Win Phone 7 App Store Being Finalised

Windows Phone 7 is just around the cornerand as we get closer and closer to launch day the final pieces of the store are being put into place. One of the most important pieces, perhaps even the most important piece, is the app store. No modern smartphone OS can get by without an app store and Microsoft has been finalising its Windows Marketplace for the launch.

Microsoft have taken a very pro-active stance when it comes to launching with a good selection of apps, even going so far as to pay developers to code apps for its new platform. Starting from today Microsoft will be sending forth invitations to registered devs asking them if they want to participate in an early submission process. Its estimated that a few thousand devs will be able to gain early access and get their apps published in time for the launch of the handsets, which most now believe will take place in either late October or perhaps early November depending upon region.

Microsoft Press Release:

"There are several app store models out there today, but we’ve been given a unique opportunity to start from scratch and launch a Marketplace with one great year of experience under our belt. As I said earlier, our approach is philosophically the same. But now we know how to do it better. We’re focused on enabling a broad developer community to create quality apps and games that take advantage of the unique features of our phone, and we’re providing better tools and guidance to do it. We continue to keep our certification standards high and our policies transparent, while keeping the door closed to more questionable content. We also continue to improve the speed and predictability of our certification process so developers can more accurately plan."