Windows Mobile 6.6 Scheduled For February 2010 Release, Says Source
It seems like Microsoft likes to screw things over. I don’t know what the heck is wrong with this company, but it simply enjoys to break the hearts of Windows Mobile users. Although Windows Mobile 6.5 should have given a sales boost, users are choosing the iPhone, Android phones like the Motorola Droid or the Nexus One, and RIM’s BlackBerry smartphones over the WinMo platform. Why? Because Microsoft promised innovative WinMo 6.5 and instead it was caught empty-handed.
Proud owners of a Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone have all reasons to be upset upon hearing the news that Windows Mobile 7 has been delayed until 2010. It is said that WinMo simply cannot work well with innovative technologies like capacitive touchscreens and the Snapdragon processor which, in fact, are not really that new in the business. Probably the best WinMo device out now, the HTC HD2 which features both of the aforementioned, would do better if Microsoft’s mobile platform would be properly optimized.
There are even far worse rumors which say that Windows Mobile 7 will not be supported by most WinMo phones released, but those words are not true at all. The problem is that Windows Mobile is based on a very old WinCE which doesn’t know what to do with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon and with a capacitive touchscreen, but this should become history with WinMo 7. My guess is that multitouch capabilities are coming to the HD2 as soon as WinMo 7 is outed and I’m sure you’d also enjoy this.
Anyway, let’s get back to the point of this article: industry sources are claiming that Microsoft is going to release Windows Mobile 6.6 in February 2010 in order to “compete against the iPhone and Android phones.” Oh really? We’ve heard this one before. We’re not buying it and you shouldn’t buy it too. If I were you I’d say goodbye to Windows Mobile ASAP.
HTC HD2 Running Windows Mobile
via DigiTimes
- THIS POST WAS WRITTEN BY:
- Dragos Pirvu
This is a hack, obviously biased article. WinMo 6.5 does not natively support multitouch, that is true, but it’s all just software, and HTC added some software that allows multitouch on 6.5 for the the HD2. As for “The problem is that Windows Mobile is based on a very old WinCE which doesn’t know what to do with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon…” Sorry, but again the HD2 runs WinMo 6.5 and runs on a Snapdragon. No WinMo phone released before the HD2 will likely support WinMo 7 (officially), but plenty of WinMo phones released in the next 12 months or so WILL be upgradable. 6.5 has a lot of nice interface updates that make it much more finger-friendly than 6.1 or earlier, so progress is definitely being made, and WinMo 7 will be even better. If you want the best Exchange integration around, and more apps than you can count, WinMo is the way to go.
@Aam: Thanks for the comment!
Although your opinion is very different from mine, I really have to say this once again: Windows Mobile 6.5 is crap. It’s the only thing that keeps me from buying the HD2.
I already know that the HD2 features a gorgeous 4.3″ capacitive touchscreen as well as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon, you can read it in the article: “Probably the best WinMo device out now, the HTC HD2 which features both of the aforementioned..” See?
Anyway, there isn’t native multitouch on the HD2. You said it yourself: “HTC added some software that allows multitouch on 6.5 for the the HD2.” WinMo was designed to work with a stylus, and although HTC sells a special stylus, capacitive touchscreens are finger-friendly, not stylus-friendly.
Like said: “The problem is that Windows Mobile is based on a very old WinCE which doesn’t know what to do with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon and with a capacitive touchscreen.” The Snapdragon processor supports 720p video playback as well as 720p video recording, however, WinMo is very limited and the HD2 can only play and record 480p video.
People are beginning to realize how bad Windows Mobile is. I’m sorry for Microsoft. Maybe they concentrated on Windows 7 (for desktops) too much and forgot all about the mobile OS.
You said: “No WinMo phone released before the HD2 will likely support WinMo 7 (officially)” and what would you do if you have just spent hundreds of dollars on a WinMo 6.5 phone and then hear that it won’t be upgradeable to WinMo 7? However, our sources say that 2009-released phone will support WinMo 7 in one way or another, but you never know (those are just rumors).
“6.5 has a lot of nice interface updates that make it much more finger-friendly than 6.1 or earlier, so progress is definitely being made…” Where? It’s a very, very small progress and that’s not enough.
Again, sorry, but WinMo is going down.
“what would you do if you have just spent hundreds of dollars on a WinMo 6.5 phone and then hear that it won’t be upgradeable to WinMo 7?”
I dunno, probably the same thing you’d do if you had just spent hundreds of dollars on a iPhone 3G only to hear that it won’t be upgradeable and now you have to go buy the 3GS.