One of the greatest features of Windows Phone 7 has got to be the clean, speedy, distinctive UI which manages to offer a different and instantly recognisable experience in a market where competitors are simply copying the Apple iOS. It has been no secret that Microsoft has been VERY protective of the UI and home screen, hoping to avoid the past “mistakes” of allowing OEMs to modify the users experience to the point of being un-useable and unrecognisable. However, HTC wishes to bring its own unique modifications and customisations to the WP7 experience – and believes, over time, Microsoft will allow them to do just that.
“We have a good relationship with Microsoft so we’re continuing to work with them to figure out how to enable a Sense experience without breaking their model. Our expectation is that we will be able to do more over time.”
There have been long hints that HTC wished to bring their Sense UI overlay to WP7, but they have been so far unsuccessful – at least with the first batch of devices. The overlay, which HTC has applied to many of their Windows Mobile and Android devices have been variously praised for its features and criticised for causing performance hits – to the point of a phone having to be soft reset. HTC’s priorities are clearly to have a HTP WP7 device be undeniably recognisable as an “HTC Phone”, whereas Microsoft’s aim (as with all of WP7) is for a device to be instantly recognized as a “Windows Phone.”
So with all that said, what do you PPCGeekers think? Would Sense UI be a vast improvement on WP7, or would allowing OEMs to modify the UI drastically open WP7 up to a future failure? Do you think that HTC could make a UI that is simple, fast, responsive, and not give the device, or Microsoft a bad name? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: wmpoweruser.com