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Several screen shots are making the rounds as of late, purporting to be a leak of what Microsoft will unveil to the world next month in Barcelona at the GSMA World Congress.  The shots show a new home screen, browser improvements, and a new way for touch screens to navigate through Windows icons.  Don’t believe it.

While Microsoft could learn a thing or two about keeping secrets from Apple, I don’t believe these screen shots are real.  I hold that it is far more likely some punk with Photoshop is having its way with the blogging media.  There are a few points that make this case for me.

For starters, the quality is sub par, even for Windows Mobile.  The jagged edges of buttons while existent in 6.1, surely isn’t this pronounced.  Surely they have some artsy type individual up in Redmond?

Next up is the home screen above.  See the Peacock’s right eye?  Nothing sticks up over the top information bar, ever in any of the past iterations.  That bar is like the sacred cow for MS, as that info is critical to using the device.  I say no way the Windows Mobile team decided this info could be overshadowed by some freaky zoo animal.  Take that peacocks: JG: 1, Peacock: 2 (long story).

It is possible this is a very, very early ROM leak but this looks home brewed to me.  I suspect the end product will take a Zune-like software approach and that could be good for Windows Mobile, no real secret there.  The Windows Explorer browser certainly needs a lot more help, so adding buttons a la the iPhone isn’t much of a leap either.

Either way we’ll know in a couple of weeks for sure.  You know Gadgetell will be watching.

More photos: [Mobility Site]