The last few months have seen the release of many Windows Mobile devices that have promised to be upgradable to version 6.5 ‘when it becomes available’. All that was known during these months was that it would probably come about later in the year, but now Microsoft has officially announced October 6^th as the launch date for the new phone OS. Users of phones such as the Samsung Omnia II will be able to upgrade to the new version for free on that date and new WinMo phones released from then on will come with the ‘Windows Phone’ branding, an attempt by Microsoft to solidify their market presence.

While Microsoft have a virtual stranglehold on the PC OS market their position in the world of m mobile phones has always been a bit slippery. Many commentators have noted that part of Microsoft’s problem lies in their trying to stick a scaled down PC operating system on a mobile phone when this is what very few people actually want. Windows Mobile 6.5 should demonstrate Microsoft’s first real effort to emulate the features and aesthetics that have proven so lucrative for their competitors.

One such move is the inclusion of Windows Marketplace which is Microsoft’s very own app store. Not much information is available at present about what will be available in the store or how many competitors have been contributing but it will surely be a welcome addition to WinMo. Another feature that Microsoft is keen to show off is My Phone which allows phone users to synchronise their messages, contact lists and photos online where they can either be edited or easily moved to another phone.

While Microsoft has attempted to seduce new users into the world of Windows Mobile by revamping its appearance to make it more user friendly and also optimising it for use with touch sensitive phones, they promise that they haven’t sacrificed any of the business features that are favoured y existing WinMo users.

You can experience Windows Mobile for yourself if you buy a new WinMo phone on or after October 6^th, or if you own phones like the HTC Touch Pro 2 or the HTC Touch Diamond 2 you will be able to upgrade your existing OS on this date.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 at 9:07 am and is filed under Industry News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.