Windows Mobile 6.5 future in the U.S.
The anticipation for Microsoft's release of Windows Mobile 6.5 is building. Windows Mobile 6.5 devices are on the verge of release (albeit most starting out with Windows Mobile 6.1) and more leaks are surfacing on the new OS. Robbie Bach, President of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, made an interesting comment during his keynote speech at the 2009 CTIA conference.
"We expect all the major operators to continue to support Windows phones going forward. In fact, by this fall, when Windows Mobile 6.5 releases, we'll have over 10 phones available in the U.S. alone, and you'll see that number continue to grow."
So, let's see what we've got so far. The HTC Touch Pro 2 and Touch Diamond 2 are already slated for upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.5. Then there's the Elektrobit Satellite phone as well as the announcement that some existing phones may qualify for upgrade (depending on their current specs) which might throw the HTC Touch Pro, AT&T Fuze, and HTC Touch Diamond into the mix. Whether or not the TG01 will hit the U.S. remains an open question but if you add in the fact that the TG01 just got videoed running 6.5 and it does reach the States, 10 devices in '09 doesn't sound so far-fetched.
On the short end, we know of three new releases that will be Windows Mobile 6.5 phones. So does this mean we are in store for more new Windows Mobile devices later this year? Or does Robbie Bach's "ten phones" include those existing phones that carriers may choose to upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.5? We've yet to hear any rumblings from HP, who cast their support for Windows Mobile earlier this year. Could they be part of the mix with these "10" phones?
Regardless, as we've said before, this year is shaping up to be pretty nice with regards to Windows Mobile.
