Windows Phone 7 apps
Nowadays, apps are an integral part of smartphones. All devices, regardless of platform, have your basic features like a Web browser, media player, cameras, productivity tools, and so forth, but apps allow you to really make the device yours with the tools to fit your needs and lifestyle.
Of course, with Windows Phone 7 being a new platform, the app selection isn't quite as robust or strong as iTunes or the Android Market. However, Microsoft says the Windows Phone Marketplace will launch with more than 1,000 apps and games when the first phones ship in the U.S. on November 8, and the company expects to release several hundred apps per week till the end of 2010.
We've already provided you with a preview of some of the Windows Phone 7 apps, but here's a hands-on look at some of the latest apps to hit the Marketplace.
Yelp
Here we have the Yelp application for Windows Phone 7. From the main page, you can search by entering a specific term or business name, or you can select one of the general categories.
Yelp
Yelp
OpenTable
OpenTable
The official Twitter app for Windows Phone 7 is pretty simple. Like all the other apps, it uses the panoramic layout and navigation so you can scroll side to side to see your timeline, mentions, direct messages, and lists.
One thing we'd like to see improved is load times. It takes a few seconds for the timeline to populate, and then when you swipe over to Mentions, you're in for another wait. Same for messages.
Seesmic
Seesmic
Seesmic
Facebook is already tightly integrated into Windows Phone 7. If you attach your Facebook account to your phone during setup, the system will integrate your Facebook friends into the People Hub and Pictures Hub.
That aside, there is also a dedicated Facebook app, which allows you to access more of the social network's features in one place, including event invitations, notifications, and friend requests.
Foursquare
Foursquare
WeatherBug
WeatherBug
WeatherBug
Shazam
Shazam
Fandango
Fandango
Fandango
PicFX
PicFX
PicFX
Last.fm
Earlier we gave you a preview of three music apps for Windows Phone 7, but here's another: Internet radio service, Last.fm.
(Disclosure: Last.fm is a part of CBS Interactive, which also publishes CNET Reviews.)