{"id":358915,"date":"2010-02-24T16:23:19","date_gmt":"2010-02-24T21:23:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gigaom.com\/?p=101474"},"modified":"2010-02-24T16:23:19","modified_gmt":"2010-02-24T21:23:19","slug":"why-the-first-winphone-chassis-design-is-key-for-microsoft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/358915","title":{"rendered":"Why the First WinPhone Chassis Design Is Key for Microsoft"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Microsoft is getting a lot of attention over its decision to streamline the OS and deliver only three main chassis designs with its upcoming Windows Phone 7. But if the company is to regain relevance with the Apples and Googles of the mobile world, it’s the first chassis design that will be key.<\/p>\n

As Mary Jo Foley first reported this morning<\/a>, the first Windows Phone 7 chassis is designed for manufacturers building big-screen, touch-only devices, while the second will support gadgets with sliding QWERTY keyboards in addition to touchscreens. While the third chassis isn’t specified, it’s expected to be targeted at traditional, candy bar-style handsets.<\/p>\n

The strategy allows Microsoft to all but guarantee a consistent user experience and performance across devices, as Kevin noted over at jkOnTheRun<\/a>. Chassis No. 1 will be used on the first smartphones to run Windows Phone 7 when the devices come to market before this year’s holiday season. And the first chassis will also be crucial if Microsoft is to expand beyond modern handsets to leverage the wave of tablets<\/a> that will come to market over the next several months.<\/p>\n