Our predictions were right, Windows Mobile 7 has just been officially announced at Mobile World Congress. We’ve been waiting for it ever since version 6.5 didn’t set the world alight like we hoped. Is it worth the wait?

The core look of the OS has fundamentally changed. Instead of the packed default home screen of Windows Mobile 6.5, Windows Mobile 7 uses what Microsoft calls Live Tiles. These link with the web, or just with your phone, to show you simply as clearly when you have new emails, or calls.

You can even allocate a Live Tile to one of your contacts, so that it alerts you whenever they post a picture or change their status on a social network. For gamers, Windows Mobile 7 also connects with Xbox Live, so you’ll be able to check out your latest achievements and, hopefully, chat with your Xbox Live friends from your mobile.

Windows Mobile 7 home screens are customisable, and there are preset hubs that let you snap to different preset themes quickly. We’ll be back soon with more coverage on Windows Mobile 7, but it looks like Microsoft’s made the step we’ve been waiting a long time for.