In an expected move at the Mobile World Congress, Microsoft (MSFT) has confirmed the launch of Windows Phone 7, their latest rendition of their operating system for mobile phones.

The announcement was made by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer who stated, “It’s all about the phone and how consumers react to the device.” With that in mind, the new OS which will ultimately replace Windows Mobile 6.5 comes with a number of features that allow the mobile user to customize the onscreen display to their personal preferences and is centered around the concept of “live tiles” and hubs.

The live tiles allow users to stream real time data from their favorite web sites and social networks, allowing the individual to stay connected with his/her social network of friends. The type of real time updates that can be streamed to a smartphone using this feature include digital pictures or posts.

In addition to the live tiles, a series of six interactive hubs are available. These hubs are essentially like categories and can be used to bring related digital information into a single view. The six available hubs include music, office, games, people, pictures and marketplace.

The first mobile phones to carry the newest Microsoft OS should be available later this year with Samsung, HTC, Sony Ericsson, LG already committed. One interesting feature that will be present on the new phones that will come to market will be a dedicated physical button which will be a direct connect to Bing, Microsoft’s search engine.

Via: BBC