| Microsoft confirms Windows Mobile 6.5 |
Nov. 07, 2008
 Microsoft has confirmed that it plans to release Windows Mobile 6.5 next year. Word of the smartphone operating system upgrade came directly from company CEO Steve Ballmer, speaking yesterday at a investor briefing held by Australian carrier Telstra.
Ballmer visited Telstra in Sydney to announce an alliance with Telstra and deliver a speech as part of the carrier's "Investor Day" event. His comments with regard to Windows Mobile came as part of a subsequent Q&A.
Asked about future plans for Windows Mobile, Ballmer responded, "Most of the innovation is in front of us." He added, "with releases we'll make this year, we'll make with Windows Mobile 6.5 next year, [and] Windows Mobile 7, I think we've got a pretty interesting roadmap."
The remarks constitute Microsoft's first official confirmation that there will be a Windows Mobile 6.5 release. Last week, Sanjay Jha, Motorola's co-chief executive officer and CEO of the mobile devices division, mentioned the operating system upgrade for the first time.
"Windows Mobile 6 has not delivered the experience that I think Apple has been able to deliver, but as you look at the plan that is Windows Mobile 7 and even 6.5, I think there are significant new added features which will help the platform," Jha has been quoted as saying. For our previous coverage of Jha's remarks, see here.
Ballmer provided no pecific release date for Windows Mobile 6.5, nor any feature descriptions. Earlier this year, however, Microsoft discussed an interim update to Windows Mobile 6.1 that will allow the operating system's bundled Internet Explorer browser to view web pages full-screen, without menu bars and other "chrome." The browser upgrade -- presumably a key element in Windows Mobile 6.5 -- will also provide Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight support, as well as compatibility with H.264 video, according to the company.
As for Windows Mobile 7, rumored new features have included:- Enhanced input methodologies, including fingers, speech, and use of a camera to sense motion
- A centralized "Skymarket" store for OTA (over-the-air) download of applications
- Possible integration with Microsoft's Zune music marketplace
- Addition of the "sliding panels" interface -- already featured on Windows Mobile Standard devices -- to Windows Mobile Professional touchscreen devices
During his visit to Australia, Ballmer appeared to confirm the existence of Skymarket during a "Power to Developers event," also held in Sydney. Asked about an online application store, he reportedly responded "fear not, we are hard at work and have similar concepts."
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer speaking to Telstra investors
(Click on the image to hear an MP3 audio clip of his remarks about Windows Mobile and Google's Android)
Source: Telstra
In other comments to Telstra investors, Ballmer joked that the U.S. is a "mobile primitive" society, noting that smartphones have significantly higher market share in Australia. Of the approximately 1.2 billion phones sold worldwide this year, approximately 100 million will be smartphones, he added.
Finally, in remarks that have already been widely quoted, Ballmer suggested that Microsoft does not yet see Google's Android smartphone operating system as a serious competitor to Windows Mobile. "They've got some smart guys and hire a lot of people - blah-di-blah-di-blah," he said. "They start out way behind in a certain sense, and we'll see how they do - I'm not giving them a hard time."
"I don't really understand their strategy," Ballmer added. "If I went to my shareholder meetings and my analyst meeting and said, 'Hey, we just launched a new product that has no revenue model' I'm not sure my investors would take that very well, but that's what Google's telling their investors about Android."
Further information
To listen to our exclusive extract from the Ballmer Q&A featuring only his remarks about Windows Mobile and Android, go here [MP3 format]. For a webcast of Telstra's complete "Investor Briefing 2008," including Steve Ballmer's speech and Q&As, see the carrier's website, here.
For ZDNET Australia's coverage of Microsoft's "Power to Developers" event, including a webcast of Steve Ballmer's speech, see here.
For our earlier coverage of Windows Mobile 7, see here.
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