Windows Phone 7 mock-up shows what WP7 Sense UI could look like

August 27, 2010 | By Pradeep

HTC confirmed earlier this year that its Sense UI will be implemented in WP7 in some form but no one have ever seen their implementations.

This video I come across on Youtube may be a mockup, but it shows how HTC can implement their user interface while still remaining in the spirit and look and feel of Windows Phone 7.

What do you think? Is is necessary for HTC to implement SenseUI to differentiate itself from others? If yes how it should look? Let us know below.

About Pradeep Viswav

Pradeep was a Microsoft Student Partner when he was pursuing his Computer Science & Engineering degree. He now works for a MNC. He is passionate about technology and loves to share his knowledge with people. People used to mention him as “A Geek who is not Nerd”. He was fascinated by the Metro Design language and Windows Phone which made him to follow and develop applications for it. Follow him at twitter.com/pradeepviswav

Tagged windows phone 7

Ivan

I don't think they should waste their time on Sense. Its alright but its only a band-aid. If they want to differentiate themselves, they can design nicer hardware. This first batch of WP7 phones leaves a lot to be desired sadly.

qwer

yea, fuck sensui/touchflo 3d. It was a drag on winmo and so it shouldn't be revied.

qmt49

Oh for fuck's sake… THIS IS NOT ALLOWED! END OF STORY!

Lennard

samething I was gonna say
brotkasten

A million times this! They CAN NOT change the background or the overall look of the tiles.
T.L.

Ill second that

efjay

HTC can keep their non-Sense on their android phones, WP7 doesnt need it.

http://twitter.com/WMPerson @WMPerson

Hahah,,
I like that "non-sense"

fredrik72

Absolutely not. If implemented as in the video it would be a total disaster. Why can't HTC simply concentrate on making stellar hardware with fantastic talk times, talk quality, camera quality with design that will blow our minds, instead of spending resources on remaking the wheel. I truly hope MS will never ever allow the hardware manufacurers and phone operators to customize the phone, because then it will all be just like android: a totally inconsistent user experience locked to the good will of the manufaturers for updates, looking like puke.
Rob

I don't know if I was the only one at the time, but when Microsoft first showed the WP7 design I was very pleasantly surprised.

I had been thinking for a long time that the glossy, faux-3D aesthetic was getting terribly old. It seems like phone UI design has gone through a typical evolution. The original ugly, blocky Pocket PC style was due to hardware limits (lack of high screen resolutions and graphics acceleration). When those limits were lifted, everybody went apeshit just to show off what could be done. Transparency, pseudo-3D, pseudo-materials and textures: it was new and impressive. Like the current Sense incarnation (I have an HD2): it's ok, it's well executed and all. But design it isn't.

Now that high-performance graphic capabilities have become commonplace in phones and we're all over the "look shiny buttons!" phase, it's time for a real, mature visual language that's understated, functional and not about showing off. And Microsoft have done it. I love those square, crisp tiles that don't pretend to be anything else than a flat interface on a flat screen. They're a simple, inobtrusive canvas for the content (text and icons). I love the understated, swift transitions from one screen to another, and the fact that you could miss them if you blink. And it's great to finally see an interface that makes good use of typography as a style element.

So let's hope Microsoft will stick to their guns and never allow stuff like in that video. It would just trigger another bling war between different manufacturers and result in the ugliest skins you can imagine. Let them add a tile or two of their own, if they must, but don't let them touch the overall style.
http://twitter.com/ardajupiter @ardajupiter

I dont think htc would do something like that, they might create some customized tiles/hubs instead of this I think.
Garvey

Pray to the gods that this never comes to fruition…

Seriously, what is the point? I agree with everyone else that they should concentrate on hardware, you know, the things that matter, especially if they are so intent on differentiating themselves from the competition.

Microsoft have already done this in terms of the OS software, the phone makers should do the same with the hardware.
Chef Fabrizio

I for one, am longing for the day when we can get rid of HTC's interface. I've got a tilt2, and the first thing I did was flash to a Titanium only OS and it ran so much faster.

There is no way, I would even look at an HTC phone, if it looked like something in that video.

I've been loyal to HTC because they have good hardware and real keyboards. But the time they spent on "Sense" can be used on Android.

NO SENSE on WP7. NO SENSE.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1425676469 Warren Cush

i personally like the sense not whats shown in this video, 1 why is it sideways and why is it using that phone. the only problem i have with the sense is that it slows down the phone, htc cane tewwk it in a way where it doesnt do that. if there working with MS they can find a way to intergrate it without looking likenon-sense, i personaly dont like the tiles. the only options you have for the tiles is just the colors, to me thats not acceptable. the reason i always use Wm instead of the others because their phones wer always customizable, i dont need htc to creat a whole new UI to lay on top of the OS but just add the addtional features. instead of just changing color in the settings, you can change the shape, be able to cumtomize the tiles threw the desktop and dump it on the phone like a theme. with the spec MS wants for these phones i really dont see the problem, lets have the option for those who dont want it at all dont get an htc phone, sound simple to me.
clint

I am quite sure Microsoft stated that the shell isn't customizable. Although this doesn't preclude HTC from making a Sense Hub which with the familiar Sense styling. Though I doubt I would ever use it.
P. Douglas

Overall I like the Windows Phone 7 user interface. I think Windows Phone 7 apps are the slickest looking and most functional apps out around. I however have a couple of pet peeves. I think handset makers should be allowed to apply more styles to the tiles. E.g. I like the style shown on the Dell handsets in the link below. It apparently has a transparent background, rather than a colored background – which makes it look slick.
http://wmpoweruser.com/dell-re-affirms-commitment…

I don't think HTC should be allowed to radically alter UX of the OS; but I think MS should provide OEMs and users considerable leeway in how they can personalize the appearance of the tiles and tile screen, in particular. I think this is important to make WP7 not only the easiest-to-use, but most functional smartphone around, but also the most aesthetically pleasing.

P. Douglas

T.L.

That transparent background is the regular zune interface… All the the WP7 phones will have that…

http://twitter.com/sab0tage @sab0tage

I like Sense on my HD2, but I don't think they should customise WP7 with a Sense UI (not that they're allowed) . I think they would be better off porting Peep, Footprints, Stocks and their weather tab as tiles. I think that would work quite well, and if a developer produces something similar but more powerful, just un-pin the HTC apps and buy the replacement from the market place.

I'm not a Twitter power-user so Peep fits my requirements; I love the HTC weather tab, the animations can be done in Silverlight so they could probably make it work in a similar fashion.
Durishin

I think that the battle here is over consistent UE (user experience). With WP7, M$ have certainly moved to give a more consistent UE and one that looks, to me, like a better UE than iPhone's "launcher" interface…because it actually gives you information without having to swipe, jiggle, poke or spin. I con't see how HTC would improve on it other than to give the tiles something more than two colours and two dimensions.

If all the phones are specified with the same baseline internals, HTC must differentiate themselves on quality, form factor, features and, of course, negotiating well with the carriers. HTC phones are OK. I am on my fourth. They aren't great as I have had to replace two of the four w/in the first year after purchase – never had that issue when I was using Sony Ericsson phones.

I was moving to android until this recent spate of WP7 videos came along. Now I am very interested…especially in the way that the various communication channels work together and the way the email seems to work. But not having graphics in HTML emails download automatically would be a bit of an issue.

I am excited to see Dell's Lightening. It looks great and is the form factor I prefer from my days with my SE P990. I hope the Lightening comes to AT&T.
DumptIt

FCK !!! What is that a CYCLOPES?

Oh man !!!