will get stopped and asked "what phone is that?", and you will proudly reply: "This is my Windows Phone".