As for specifications, there’s little public knowledge out there about the handset. A slide-out QWERTY keyboard and large touchscreen are obvious, as are the standard WP7 buttons – back, home and search – but LG have also added in camera, power and volume keys. The camera is a 5-megapixel unit with flash, and there’s a 3.5mm headphone socket too.

With regards what’s going on inside, we’re presuming Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon chipset is providing the grunt. According to recent rumors, LG are tipped to be commercially releasing their first Windows Phone 7 device in September 2010.

[via Windows Phone Forums]

As for Chassis 2, such handsets were compared to Palm Treo devices since they incorporate both hardware keyboards and touchscreens.  It’s an odd comparison, though, as in a MWC 2010 prebrief with Microsoft they pointed out that their screen aspect/size rules might preclude certain candybar layouts.

Chassis 3 was left undetailed, though there was speculation that they could be candybar in format.  We’ll find out more, hopefully, at the MIX 2010 conference in March, where Microsoft have said they’ll be telling developers more about what hardware specifications they can expect to run their apps on.

[via Windows Phone Forums]

Like the Zune HD, WP7 uses XNA, along with both the .NET Compact Framework and Microsoft’s own Silverlight Flash-alternative.  Microsoft also intend to be a whole lot more controlling as to what they let through onto the smartphones: developers will have access to a limited selection of managed APIs, and have to apply to use the native APIs if they find that provision insufficient.  Functionality like accessing the camera will be permitted from the managed APIs, however, so it’s possible that developers will be able to recreate their titles without needing to go through that secondary assessment process.

Each app will run in an isolated sandbox, but independent software vendors (ISVs) will have lesser access to functionality than OEMs and mobile operators (MOs).  It’s a far cry from the relative free-for-all of previous versions, and starting to look a lot more like Apple’s approach to the iPhone OS, frankly.

[via Engadget]

From first glance, there’s a full-screen feature for particular games and applications, and the initial two, somewhat cryptic lexis, Contoso and Fabrikam, are apparent placeholders for Microsoft, made-up company monikers employed, as evinced by, ironically,  a Google search.

The Marketplace is then split into its component UI elements, with apps, games, music and podcasts allowing you into their respective categories.

[via Pocket Now]

The chart detailing U.S. platform share, represents both existing devices as well as new sales during each period., brought to us by Silicon Alley Insider.  Microsoft has lost much of its market share and almost all of its relevance; RIM’s army of BlackBerries and Apple’s legion of iPhones have become the dominant forces jockeying for position in the mobile smartphone arena.

Windows needs a serious boost in its mobile market, and Microsoft knows it, completely revamping its mobile platform and outing Windows Phone 7.  Will it regain its glory, and more crucially, its marketshare?  It depends on a lot of variables, strecthing from hardware choice, pricing, app platform, and carrier selection.  Time will only tell if Microsoft can climb up the very hill it fell from.

Both have a long history of working with Microsoft on smartphones – Orange launching the first model in 2002, and AT&T theirs a year later – though their exact role as “valued partners” wasn’t made particularly clear. Still, it seems one particular push will be for entry-level pricing; Olaf Swantee, SVP of Personal Business for Orange, described Windows Phone 7 as an opportunity to promote mobile data access to a segment that so-far has proved relatively uninterested. According to Swantee, “only 25-percent of our customers today properly access the mobile internet … with Windows Phone 7 we can democratise the smartphone”.

There are also hints of future strategy, though you have to read a little between the lines. AT&T’s representative on-stage, David Christopher, is not only responsible for choosing handsets for the carrier but for the AT&T U-Verse Digital TV service; later, Ballmer described the cellphone as one of the “three screens and a cloud”, and emphasised that “exciting things are happening in the TV sphere” including the potential for integration with mobile devices. With Zune, Xbox, Bing, IE, Office and more onboard with Windows Phone 7, it wouldn’t be too great a stretch to include Windows Media Center functionality in that list too.

Looking for hands-on details of Windows Phone 7?  Check out our first-impressions post.

Windows Phone 7 UI demo:

Windows Phone 7 UI demo 2:

Windows Phone 7 ASUS prototype hands-on:

There are no handsets debuting today – though HTC, Dell and Qualcomm are among the manufacturers onboard – and all of the demo devices are unbranded, generic models specially built by ASUS.  Still, they’re a decent example of what we can expect: a large, multitouch-friendly capacitive touchscreen with a glass front, three front-panel buttons (back, Start and search), GPS and a rear-mounted camera.  They also have a front-facing camera, though there won’t apparently be support for it natively in Windows Phone 7, and OEMs are limited to what hardware controls they can add; it’s pretty much down to volume buttons, camera shortcut and power.

What Microsoft aren’t talking about is some of the other rumors we’ve heard: talk of no multitasking was met with stony silence (though they did confirm that you’ll be able to play music in the background while doing other tasks), as was any timescale for Flash support, though Adobe have confirmed they’re working on it.  In fact the focus at the show has been showing off the Windows Phone 7 UI, apparently the work of 12 months and a new team including alumni from Nike’s design department.  Since users will be stuck with it, thankfully it’s a pretty slick system; design team member Albert Shum described it as focusing on “content not chrome”, and certainly there’s less unnecessary detailing than you’d find on other platforms (or indeed earlier Windows Mobile versions).  It’s based on the same premise as the Zune HD UI, with strong typography and slick animations – in fact Microsoft employed motion specialists to work on transitions – adding up to something the company hopes is clean, light, open and fast.  They’re describing it as “Authentically Digital”; that is, recognizing that a Windows Phone 7 device is an electronic one, and searching for aesthetics in purity of purpose.

Windows Phone 7 Series hands-on video:

The on-screen Start button has been retired, and the hardware Windows flag now takes you directly to a blocky homescreen.  Each app on the screen is dynamically represented, pulling in the user’s content and constantly shifting; the gallery icon, for instance, transitions through recent shots from the camera.  Microsoft contrasted it to the iPhone OS, where the extent of user app customization is rearranging the icon layout on their homescreen; Windows Phone 7, meanwhile, pushes up constant reminders of the user’s content.  Swiping to the right, however, gives instant access to the entire app list, again something prompted by user requests for easier access.  Microsoft have created six “hubs” – People, Pictures, Games, Music + Video, Marketplace and Office – which collate similarly themed content.  So, the Music + Video hub resembles the Zune HD UI, and if you install a media plugin, such as Pandora (which Microsoft also announced today), it will integrate in here.  The Games hub links in with a user’s Xbox Profile, and you can modify your profile, view those of others, and play games (though Microsoft haven’t announced a list of titles yet).  The People hub pulls in updates from across the phone and various linked services – though we only saw Windows Live and Facebook mentioned – and you can post your own updates and read those of others.

Across each hub is a consistent UI, with large text running across the top showing what element of the hub you’re in – unread, new and flagged emails, for instance – which Microsoft refer to as Pivots.  Swiping across that line flicks between the views.  At the bottom of the screen there are a few contextual buttons – such as trash, next/previous message and reply in messaging – and tapping to either side of them pulls up a more comprehensive menu.  Where there’s a list – such as in messaging – where you might want to select multiple items, tapping to the left expands checkboxes.  Search is generally via Bing, though there’s no global search; instead, hitting the search button in each app triggers a local search.  There’s also support for multiple calendars, including multiple Exchange calendars, with each color-coded.

Microsoft are retiring not only their “Windows Mobile” nomenclature but ActiveSync and any other desktop sync app they’ve used in the past.  Instead, the Zune desktop manager software is being rolled-out worldwide, and that will be used to sync Windows Phone 7 devices.  Both wired and WiFi sync will be possible, which is long-overdue.

Confirmed carrier partners includes AT&T, Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange, SFR, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telstra, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone, while manufacturers Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC, HP, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm are on-board.  Those partners won’t be able to change the onscreen QWERTY keyboard – which is one of seven layouts (including numeric) Microsoft have developed – but they will be able to add on a hardware QWERTY.  For the moment, since Microsoft have screen aspect ratio specifications, they’ll have to be landscape rather than portrait QWERTY devices, too.  In the display units Microsoft showed us, the accelerometer wasn’t working properly, but final devices will flip automatically between portrait and landscape on-screen keyboard layouts.

We had a chance to try out some of the prototypes – though not take photos or video yet – earlier on today, and first impressions are reasonably positive.  Microsoft were at pains to point out that it’s still an in-development build, and indeed we saw various bugs and slow-downs.  Often these would take place when opening an app, with data being pulled in but no on-screen indication of that taking place nor its progress.  The touchscreen on the development device seemed responsive, as was the onscreen keyboard, and the animations are smooth.  The browser supports pinch-zoom and will eventually reflow text on a double-tap.

Windows Phone 7 UI Demo:

Press Release:

Microsoft Unveils Windows Phone 7 Series

New phones designed for life in motion to debut at holiday 2010.

BARCELONA, Spain – Feb. 15, 2010 – Today at Mobile World Congress 2010, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled the next generation of Windows® Phones, Windows Phone 7 Series. With this new platform, Microsoft offers a fresh approach to phone software, distinguished by smart design and truly integrated experiences that bring to the surface the content people care about from the Web and applications. For the first time ever, Microsoft will bring together Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music and video experience on a mobile phone, exclusively on Windows Phone 7 Series. Partners have already started building phones; customers will be able to purchase the first phones in stores by holiday 2010.
“Today, I’m proud to introduce Windows Phone 7 Series, the next generation of Windows Phones,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer at Microsoft. “In a crowded market filled with phones that look the same and do the same things, I challenged the team to deliver a different kind of mobile experience. We believe Windows Phone 7 Series is a phone that truly reflects the speed of people’s lives and their need to connect to other people.”

Designed for Life in Motion
With Windows Phone 7 Series, Microsoft takes a fundamentally different approach to phone software. Smart design begins with a new, holistic design system that informs every aspect of the phone, from its visually appealing layout and motion to its function and hardware integration. On the Start screen, dynamically updated “live tiles” show users real-time content directly, breaking the mold of static icons that serve as an intermediate step on the way to an application. Create a tile of a friend, and the user gains a readable, up-to-date view of a friend’s latest pictures and posts, just by glancing at Start.
Every Windows Phone 7 Series phone will come with a dedicated hardware button for Bing, providing one-click access to search from anywhere on the phone, while a special implementation of Bing search provides intent-specific results, delivering the most relevant Web or local results, depending on the type of query.
Windows Phone 7 Series creates an unrivaled set of integrated experiences on a phone through Windows Phone hubs. Hubs bring together related content from the Web, applications and services into a single view to simplify common tasks. Windows Phone 7 Series includes six hubs built on specific themes reflecting activities that matter most to people:
* People. This hub delivers an engaging social experience by bringing together relevant content based on the person, including his or her live feeds from social networks and photos. It also provides a central place from which to post updates to Facebook and Windows Live in one step.
*Pictures. This hub makes it easy to share pictures and video to a social network in one step. Windows Phone 7 Series also brings together a user’s photos by integrating with the Web and PC, making the phone the ideal place to view a person’s entire picture and video collection.

* Games. This hub delivers the first and only official Xbox LIVE experience on a phone, including Xbox LIVE games, Spotlight feed and the ability to see a gamer’s avatar, Achievements and gamer profile. With more than 23 million active members around the world, Xbox LIVE unlocks a world of friends, games and entertainment on Xbox 360, and now also on Windows Phone 7 Series.
* Music + Video. This hub creates an incredible media experience that brings the best of Zune, including content from a user’s PC, online music services and even a built-in FM radio into one simple place that is all about music and video. Users can turn their media experience into a social one with Zune Social on a PC and share their media recommendations with like-minded music lovers. The playback experience is rich and easy to navigate, and immerses the listener in the content.
* Marketplace. This hub allows the user to easily discover and load the phone with certified applications and games.
* Office. This hub brings the familiar experience of the world’s leading productivity software to the Windows Phone. With access to Office, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace all in one place, users can easily read, edit and share documents. With the additional power of Outlook Mobile, users stay productive and up to date while on the go.

Availability
Partners from around the world have committed to include Windows Phone 7 Series in their portfolio plans. They include mobile operators AT&T, Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange, SFR, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telstra, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone, and manufacturers Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC Corp., HP, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm Inc. The first phones will be available by holiday 2010. Customers who would like to receive additional information about Windows Phone 7 Series and be notified when it is available can register at http://www.windowsphone7series.com.
To watch the full replay of Steve Ballmer’s press conference at Mobile World Congress, and to experience Windows Phone 7 Series through an online product demo, readers can visit http://www.microsoft.com/news/windowsphone.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

The assumption is that they’re referring to Windows Mobile 7, rather than WinMo 6.5.3 which has been recently revealed on devices like the Sony Ericsson Aspen.  The advert falls short of describing any new functionality being tested, however it does describe a greater context which Microsoft expect MyPhone to pave the way for:

“The My Phone service is the initial release in a bigger vision to combine these two critical areas into a compelling customer experience, enhancing the Windows Phone platform with powerful web integration scenarios around data protection, device management, social networking, location awareness, ease of use, integration with partner services, and much more.” Microsoft job advert

The timescales involved also seem to suggest that we won’t see a new version of MyPhone rolled out until Windows Mobile 7 drops, something not expected until the end of 2010.  Last we heard, Microsoft were planning a significant overhaul to their smartphone platform, with Zune and Xbox integration but the removal of some of the more complex functionality (such as multitasking); a comprehensive cloud-based counterpart would seem an obvious partner for such a device.

[via WMPowerUser]

As we’ve heard rumored, there’s a lot borrowed from the Zune platform injected into Windows Phone 7.  The smartphone UI – apparently codenamed “METRO” – looks much like that of the Zune HD we’re told, with a fresh new Start screen; it’s described variously as “very clean”, “soulful” and “alive”.  Hopefully it really will be, since third-party or OEM UIs are apparently not to be permitted; that means no HTC Sense and no other apps such as SPB Mobile Shell.

What we do get, we’re told, is full Zune integration, with the Zune desktop software taking the place of Windows Mobile Device Center when it comes to synchronizing and other matters.  There’s also full Xbox gaming integration, with on-device access to gamer tags, achievements, friends, avatars and merchandising, together with “full support” for social networking; we’re guessing the latter means integration of things like Facebook friends with the native address book.

What there won’t be is Flash – apparently a casualty of the timescale, but which sounds like it will be following on after the initial launch – nor NetCF backwards compatibility; that means no backward compatibility for existing applications, which is unlikely to impress Windows Mobile developers.  Windows Marketplace for Mobile will support “try before you buy” as well as an API, which is handy since Microsoft have apparently also removed the ability to side-load applications.  Apps can only be installed through service-based delivery, not loaded from a memory card.  Another casualty – bizarre if true – is multitasking, with Microsoft playing the iPhone OS game and “pausing” apps in the background; push notifications will have to suffice for any necessary updates while they don’t have focus.

Finally, there’s a launch window tipped, with Microsoft apparently expecting to have devices ready by September 2010.  Now it’s worth repeating that none of this has been confirmed in any way by Microsoft themselves, and we’ll have to wait for official word before we know what’s actually going on.  It sounds, just from reading through the various leaked details, more like Microsoft’s much-rumored consumer platform – known previously as Project Pink – rather than their next-gen Windows Mobile 7 OS; that would certainly be a better fit for a more locked-down, Microsoft-branded experience.  If it actually does turn out to be true, it seems Microsoft have sacrificed much of what makes Windows Mobile flexible in an attempt to better manage the OS’ unruly reputation.

Spanish tech site MuyComptuer reports that the Zune Phone will launch at MWC this month. The publication claims that the rumor is 100% confirmed and that the device will be using NVIDIA Tegra inside.

Gizmodo reckons that if the Spanish publications say the rumor is 100% confirmed, it is. The Zune Phone is said to have a 480 x 272 screen, HDMI out, and weigh about 2.45 ounces and run Windows Mobile 7. The WinMo 7 OS has previously been rumored to debut at MWC this month and the Zune Phone would make a great flagship device for the launch.

“NDA dictates I keep this vague. For a leading cell platform I created UX flows of common controls and usages. After client review I created flash demos. Those demo’s were then reviewed and passed on to SectionSeven development to create interactive prototypes. This process allowed for very efficient UX development.” Jeremiah Whitaker

Of particular interest are two of the gestures shown in the middle column above, which seem to indicate that Windows Mobile 7 will have native support for multitouch; in this case, pinch-zoom.  Until now the only WinMo device to support multitouch has been the HTC HD2, and that was only because HTC themselves whipped up the code to support it.

Microsoft have confirmed that Windows Mobile 7 – in some form – will be shown off at Mobile World Congress 2010 in a couple of weeks time, though we’re not yet clear on what exactly they’ll be demonstrating.  The company are also tipped to be bringing along a consumer range, part of their Project Pink, though they’ve not publicly acknowledged that.

[via the::unwired]

Photos have turned up that show an old i-mate JASJAR smartphone apparently running WinMo 7 at 640 x 480. If the photo is the real deal, it must not take much to run the new OS. New minimum specs have now surfaced.

The minimum specs are at least 128MB of RAM, but 256MB is recommended. Minimum ROM is 512MB and the CPU needs to be at least a 600MHz ARM v6+. A 3.6-inch display is not required and WVGA resolution is not required. Also not required to run the OS, but recommended, is a compass and an accelerometer. Now for the real rub here, that i-mate handset pictured above said to be running WinMo 7 doesn’t meet those requirements so either the photo is a fake or the minimum specs are wrong again.

Separate from the oft-speculated Zune phone, Microsoft’s consumer handset(s) would represent the next stage of Sidekick-style devices, and stem from the company’s acquisition of Danger.  Windows Mobile 7 handsets are expected to go on sale before the end of 2010, which probably puts whatever “Pink” phones Microsoft have in mind in the fourth-quarter.

While Microsoft have declined to comment on either WM7 or a consumer device range at MWC 2010, they have conceded that they’ll be running programming seminars at MIX 10 in March.  These will help developers get up to speed with the next major iteration of Windows Mobile, which promises to mark a reasonably significant break with earlier releases.

Talk of the HD2 being the only current-model handset from HTC’s range to be in line for a Windows Mobile 7 update has proliferated over the past few months.  However it now looks possible that only the updated, faster HD2 might be in line for that update; the original version doesn’t meet the unofficial Microsoft specifications for a WM7 device, which calls for at least 1GB of ROM.

Now that doesn’t mean anything conclusive – and indeed it doesn’t mean the T-Mobile USA HD2 will be getting WM7 either – but it’s a potential disappointment to European early-adopters nonetheless.  According to HTC’s site, US buyers will also get a 16GB microSD card, rather than the 2GB card supplied as standard in Europe.

[via WMPowerUser]

The Diamond3 will apparently be released on AT&T and T-Mobile in the USA, though contrary to previous launches there’ll be no CDMA version.  That’s supposedly the end-result of mediocre sales of earlier CDMA versions on Verizon and Sprint.

Initial release expectations were as early as June 2010, but Windows Mobile 7′s delayed release means the Diamond3 is unlikely to make an appearance until Q4 2010 at the earliest.  Full (rumored) specifications below.

• CPU: Qualcomm QSD8250; 1GHz
• GSM HSDPA
• Device Size: 112 x 56 x 11.7 mm
• Memory (RAM/ROM): 512MB/512MB
• Internal Storage: 4GB
• External Storage: MicroSD (up to 32GB)
• Screen Size/Type: 3.7-inch capacitive AMOLED “Multitouch Supported”
• Camera: 5.0 Megapixel AF with flash; HD 720p video@ 25fps
• Video Support: Windows Media Video (WMV), MPEG-4 (MP4/M4V) H.264, DVR-MS4
• Audio Support: Windows Media Audio (WMA), Advanced Audio Coding (AAC-LC), FairPlay DRM, MP3 (.mp3)
• Battery: Removable 1230 mAh
• Talk Time: Up to 10 hours
• Standby Time: 240 hours
• Internet Use: 6 hours (3G), 7.5 hours (WiFi)
• Video Playback: 7 hours
• Audio Playback: 24 hours

That’s earlier than some previous estimates had suggested, but the sources have an explanation for that, too.  Microsoft’s initial WM7 release will only cover English or “common European” languages, with the Asian build not expected until 2011; that staggered launch has, they reckon, led to incorrect assumptions that Microsoft’s overall roadmap is delayed.

Two early Windows Mobile 7 devices currently in development are apparently the HTC Obsession and LG Apollo, though of course the companies themselves aren’t confirming anything.  Samsung, Toshiba, ASUS and Acer are also expected to launch WM7 devices.  Meanwhile Microsoft are also rumored to be considering launching their own Pink project phone at MWC 2010, produced by their in-house Danger team.

A post over at WMExperts essentially summarizes the knowledge points from a variety of sources, and here are some of the major bits.  Windows Mobile 7 won’t be marketed as Windows Mobile 7, but as “Seven”.  There will be multiple versions of the OS; one for OEMs and businesses, referred to as Business Edition, and a media-oriented version for consumers, tentatively named Media Edition.

We probably won’t get a full Seven experience at MWC though, although we’ll get a glimpse of HD video playback and a media interface similar to the the Zune experience. But the spiciest part of this whole matter, though, is the rumored Seven launch hardware from LG and HTC.  WMExperts reports both have 1GHz+ Snapdragon processors, 3.7-inch AMOLED screens, and 512MB to 1GB of RAM.  Much more impressive than current Windows mobile offerings, but not as ground-breaking as we’d like, considering all the recently released/announced counterparts in the Android world.

As you might expect, Microsoft themselves aren’t saying anything conclusive about either their show plans or their launch-schedule for the upcoming smartphone OS revision.  ”We’re always working on future versions” said Microsoft spokesperson Debbie Anderson, “and have nothing new to announce.”

It’s arguable whether showing Windows Mobile 7 and simultaneously releasing version 6.6 would help or hinder Microsoft’s prospects in the smartphone space.  The latter would enable those handset manufacturers still on the WinMo boat to more easily release devices with capacitive touchscreens, which have risen in popularity and mindshare compared to traditional resistive panels; however users may be cautious to pick up a new smartphone based on WinMo 6.6 unless they know that they’ll be able to upgrade to WinMo 7.

[via Electronista]

Dear Toby

Thank you for your enquiry about HD2
What we do it ROM Upgrades from our website, however 6.5 windows mobile has only been out 2 months and windows mobile 7 hasn’t even been developed. This wont be out until next November at the earliest. But when it is available it will be a free download.
If these steps have not helped, please let me know by responding using the link provided and I will be happy to check again for you.

Best regards,
Terry Snelling
HTC customer support team
HTC Corp. Global Service Division

http://www.htc.com/europe/CA_Hotline.aspx

Of course, that’s kicked off a discussion at xda-developers about the likelihood not only of an official ROM but whether a hacked, unofficial WM7 ROM for the HD2 will be possible.  Such ROMs rely on compatible drivers culled from official devices that share the same hardware as the older models, and it remains to be seen what components used in the HD2 will still be in play by the time the first WM7 handsets arrive.

We first heard talk of Windows Mobile 7 on the HD2 back in November 2009, when an unnamed source tipped an official upgrade was on the drawing board, and then HTC tweeted – and promptly deleted – similar information themselves in December.  As we said last year, you should only ever buy a device because it fits your needs now, not for what it may or may not do X months down the line.

HTC HD2 hands-on:

[via jkOnTheRun]

As for what WM6.6 brings to the table, the biggest improvement is said to be support for capacitive touchscreens.  Right now only the HTC HD2 runs Windows Mobile with a capacitive display, and HTC had to engineer that support into WM6.5 themselves.  Official support for the technology would make it easier for manufacturers to add the popular touchscreen technology to their model range, and hopefully maintain some platform momentum until Windows Mobile 7 arrives; the sources claim Microsoft is considering delaying WM7 until the end of 2011, rather than the end-2010 they have previously indicated.

The BlackBerry Tour 2 9650 is tipped to include WiFi and use the new BlackBerry 5.0 OS; other BlackBerry devices will include the new BlackBerry Pearl Flip.  Meanwhile there’ll apparently be a Motorola Windows Mobile smartphone, which given the company have said they’ve no plans for a WinMo 6.5 device would seem to suggest it could be a Windows Mobile 7 device.

Elsewhere there are several LG devices – the LG LN510, LN240 and LS680 – with various combinations of touchscreens and QWERTY keyboards, models from Samsung – the M350, M570 and M910 – and a new Sanyo 8600.  The tipster also reckons Sprint will launch a full-touchscreen Android 1.6 smartphone, the Motorola i1, for its Nextel iDEN subscribers, complete with a 5-megapixel camera, together with a black version of the Clutch and new rugged i680 and i890 devices.

While we’d love this to pan out, the old adage that you should buy a device because it serves your needs now, rather than for what it might or might not do X months down the line, holds true.  The HD2 is a great smartphone – check out our review here – but until HTC publicly confirm that a Windows Mobile 7 update program will be offered, you probably shouldn’t let the rumor tip your hand.

HTC HD2 demo:

[via Clove Technology]

According to the unnamed source, the handset design leaks were likely from Microsoft themselves in an attempt to drive enthusiasm for the Pink project.  However the news that Sharp has been the Pink team’s sole hardware partner is expected to sour Microsoft’s relationship with Windows Mobile device manufacturers such as HTC; Palm and Motorola have already dropped out of developing new Windows Phones.  Similarly, Verizon are expected to be angry with their being named as a potential Pink carrier, since this could impact their CDMA iPhone, webOS and RIM plans.  The source also quotes a whopping 25-percent Windows Mobile Verizon return rate for dissatisfaction.

T-Mobile are another carrier tipped to be affected, as they work closely with the Danger team and Sharp on the Sidekick.:

“I don’t know exactly what Microsoft has been telling them, but they have no doubt realized that they’ve been cut out of this deal in favor of their largest competitor. What’s worse is that apparently Microsoft has been lying to them this whole time about the amount of resources that they’ve been putting behind Sidekick development and support (in reality, it was cut down to a handful of people in Palo Alto managing some contractors in Romania, Ukraine, etc.)”

The source fingers Roz Ho, head of Premium Mobile Experiences (aka the lead in the Pink project), together with Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie as most responsible for the ongoing disaster.  Windows Mobile and the Zune teams have already been duplicating each others’ work as the projects have been kept segregated; now it’s transpired that the Pink team have been doing the same, and not only that but potentially cannibalizing elements of both (but particularly the Windows Phone platform).  It makes for an interesting read – Apple Insider also chart the development of the various mobile platforms, including Android and iPhone – together with a worrying diagnosis for Microsoft’s mobile outlook.

That leaves Motorola – in their own words – supporting “two strategic platforms”, one of which is obviously Android.  The company’s DEXT (aka the CLIQ) will arrive in the UK from today, while T-Mobile USA will release the handset come November.

Foley, meanwhile, maintains that the Pink handset(s) are based on Windows Mobile 7, and as such won’t be ready for launch until the end of 2010.  While Microsoft themselves still aren’t confirming the existence of Pink, she points to at least one development lead who has mentioned he is working on the project in his Linked In profile.  The Pink devices would have access to the new Zune media download store, together with Windows Marketplace for Mobile.

As for the tablet, 9to5Mac don’t have much information – only that it was in late prototype stage – but Foley’s sources say it’s now being helmed by “Alchemy Ventures” with most likely Chief Experience Officer J Allard taking the lead.  Microsoft were previously tipped to be planning a consumer tablet called Oahu, and indeed Alchemy Ventures is said to involve support from at least one member of Microsoft’s Surface team.  Meanwhile the Seattle company is waiting to see what tablet device Apple announce in early 2010 before going public, apparently.

Says Foley, this is all part of Microsoft’s new “chassis” model, where the company puts out detailed specifications on a hardware device they want to co-brand and manufacturers bid to produce it.  Their aim, she claims, is to move toward subscription-based revenue, such as the ZunePass unlimited download package that so impressed us in our recent Zune HD review.

[via Incremental Blogger]

It’s unclear what will happen in terms of refunds for paid applications should that take place.  As for revenue sharing, Microsoft have confirmed that the developer will always see 70-percent of the dues from paid apps; if operators need to be paid, then Microsoft will settle with them out of its own 30-percent.  In return, developers will pay $99 for their first five app submissions with subsequent titles at $99 each; upgrades are permitted free, but Microsoft does not class switching an app from free to paid as an “upgrade”.

The company have also fleshed out some of their approval guideline policies, including confirming that third-party apps which replace core functionality – together with mapping and navigation software – will be rejected.  However, unlike Apple’s mobile platform, Microsoft are perfectly happy with developers distributing such titles – or indeed any app they themselves may have rejected – through the various other ways Windows Mobile supports.

[via Boy Genius Report]

The document also confirms that the AT&T HTC Warhawk – aka the HTC Touch Diamond2 – will seemingly keep its VGA front-facing camera for videocalls and arrive with Windows Mobile 6.5, while the carrier’s Touch Pro2 will only get Windows Mobile 6.1.  Finally the Verizon Samsung Omnia is confirmed as the 8GB model with the 5-megapixel camera and packing Windows Mobile 6.1.

Of course, some of these details could be wrong – it’s unclear whether Sprint collated them from public sources, spec-sheets or somewhere else – and things like Windows Mobile versions could well be changed as release dates get pushed back.  Still, if you’re in the market for a touchscreen smartphone running Microsoft’s OS, and you can’t decide whether you want a hardware QWERTY keyboard or not, there’s plenty of choice just around the corner.

[via WMPowerUser]

Let’s be clear, while Windows Mobile’s UI is not as flashy or fluid as that of the iPhone, it certainly stacks up well against offerings from other vendors. This latest set of UI enhancements, along with hardware innovation from licensees HTC, Sony Ericsson and LG have also helped put a little more polish and chrome on the UI as well.

Just take a look at the HTC Touch Pro 2 if you want to see how far Windows Mobile has come these days. It’s not perfect but the key is that the core of the product works rather well and for synchronization with Exchange, there’s simply no better solution (or more cost effective solution, as pointed out in TCO study after TCO study). But Windows Mobile is more than just the Enterprise. Here are my top five reasons why we’re going to see Microsoft stay in the Windows Mobile game for some time to come.

1. Choice. Microsoft’s partners offer Windows Mobile devices (or Windows Phones as they’re now called) in in a variety of form factors. OEMs offer everything from touchscreen to full QWERTY keyboard as well as a range of devices in between. When it comes to mobile devices, one size does not fit all. In addition, Windows Phones are available from a range of carriers extending consumer choice even further.

2. Microsoft offers the best integration to Exchange via ActiveSync for sync of contacts, calendars and email. While other platforms have licensed the Exchange/ActiveSync protocol, no one else offers the degree of integration and management that Windows Mobile offers.

3. While email support is critical, it’s what’s in the email, often in the guise of attachments, that’s where the real information lies. Windows Mobile’s native support for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and One Note make it seamless to not only read the information but edit as needed as well.

4. Steve Ballmer is well noted for his mantra of developers, developers, developers. With Windows Marketplace for Mobile, which is a core part of 6.5 , Microsoft is emulating Apple with an integrated shopping experience that allows users to quickly find and purchase the latest application they’re looking for. While Microsoft does not have Apple’s 50,000 plus strong applications catalog, there have been more than 20,000 third party applications developed for Windows Mobile that extend the functionality of the platform. Moreover, the platform is completely open so developers need not use the store to deliver their applications if they choose not to.

5. Windows phones are among the few platforms that offer the ability to live in the intersection between business and personal spaces. The core software offers both business integration as well as entertainment and social features to seamlessly move between family and friends to co-workers and colleagues.

Today, it’s not just the IT department handing devices out to users. It’s people making the choice of platform and device to be used with both business and personal information and scenarios. Despite the negative hype, make no mistake, Windows Mobile should be still be on any mobile device purchase shortlist.

That “touch interface”, it’s suggested, will drop in February 2010, four to five months after Windows Mobile 6.5 is expected to launch.  Similar to how HTC, Samsung and others have developed their own UI to brighten up existing Windows Mobile smartphones and make them more usable, the interface will be Microsoft’s own effort to do the same.  This would seem to concur with earlier admissions from the WM Team themselves that they “lacked the time” to polish WM6.5′s UI in time for its initial launch.

When Windows Mobile 7 arrives, Microsoft will discount WM6.5 and thus continue with a two-platform strategy, taking on the open-source Android OS at one end and the iPhone at the high end.  All of this apparently comes from various Microsoft roadmaps, though we’ll believe it when we see it.

The WM6.5 developer team sat down for a 45 minute roundtable at TechEd 2009, to confirm UI rumors, discuss Widgets and why they count as “grown up” applications, and admit that no, Silverlight won’t be integrated with the platform.  It’s a surprisingly honest interview, but if we’re fair it doesn’t leave us particularly enthused about WM6.5.

Video roundtable after the cut

“The reason why we couldn’t complete the interface on Windows Mobile 6.5 is because of time. We only spend what, eight months, nine months, to build 6.5 from ground up and it’s actually an amazing engineering feat. But, in order to do that, we had to do some prioritization and we had to cut certain features. Eventually, we will make sure that the UI capabilities are carried out throughout the whole platform” Loke Uei Tan, senior product manager, Windows Mobile Team, Microsoft

Widgets will be treated as full applications and distributed through the Windows Marketplace for Mobile; that’s because they have no facility to self-sign or identify as trustworthy in WM6.5.  As a byproduct, widgets – which are zipped HTML, JavaScript and graphics files, and load in a new WM6.5 widget engine – will count toward a developer’s five app submissions for their $99 yearly membership fee.

As for Silverlight, that won’t be present in WM6.5 “due to a lot of reasons”; the team say they’re holding off until “the experience is better for the next version” which we’re assuming means Windows Mobile 7.  Windows Mobile 6.5 really is looking like a half-attempt to hold off rival platforms until WM7 can be pushed out, and while we’re sure the Microsoft team worked hard for that 8-9 months, it’s unclear at this stage whether their output is enough to let the mobile OS catch up.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/4636547[/vimeo]

These are just rumors as well, but it’s pretty interesting to see what might make it into the final specs of Windows Mobile 7 Chassis 1. This Chassis 1 is the primary thing that’s been driving project Pink phone rumors, so just what on earth is all the fuss about?

A source has revealed that Windows Mobile 7 Chassis 1 will look like the following:

WM7 Chassis 1 Specification

Core requirements:
Processor: ARM v6+, L2 Cache, VFP, Open GL ES 2.0 graphics HW (QCOM 8k, Nvidia AP15/16* and TI 3430 all meet spec)
Memory: 256MB+ DRAM, 1G+ Flash (at least 512MB fast flash – 5MB/s unbuffered read @4K block size)
Display: WVGA (800×480) or FWVGA (854×480) 3.5” or greater diagonal
Touch: Multi-touch required
Battery: Sufficient to meet Days of Use LTK requirements.
Controls: Start, Back, Send and End are required (soft controls allowed as long as they are always present).

Peripherals:
Camera: 3MP+, flash optional, 2nd camera optional (VGA resolution sufficient)
GPS: aGPS required
Sensors required: Light Sensor, Compass (3 axis, 5 degrees, 100 Hz sample rate), Accelerometer (3 axis, 2mg resolution, 100 Hz sample rate)
USB: High speed required, 20 MB/s transfer rate.
BlueTooth: BT2.1 required, must run MSFT BT stack, CSR BlueCore6 or later recommended.
Wi-Fi: 802.11B/G required, must run MSFT Native Wi-Fi stack, Atheros 6002 or Broadcomm 4325 recommended.
Connectors: Micro USB and 3.5mm Audio required.

Options:
FM tuner: If tuner HW is present it will be detected and supported by the Media application.
Haptics
SD Card (Micro SD recommended)
DPAD, qwerty or 12/20 key keyboards all optional

So what does this mean, folks? What stands out to you in comparison to other smartphones out there and previous versions of WinMo?

Video demo of the new features after the cut

As for the Service Pack specifically, that rolls out 128-bit identifier tags as you can see on the back of the card in the image above.  That card is a physical photo – the same as is currently on-screen – which was recognized when it was placed onto the Surface, and a shortcut to the photo viewer offered.  Check out the full demo in the video below.

There’s also support for Windows Update, stress tests for developers – which include testing to make sure apps won’t get overloaded by dozens of contact points at any one time – and better optimization for background processes so that cross-app notifications are handled more smoothly.  Hopefully we’ll see more of Surface’s technology cross over into Windows 7 as it edges toward launch.

Early testers will see the new OS even sooner than that, with Foley hearing the Microsoft expects the be pushing the new mobile platform out around November 2009.  Since we can assume there’ll be plenty of screenshot and feature leaks from that point on, it gives the company around six months to either enthuse us all or leave us disappointed in time for the full release.

However compared to the original rumors, that pegged Windows Mobile 7 as landing in the second half of 2010, Microsoft have obviously accelerated their software plans.  Opinions are split whether this is a reaction to strong competition from the Apple iPhone 3G and, presumably, the Palm Pre, or down to a reduced number of Windows Mobile device manufacturers cutting down on what Microsoft have to take into account.