Some will have keyboards, he said, while others will be exclusively touch screen. Windows Phone 7 has been in production for two years, and is the culmination of a long effort by Microsoft to assert itself in the smartphone market, which has grown exponentially over the last few years. Smartphones now account for 23 percent of all mobile phones sold in the United States, according to the research firm Nielsen. Apple's iPhone, Google's Android operating system and Research In Motion's BlackBerry have taken the lead in new sales, while Microsoft has lagged behind. Microsoft's earlier mobile software was based on the design and interface of its Windows desktop operating system. Although those phones showed some early promise, their growth slowed drastically when Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007. Windows phone 7 review, Price in india, arrival..

AT&T launching 3 Microsoft-powered phones

Microsoft Corp. will launch three new smart phones with AT&T Inc. ahead of the holiday shopping season. The new phones will run on Microsoft's new mobile software in a test of whether Microsoft can catch up with rivals in the fast-growing smart phone market. T-Mobile also plans a phone running Windows Phone 7 software for the holiday season. The new handsets will go up against both the iPhone and the expanding number of phones running on Google Inc.'s Android operating system. The phones AT&T plans to launch will be manufactured by HTC Corp., LG Electronics Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. The first will go on sale Nov. 8, with two more coming a few weeks later.