Windows Phone 7 is shaping up to be more memorable for the features that it lacks rather than what new functionality that it brings to the table. The latest feature to be dropped from Windows Phone 7's spec sheet is tethering.
Some sites were reporting earlier in the week that the mobile operating system would support tethering due to comments made by Brandon Watson, Director of Windows Phone 7. However, a Microsoft spokesman contacted Boy Genius Report today to state that Watson was mistaken and that “Windows Phone 7 does not support tethering."
Microsoft's next generation mobile operating system, which recently went RTM, also lacks copy/paste and third-party multitasking. Both were features that Apple was long criticized for when the original iPhone launched in 2007. It wasn't until 2009 that the iPhone received copy/paste functionality, while full multitasking and tethering (in the U.S.) didn't show up until this year.
Microsoft's first iteration of Windows Phone 7 appears to be seriously lacking when it comes to basic smartphone functionality, but Microsoft still has time to add features at a later time. Microsoft has stated in the past that it wanted to make sure that the initial release of Windows Phone 7 was near perfect, and that things like copy/paste and multitasking could wait until a later date (possibly v7.5).
However, Microsoft has stiff competition in the smartphone market given dominate players like RIM, Apple and Google. Apple's iPhone has taken a nice chunk out of smartphone sales globally, and Google's Android operating system is dominating the sales charts in the United States -- Microsoft can't afford to be conservative this time around.
Despite Windows Phone 7's shortcomings and the presence of stiff competition, Microsoft has still boldly predicted that its latest mobile OS will crush the competition. The boys from Redmond held a mock funeral for the iPhone and BlackBerry earlier this month complete with caskets.
Source: DailyTech
