A smartphone is only as good as its ability to make calls. In this video, we show Windows Phone 7 acting as a phone in a variety of ways: making calls, receiving calls, and multitasking while on a call. Remember that the hardware and software shown in this video is not final.

To make a call, you have a few options. You can pin your favorite contacts to your Start screen for easy access, which is probably the best option for people that you call often. Another way to call someone is to simply use the dial pad, although in this build of Windows Phone 7, the quick-dial feature doesn’t work that allows you to spell out someone’s name with the number pad. While in the phone application, you can use your call history to dial someone. And finally, you can always dig through your address book (easily searchable with the Search hardware button) to call a contact.

While on a call, you get a handy notification at the top of the screen that lets you access call functions at any time. Unlike other smartphone operating systems, tapping on the call-in-progress notification brings up an overlay, and not the actual phone application, making it easy to turn on speakerphone, mute the call, and so on.

If you’re interested in Windows Phone 7, be sure to check out the browser comparison, email client comparison, Start screen walkthrough, start up time comparison, digital photography features tour, and text messaging application walkthrough.