So, Microsoft has announced today that the world will witness the first Windows Mobile 6.5 devices on Oct. 6th. The update to Windows Mobile 6 will be carried on numerous devices from different manufacturers, and boasts updated features and better services. But is it going to be enough bolster the flagging mobile OS?
What are the details?
Microsoft is playing its cards pretty close to its chest with this one (surprised?). There haven’t been all that many details release. It has told us that the new phones will be called “Windows Phones” instead of “Windows Mobile phones” – but we knew that already. It has provided us with a massive list of operators and manufacturers that will be involved with launch. It has given us a small overview of some of the new features we’ll be seeing. And that’s about it, really. But here’s what we know so far:
Better UI: using Microsoft Mobile 6 was a bit of a hog, to be honest. I found my HTC Diamond so cumbersome that I switched back to an older model Nokia. Microsoft promises that the new user-interface is much easier to use. No bloody stylus, for one thing.
Better enterprise features: many expected Microsoft to nail the lucrative enterprise mobile market… but it really didn’t. RIM took the lions share of that market. In response, Microsoft is really pushing 6.5 as the operating system for “work and play”. It is promising big upgrades to workday functions like the Adobe reader in its new mobile edition of Internet Explorer, and the entire Microsoft Office suite. It is also pushing that the Outlook Mobile will integrate with your home computer, so you can have full cross-platform access.
New services: up until now we’ve mostly been looking at service tweaks. But the really big updates to 6.5 are from two services that are launching for free at the same time as Windows 6.5. First is the Windows Marketplace – Microsofts answer the iTunes App Store. Windows Marketplace will be the dedicated application hub for all Windows Mobile devices, so for the firs time WinMo fans will actually have a decent app service. The second new service is cloud-based MyPhone – this automatically backs up all pcitures, music, contacts and SMS you receive on your phone to a secure on-line locations. So if you lose your phone, or upgrade your device, you don’t lose a thing.
Better phones? Your guess is as good as mine. Microsoft released a big list of manufacturers who have “committed to expanding their portfolios” with Windows Phones: HP, HTC, LG, Samsung, Toshiba, Acer, Sony Ericsson. What they haven’t done is released ANY details on the phones themselves.
What we think?
Wait a second, wait a second… so the most exciting things about the upgrade don’t actually have anything to do with Windows Mobile 6.5? Windows Marketplace and MyPhone would be launching anyway. The problem is that while MyPhone will work happily with any Windows Mobile OS from 6 upwards, Windows Marketplace will not operate on anything lower than a 6.5. So while people like Android are streaming new services and OS upgrades to their audience FOR FREE, Microsoft is making you buy a new handset to access a service you should have had already. Nice.
So is this upgrade going to help Microsoft at all? I almost hope not. Windows Mobile 6.5 is a stop-gap release, designed to make sure that Windows has at least something to new to compete with between now and Windows Mobile 7. And as a stop-gap measure, it’s not great. It comes across as money-grubbing and a little desperate. Now, maybe the flood of devices it is hinting at will have some really great phones in their. There are some great manufacturers “committed” to Windows Mobile 6.5, so Microsoft should be hoping that some attention-demanding phones hit the shelves.
