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Windows Mobile 6.5 officially launches Oct 6, is bringing Marketplace, My Phone with it

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 1, 2009 by Phil Nickinson
 
Filed Under: News; Tags: wm65, windows mobile 6.5, windows marketplace for mobile, marketplace

Windows Marketplace for MobileWindows Marketplace for Mobile

Ladies and gentlemen, the wait for Windows Mobile 6.5 is nearly over. In a blog post, Windows Mobile GM Stephanie Ferguson trumpets the merits of Windows Mobile 6.5 and says we'll see a slew of new Windows phones on Oct. 6. And long for the ride is Windows Marketplace for Mobile. [Windows Mobile Team blog]

You’ll see new Windows phones designed for a variety of tastes, needs and price points - with or without keyboards, with or without touch screens, as well as your choice of GPS, accelerometer and high resolution camera. There are a lot of great options and we can’t wait to show them to you. Until then, keep an eye on our partners as they announce details on new Windows phones and where you can find them this fall.

The blog post all but says that Windows Mobile 6.5 and Marketplace launch on Oct. 6, but Microsoft PR confirms. That's the day for both, and it looks like My Phone will be taken out of beta for good measure.

Our big question involves reaction from the carriers and manufacturers, which Microsoft names in the post. Will Windows Mobile 6.5 be available for any phones on that date? Will we see new phones released with WinMo 6.5? CNet's Ina Fried notes that Microsoft's Robbie Bach is throwing a "consumer open house" on Oct. 6 in New York City, so there may well be something afoot.

To see Microsoft, carriers and manufacturers working in concert — now that would be a big deal. Stay tuned. Our fat fingers are sending out a flurry of inquiries.

 
 

Comments

it will be available in phones on Oct 6 according to the official press release. Take a read of the excerpts fromt he official press release: http://www.fuzemobility.com/windows-mobile-65-and-marketplace-available-...
"Microsoft Corp. today announced that Windows phones will be widely available at retail stores worldwide on Oct. 6, 2009. The new phones will be the first to feature Windows Mobile 6.5, the latest version of Microsoft’s mobile phone software, and will deliver new customer experiences through an improved, easy-to-use user interface, better browsing capabilities and access to valuable services, including Windows Marketplace for Mobile and Microsoft My Phone."

Submitted by DavidK (not verified) on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 10:12.
Yeah, it just parses Stephanie Ferguson's blog post. But there are plenty of Windows phones "widely available" today. We want to know which ones will have 6.5 on them come Oct. 6. There's not a whole lot of meat coming out of Microsoft right now.
Submitted by Phil Nickinson on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 10:21.

Hallelujah!

Submitted by Jeff (not verified) on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 10:12.

I would bet on the AT&T TP2 (aka TILT2) being available on the that day as well. At least I would hope that the Launch would be then or before. http://www.windpuddingandairsauce.com/index.php/2009/09/01/htc-touch-pro...

Submitted by NH3MAN (not verified) on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 10:19.

Could this be the case with VZW also? It's known they are going to release the TP2 soon also, but as yet I have not heard of a firm release date.

Submitted by Berrydale on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 10:42.

I have an Omnia running WM 6.1... It's a really, really awful user experience. I kind of hoped, no expected, that we'd be able to upgrade to WM 6.5, but I hear that's not gonna happen for whatever reason. This Omnia is my first and my last WM phone - it's already in the draw....

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 10:39.

Hey why dont you head on to http://www.modaco.com/category/405/i910-specific-omnia-rom-discussion/ and read the first post. Follow the instructions and I recommend Bgill55's ROM. That is 6.51 and your Omnia will be like a new phone :D

Submitted by Argenys (not verified) on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 13:30.

Verizon insults it's users all the time by locking the phones down to only letting you do what they have deemed you worthy to have. If you're a power phone user, what are you doing on Verizon in the first place?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 08:33.

I, too, have the Omnia WM 6.1- It is awful, but it seems to be one of the better screen keyboards when the spb keyboard is added. For it not be upgradable to 6.5 is a disgrace and an insult to Verizon users tied to a 2 year agreement.

Submitted by Anonymous, too (not verified) on Thu, 09/03/2009 - 14:15.

I just recently purchased the Touch Pro2. Will WinMo 6.5 be available as an upgrade?

Submitted by iamwalker (not verified) on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 10:43.

apparently it won't, unlike the iPhone and Android phones which can be upgraded. For all of us who bought WM phones with 6.1, we'll have to buy a new phone to enjoy the Zune-like experience of 6.5.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 10:53.

Yes, HTC has already said the TP2 will be given an upgrade to WinMO 6.5, for free.

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/93256/htc-will-be-offering-a-w...

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 11:06.
lol. Sounds familiar.
Submitted by Phil Nickinson on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 11:13.

WM 6.5 is not going to be a Zune-like experience. Surely not like the Zune HD at least. It will look nicer than 6.1, be more finger friendly, and the Today Screen is pretty cool. Beyond that it will function a lot like 6.1 so high expectations are bound to be disappointed.

Submitted by Cascade on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 11:23.

And I take it you actually used 6.5?

Submitted by Anonymouse (not verified) on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 11:41.

I've used WM 6.5 on my original HTC Touch, and now I'm running 6.1 on my Touch Pro 2. To be honest, I'm not missing 6.5 all that much thanks to the excellent job HTC did with the Manilla customizations.

There are a *few* things that bug me about Manilla and I'll rethink that stance once 6.5 is available for my *current* device, be that from HTC or XDA.

Here's hoping and wishing that Telus brings me that 6.5 goodness sooner than later.

Submitted by gregorypleau on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 13:14.

Could you tell me how to load windows 6.5 on my htc touch hd -(I'm running 6.1)

Thank you

Sasha

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/18/2009 - 14:27.

Yes, actually. Not the version that will likely be available on 10/6 as nobody is really sure what version that will be, but they're just not changing a lot and have said as much on the record numerous times. It's nicer in some ways and not so much in others. Personally I'd like the new Today Screen with the old Start Menu as an option. It's much more productive than the page of icons. Much of it will be user opinion just like anything else.

Submitted by Cascade on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 16:19.

Mr Anonymous sounds like a FUD spreader. Did you not know what you were buying before you bought the Omnia? And as for the second anon post HTC has already stated their unbranded Touch Pro 2 and Diamond 2 WILL receive an upgrade to WM 6.5. Carrier branded devices will be upgraded at the discretion of the respective carrier. The new Omnia II and Omnia Pro will also receive upgrades, as will devices from several other manufacturers. You will likely NOT have to buy a new phone to get 6.5 if you own a Touch Pro 2.

Submitted by theefman on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 11:06.

It's no FUD spreading. I also bought an Omnia after doing a lot of research (not enough apparently). I was appalled by the level of WM's anachronism. It seems it was the first and last WM phone for me too. I might give WM another chance when MS will get it together and create consistent and usable OS. But it seems it won't happen soon. Surely not with WM 6.5 which is yet another attempt to put a new makeup on same old OS.

Submitted by manual_ (not verified) on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 04:58.

no, no FUD here. My Omnia will not be upgraded to 6.5 - some others might. I did a lot of research for that phone too and got it because of the great array of features compared with the iPhone of the day. Little did I know it would be almost unusable because of the horrendous OS and made obsolete before it was even a year old.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 06:03.

You did a lot of research you say and yet you didn't know a thing about 6.1? Glad you don't work in my research department then!! What a joke!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 10:33.

for the record, i have an Omnia with verizon and i have 6.5 :)
and its MUCCCHHH better now! :)

http://www.modaco.com/content/i910-specific-omnia-rom-discussion/290345/...

Submitted by aleis1 (not verified) on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 11:15.

Windows mobile doesn't support more than 65,000 colors hence the reason it looks so ugly. I had Winmo on my last phone and it was good for text and email but nothing else.

Submitted by Cellphones Guru (not verified) on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 20:38.

You sad little man!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 10:34.

will there be an available upgrade for the samsung jack?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 15:38.

HTC Touch Pro 2

Submitted by Leigh (not verified) on Fri, 09/25/2009 - 01:29.

65535 colors is a biggggg problem?! Gimmie a break! What is this guy smoking? I know the limitation has much more to do with Art than the 16 bit limit.

What you need to understand is that regrettably, MS is stuck with all the old phones on the market so they cannot upgrade the operating system too quickly. They want to remain compatible.

This will all end with WM 7 comes out, but as they have said, WM 6.5 and WM 7 will both be necessary until all the old phones are upgraded.

And just for your information, it is the carrier's cruddy ROMs that hold the phone back more than anything else. They are so busy collecting profits for themselves and screwing up the phones, they don't have time to make a decent ROM.

It it were not for the XDA guys, WM would not be half what it is for me now.

I still run my 2 year old Tilt, and I am patiently waiting for the Rhodium/Touch Pro 2 to hit AT&T, called the Tilt2.

....not too long to wait now....

And by the way, I don't care if it has a 3.5mm jack or not. Cables are for wimps! Get BT and get free of that damn cable!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/04/2009 - 19:05.

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