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Windows Mobile 6.5 new features?  Moto chief points to future

by JG Mason on Oct 30, 2008 at 01:29 PM
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Sanjay Jha, Motorola’s co-Chief executive and chief executive of mobile devices says we’ll see a Windows Mobile 6.5 device by the 2nd half of 2009.  This is the first mention of 6.5 that I am aware of and points to a half step before WinMo 7 which we’ve been waiting for to at least stay competitive with the likes of Apple and RIM.

“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 said.

Significant new added features in 6.5 huh?  Hmmmm.  Here is Gadgetell’s best guess at what that means:

  • Improved Internet Explorer browser.  Anyone who has tried Apple’s Safari on the iPhone knows how this should be done.  Effortless panning, instant zooms, simple commands.  Owning a Windows Mobile phone, I refuse to use IE, even if my life depended on it.

  • Improved menu tree.  Finding settings has to be easier on a smaller screen than on a desktop right?  A new version of Windows Mobile can make this so much easier than currently composed.

  • Integrated Windows Live.  From what we saw at last years keynote at CES, MS has big plans to bring Windows Mobile as part of the overall MS experience with MS Live.  So far, I’ve been unimpressed will mobile integration improve this take?

  • Improved functionality for MS Office applications.  If I prefer to use my iPod touch to view Word and Excel documents, that tells you something right there.  This whole business of zooming and panning has to improve on Windows Mobile phones to make this feature even usable in my eyes, much less my older co-workers.

  • Improved graphics.  Sounds dumb and petty, but dang, it is possible to make a good looking OS.  Windows Mobile 6.1 brought more usability to MS phones but they don’t have to look like something made using Word’s drawing tools.

    A big thanks to Motorola’s Jha for giving us hope that Windows Mobile isn’t satisfied letting HTC re-skin their hard work.  These upgrades are things that should be “easy” to make a 6.5 without radical design to merit a 7.0.  What do you think?  Did we miss any?

    Read [PC Mag]

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