Microsoft's minimum specs for handsets looking to run Windows Phone 7 were, at the time of the platform's release, considered competitive.

The months that have passed have naturally seen rival handsets push the performance bar higher, however, and eager eyed viewers of the firm's presentations at its recent MIX11 conference in Las Vegas have spotted that Microsoft has decided to follow suit.

Snapping up Snapdragon

The latest version of the WP7 chassis names Qualcomm's MSM7x30 and MSM8x55 Snapdragon chips as the minimum CPUs the platform now supports.

Current handsets sport Qualcomm's MSM8x50 Snapdragon – the firm's original 1GHz chip that features the Adreno 200 GPU.

Both the MSM7x30 and MSM8x55 CPUs – billed as second generation Snapdragons – come with the Adreno 205 GPU, which offers more power than its predecessor.

Sense and sensorbility

As Engadget reports, the MSM8x55 has already seen release in both Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play and the HTC Thunderbolt, while the MSM7x30 is equipped inside T-Mobile's G2.

Microsoft has also made provisions for an optional gyroscope.

The news follows upon the back of renewed efforts by the firm to grant developers greater access to the platform's sensors, set to be delivered in its next major update, Mango.



[source: MobileTechWorld]