Today is a pretty special day at TCG. We have been given the chance to look at Windows Phone 7 running on a few pre-production hardware models. The phone that I am using at the moment is a pre-production Samsung phone running on Rogers, but there are a couple floating around. Throughout the day we will be updating with relevant information, and if you have any questions, please let us know!

From my first impression with the device, the home screen “tiles” work extremely smoothly and the device, even on pre-production. The typography really does add to the experience, and because the tiles are dynamic, the whole thing takes on a very organic feel. Because you will end up interacting with tiles more often than the “app drawer,” the stilted, iOS-like reliance on switching between apps to get anything done, is greatly reduced, though not to the extent of Android.

One thing I love about Android, and will hopefully translate well to the Windows Phone 7 series, is a drop-down notification system, combined with live information on the tiles, eliminating the need to go into an app to receive the info. As it stands, it’s very slick.

Obviously the speed and stability of the hardware and software right now is not final code, but it’s a great start. Stay tuned for more information throughout the day!