In contrast to other Android licensees faced with the potential of competing with preferential Motorola treatment (treatment Google denies will occur), Windows Phone licensees are competing with preferential Nokia treatment since only Nokia has the freedom to customizeWindows Phone 7 as it sees fit.
In Windows 8, you can revert to the Windows desktop experience via a tile, and you can further customize the interface with third-party apps which revive the Start experience and return Windows 8 to a 7-like environment.
The Windows Phone 8 start-screen lets you customize and pin Live Tiles with topics of personal interest, providing real-time updates that are uniquely yours.