The biggest concern for WP7 has a lot to do with marketing and convincing buyers that it can be distinctly different from the iPhone or Android devices, Llamas said.

Most of the preview videos of the interface show that WP7 is cleaner than the confusing interface of the Kin, but buyers will also note that WP7 offers a touchscreen of about the same size as an iPhone, with a virtual keyboard that could well be an iPhone's.

The hubs and tiles concept could resonate well as a way to present access to pertinent information right from the home screen, analysts have noted. (The tiles are actually running with real-time information on a home screen, without the need to open a full application, for example.)

Llamas also said that Microsoft will benefit from having its installed corporate base from the Windows desktop and Windows Mobile. That will include WP7's allowing access to corporate e-mail through Exchange and a variety of security protections.

Still, there appear to be many things about WP7 that are similar to other smartphones. "How is WP7 differentiated from Apple and Android and BlackBerry?" Llamas asked. "What space is Microsoft carving out? That is the multibillion-dollar question for Microsoft."