From warm red lighting to red accents on QR-code signage to red RFID-chip wristbands and checkpoints, Microsoft was definitely trying to bring out the sexy in its new technologies its Los Angeles Windows Phone launch party Wednesday night and last night. At Pier 59 Digital Studios West in Santa Monica, Microsoft welcomed VIP guests, Facebook fans and indie-rock band Mutemath to test drive the latest editions in the Windows Phone lineup as well as new and updated apps. In addition, guests were encouraged to check in on social networks, scan QR codes and swipe RFID checkpoints throughout the event to win prizes, including the new Windows Phone 7.5.
Although the constant smartphone activity kept guests glued to their phones, the event was surprisingly upbeat, abuzz with conversation and excitement. With the goal of putting “people at the center of the phone experience,” Microsoft filled the 27,000-foot, state-of-the-art studio with interactive demos and activities. A Twitter feed ran on a big screen, with live status updates and photos from the event; an entire corner was dedicated to Foursquare; and a pop-up photo booth linked to Facebook let attendees pose with Angry Birds masks, Windows Phone quote bubbles and other miscellaneous props.
Pitting its phones against the heavy app marketing efforts by iPhone and Android (“There’s an App for That” and “Droid Does”, respectively), Microsoft dedicated the four-hour event to pushing Windows Phone’s app potential. Reps at the Zune table – appropriately located by the DJ booth – gave out Zune Music Passes. And people who purchase the HTC Radar 4G at T-Mobile or the Samsung Focus Flash at AT&T will receive a free $25 prepaid app card. The Focus Flash and Samsung Focus S hit markets in early November.
“Windows Phone will help change the way people look at smartphones,” said Andy Lees, president of the Windows Phone Division at Microsoft Corp. “Other phones have you wade through a sea of apps, while we bubble up all the things that are important, centered around the people who matter to you the most.”
Halfway through the technology-loaded night, New Orleans-based Mutemath performed for a packed crowd. Afterward, the 50-something technophiles and hipsters that stuck around started a dance party that kept energy levels high until red hues turned to fluorescent lighting as the event came to a close. From Los Angeles, the Windows Phone crew head north for two nights in San Francisco that end the launch party tour.
Check it out: Want to attend the event and check out the new phones yourself? RSVP on Facebook and get on the list free.
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