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Windows Mobile 7 penned for Q4 launch

by Parm Mann on 22 January 2010, 11:47

Tags: Windows Phone, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)

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In a mobile market becoming overrun by the competition, Windows Mobile 7 can't come soon enough for Microsoft.

According to the latest rumours, September 2010 will be the month in which the software giant hands over its long-awaited mobile operating system to its bevy of hardware partners, paving the way for retail product launches in Q4 2010 or Q1 2011.

That's according to Chinese newspaper DigiTimes, who cites "sources familiar with Microsoft's roadmap".

In keeping with recent speculation, the unnamed source suggests Microsoft will launch an interim OS - Windows Mobile 6.6 - at next month's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, whilst publicly revealing a launch date for Windows Mobile 7.

Whether or not Windows Mobile 7 will be shown off at the event remains a question mark, but the likes of HTC, Samsung, Toshiba, LG, Acer and ASUS are already said to be working with Microsoft to develop supporting handsets.

Microsoft is believed to be preparing two versions of its mobile OS, targeting both home and business users. In reference to perhaps the home-orientated OS, DigiTimes' sources claim Windows Mobile 7 will feature integration with Microsoft's Zune and Xbox Live entertainment services, with the company's Silverlight technology acting as the delivery mechanism of choice.

Windows Mobile faces an uphill battle, but if the seventh major release can somehow unify Microsoft's plethora of services into one single platform, it could once again become a serious competitor. Expect to know more following next month's MWC.

HEXUS Forums :: 5 Comments

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Posted by Singh400 - Fri 22 Jan 2010 12:10
Seriously? That late? Come on! Microsoft are always playing catch-up :(
Posted by dangel - Fri 22 Jan 2010 12:22
Really? Always?

;)

So Apple weren't late to the mobile market? Google? Palm didn't manage to pull a blinder out of nowhere with the Pre after being marginalised for so long?

IF the product is good, then market share will follow. I think MS are (hopefully) doing the right thing - getting the product good out of the gate. If the rumours are true we've a new CE core coming and on top of that a WPF/silverlight UI which could be extremely powerful and very pretty indeed. Let's wait and see before we write it off completely - MS are perfectly capable of assailing a market when driven enough and they definitely want more mobile mindshare.
Posted by Singh400 - Fri 22 Jan 2010 13:00
dangel
Really? Always?
Past few years, yes. I'm no Microsoft hater, but it does get tiring waiting all the time *cough* ZuneHD *cough*. And now I'm hearing talk of a Zune Phone - don't forget your UK customers Microsoft!

dangel
So Apple weren't late to the mobile market? Google? Palm didn't manage to pull a blinder out of nowhere with the Pre after being marginalised for so long?
Apple weren't late at all. Considering they pretty much made the smartphone market implode (or really bought it to the forefront). And then Android kicked itself up a gear, and is slowly embebbing away at the iPhone share.

dangel
IF the product is good, then market share will follow. I think MS are (hopefully) doing the right thing - getting the product good out of the gate. If the rumours are true we've a new CE core coming and on top of that a WPF/silverlight UI which could be extremely powerful and very pretty indeed. Let's wait and see before we write it off completely - MS are perfectly capable of assailing a market when driven enough and they definitely want more mobile mindshare.
Just feels like when Microsoft finally get around to dishing some WM7 goodness out they are going to find it really hard to get a foothold in the market. People seem to hate WM6, and you just know for one or two years that there is going to be a WM7 hate bandwagon (as we saw with Vista). Which will set them back even more.
Posted by dangel - Fri 22 Jan 2010 13:12
Singh400
Apple weren't late at all. Considering they pretty much made the smartphone market implode (or really bought it to the forefront). And then Android kicked itself up a gear, and is slowly embebbing away at the iPhone share

Apple didn't exist in the mobile space a few years ago, and now they're a big player - that's my point: they were very late indeed to the smartphone table (regardless of the quality of their implementation). And the same is true for Android too and so on.. If MS hit one out the park with WM7 it could have a huge impact - just like anyone else. How have they any less chance of doing so?

As for the more general point about MS: well they've certainly produced some darn good stuff of late - W7, ZuneHD (from what i've read!) included and of course they've made huge inroads into the console market too (which they were very late to as well). But really that's an aside - people underestimate MS all the time..

In honesty i'm not really trying to argue with you - i think we're actually more aligned than is necessarily coming across - but I do think WM7 might be good and i can't wait to get the dev tools to try it..
Posted by scaryjim - Sat 23 Jan 2010 00:07
Singh400
… People seem to hate WM6, and you just know for one or two years that there is going to be a WM7 hate bandwagon (as we saw with Vista) …
People hated Vista… then Windows 7 was incredibly good and everyone flooded back to Windows. If they manage the same quality of product with Mobile 7, there's no reason to expedct a different result - people will go out and buy Windows Mobile phones. Mind you, I won't because I'll still have a big chunk of my current contract to run… ;)