Microsoft might have been working on Windows Phone 7 for a year and a half or so, but only now is it getting to the point where it can be considered ready for market.

We bagged some hands on time with the new platform, and while there are still some kinks to be ironed out, we were at least relieved that it’s clearly a lot better than previous iterations of Windows Mobile.

Interface

The interface is the same as day one – tiles in a big long list that offer up titbits of information about various subjects.

Got email? Displayed. Upcoming event? On the screen. Friend updates contact picture on Facebook? The picture on the ‘favourite person’ tile changes… which could actually get a bit confusing.

But the main thing is this interface actually works, and works well – you swipe, it doesn’t lag and pretty much does what you expect it to do under the finger.

Opening the tiles is also better than expected – the applications load quickly, the transitions are smooth and once again there doesn’t appear to be a hint of slow down.

However, this is still an early build, and one devoid of any applications, so the optimisation should be pretty high for only first-party apps.

Moving tiles around the front screen is pretty easy – simply drag and drop and the interface will re-sort itself to match what you’re trying to do.

The flat, plain tile interface is something we feel users will have to get used to, but at least it offers up a wealth of information, so it will be easy to see what’s going on.

Contacts and Messaging

Other elements on the Windows Phone 7 operating system seem to work well too – with contacts and messaging well-equipped.

Contacts can be tied in with Facebook and your Windows Live ID, meaning you can easily browse information and photos from your friends should they have uploaded such, and comment on them too.

The problem is we’ve seen this before – the HTC Sense UI, for instance, does this with aplomb already, and more besides.

It’s not a bad thing to see it again, but it shows that Microsoft is playing catch up in the smartphone game.

Messaging is great though – especially when it comes to the on-screen keyboard. In both portrait and landscape modes it’s highly accurate and decent at word correction too – we’re taking iPhone/HTC levels of accuracy here.

As you can imagine, a number of email standards (POP, IMAP, Exchange) are all supported here, so you’ll be able to continue using email on the go as before.

Zune

The media player also worked well in the test we had – the audio isn’t an issue, as the Samsung model on display is simply a vehicle to show off the OS (Microsoft took great pains to point out it’s not going to market) but the interface was intuitive, if a little clunky.

Like TimeScape on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, you can search the cloud for associated artists you might like, and listen to songs on the go from this interface.

The Zune layout, combined with the impressive screen performance and response, make this a decent media player – albeit once again one that doesn’t really offer anything above the current competition.

Camera

The camera shows a neat media touch, by combining well with the photo gallery: press the camera button and the picture you take will sit just to the left of the screen – swipe left to see it at any point.

This is a lot like the Android preview window in the bottom right-hand corner, but a lot more accessible. It’s another element that takes a while to get used to, as it takes up a fair heft of the on-screen display, but still – it’s a nice idea and we appreciate innovation.

Office 2010 Mobile

Microsoft has put the full suite of Office 2010 Mobile applications on the phone as well – and intriguingly made OneNote the primary app, as it reckons most users will be needing this the most.

But the rest of the applications are clearly well-optimised for the phone, with easy to hit icons making the experience feel good and well-packaged from a business perspective.

Internet

However, there are some reasons to be a little nervous about Windows Phone 7. Firstly, the decision to use Internet Explorer as the browser – although Microsoft didn’t have a working connection at the demo, the browser interface looks as clunky and ugly as ever.

Other reports have stated that this browser, complete with pinch-to-zoom navigation, isn’t too bad though – it’s not going to compete with the iPhone 4 on overall experience, but it’s better than a lot of other mobile browsers.

Applications

The lack of applications on the demo handset is worrying too – we know that Microsoft will have a bevy of applications available at launch, but a smartphone these days is made or broken on the app store it has supporting it.

The lack of any on there at the moment, with the launch just months away, is a little disconcerting, and makes it hard to assess whether Windows Phone 7 will be a success in the market.

Verdict

Overall, we’re more positive about the new operating system from Microsoft than before – the slick, intuitive feeling is there from the moment you touch the phone, which will please the consumers that just pick up the phone in-store.

There are a number of missing elements, which is a bit worrying – a longer term test will tell us whether we’ll really miss copy and paste, and whether the ‘multi-tasking’ on offer will be any good.

Also, the internet browser can’t support Flash as we know – that’s going to grate with a number of users as it’s another element that makes the platform seem a little substandard.

The best way to describe Windows Phone 7 is as another dimension to the smartphone market – it doesn’t offer anything new, rather a decent effort at playing catch-up.