Microsoft has included FM radio in its new Windows Phone 7 series, due to hit stores in November.
At an unveiling at a mobile phone show in Barcelona, Spain, Microsoft said its partners have already started building the phones. The company is promising “a fresh approach to phone software.”
The FM radio is included in what the developer is calling the music and video hub, which Microsoft says “brings the best of Zune, including content from a user’s PC, online music services and a built-in FM radio into one simple place that is all about music and video. Users can turn their media experience into a social one with Zune Social on a PC and share their media recommendations with like-minded music lovers.”
Manufacturing the phones are Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC Corp., HP, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm Inc.
Mobile phone companies including the Windows Phone 7 series in their plans are AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless, among others.