Probably. Microsoft is being a little bit more demanding this time around with what the hardware can be.
Part of what makes Windows Phone 7 Series a departure for Microsoft is that the company is taking a much bigger role in dictating what hardware is allowed to run the OS. While we still haven't seen an actual device produced by a manufacturer for retail (the demo unit being shown off is a prototype slab allegedly made by Garmin-Asus, but not a device that might ever come to market), Microsoft has a very clear picture of what they want these units to be built like. Still, while the company is laying down the ground rules in an attempt to create a more consistent experience across phones, it doesn't mean there won't be variety. You'll see variation in devices (yes, some with and some without a keyboard), but there will be a much more steady tone in the nature of Windows Phone 7 Series handsets. Here's a look at some of the minimum specs detailed to us thus far:
* Large WVGA screen with a single aspect ratio (which means BlackBerry-style devices won't be readily available to begin with)
* Five specific hardware buttons required: Start, back, search (a dedicated Bing button), camera button, and power -- no more, no less
* Capacitive multitouch
* CPU and GPU requirements (beginning with Qualcomm's Snapdragon as the go-to processor)
* WiFi
* AGPS
* Accelerometer
* FM radio
* High resolution camera
Is sprint going to have any winmo 7 phones?