Posted 03/01/10 at 03:12:49 PM by Bart Salisbury

Microsoft, for the time being, is being a bit of a stickler over the hardware requirements for Windows Phone 7. If a smartphone doesn’t meet the minimum requirements, it won’t be getting Microsoft's new mobile platform OS.

Case in point is HTC’s highly regarded HD2 touchscreen smartphone. A nice little device with a 1GHz Qualcomm processor, a high resolution capacitive touch display, and a five megapixel camera. But, the HD2 has five buttons--Windows Phone 7 says three and no more. No Windows Phone 7 for the HD2!

It is suspected, perhaps, that the HD2 fails in some other ways as well. It’s hard to say, exactly, because the Microsoft hasn’t made public the hardware requirements for Windows Phone 7. That’s expected to happen this month at the MIX developer conference in Las Vegas. Whatever the case, any legacy hardware that doesn’t meet these requirements is going to be left behind.

What little solace Windows Mobile 6.5 users have is that Microsoft says it won’t abandon them. An upgrade, to version 6.5.3, is expected before rebranding to Windows Phone Classic. And Windows Phone Classic will stick around for the “budget-minded smartphone buyer”.

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Posted 02/26/10 at 06:01:00 PM by Ryan Whitwam

The recent proliferation of Windows versions attests to Microsoft’s love of multiple product SKUs. Until now the company’s mobile products have escaped this sort of segmentation, but no more. Microsoft has confirmed that there will be at least two versions of mobile operating systems sold and supported in the Windows Phone family.

Windows Phone Starter Edition will basically be Windows Mobile 6.5, but slightly more limited. Speculation is that this will mostly be a play for emerging markets like Vista Starter and Win7 Home Basic. According to Microsoft all version of their mobile OS will get access to the new mobile version of Office when it is complete. All OEMs will have access to the new Starter SKU as well.

The odd thing here is that in explaining features, Microsoft claims that Starter will support only 2G GSM networks, but will have support for EV-DO Rev A for CDMA. This seems at least in part to be a ploy to force nations with 3G GSM networks to move to Phone 7. CDMA is less common in other nations, so perhaps Microsoft feels its inclusion won’t hurt. Do you think the multi-SKU strategy can work for Microsoft in the mobile space?

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Posted 02/12/10 at 07:13:29 PM by Ryan Whitwam

Rumors regarding Windows Mobile 7 have been rampant as Mobile World Congress approaches. Now some reputable sources have let it slip that Winows Mobile 7 is a lock to be announced at the conference. According to the Wall Street Journal, the user interface will be a dead ringer for the Zune HD portable media player.  We certainly wouldn’t argue with that.

From Bloomberg we’re hearing that the new software will have heavy integration with Microsoft’s Xbox Live service and console. This certainly makes sense considering the massive success the platform has enjoyed. Expect more integration with the Zune ecosystem as well, maybe even an iPhone/iTunes style system. Noted journalist Mary-Jo Foley is also saying that she expects Microsoft to drop the Windows Mobile name altogether and go with “Windows Phone 7”.

As for all that Project Pink speculation, the WSJ says don’t bet on it. While they are claiming that it won’t be part of the announcement, the Sharp manufactured “Pink” phone could be out sometime this spring. What does Windows Mobile (or Phone) 7 need to be to get your attention? Is it just too late for Microsoft in the mobile space?

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Posted 01/19/10 at 07:47:58 AM by Paul Lilly

Let's clear the air for a moment - Microsoft hasn't said a word about Windows Mobile 7, so any news on the upcoming mobile OS is purely speculation. And as it turns out, there's plenty of it, all coming from "anonymous sources," says WMExperts.com. Keep this in mind as we go over the details.

WinMo 7, or "Seven," as it's going to be called, will come in two versions: Business Edition and Media Edition. The names may change, but the Business Edition, which is nearly finished, is essentially a light version of Seven with less bells and whistles. It will be able to sync to the cloud with multiple devices, and you'll even be able to snap a photo and embed it into an online document, which multiple users can have access to.

The Media Edition probably won't ship until 2011. It will support Silverlight, Mediaroom, Xbox Live, Facebook, Twitter, and Zune Music integration, among other features that are still being added.

Switching gears to the hardware side, the first Seven device to ship will likely be the LG Apollo. Apollo will sport a 1.3Ghz Qualcomm processor, 1GB of memory, a 3.8-inch capacitive AMOLED multi-touch screen, 10MP camera, and a few other goodies.

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Posted 01/14/10 at 08:19:06 PM by Pulkit Chandna

The launch of Windows Mobile 7 may get delayed even further, according to Taiwanese website Digitimes. Its sources have revealed that Microsoft may push the launch to 2011. Another delay will leave the Windows Mobile platform with very little chance of drawing level with other platforms, leaving its rivals ample time to stretch their technological lead even further.

The report claims that Microsoft will further prolong its longer-than-expected countdown to Windows Mobile 7 by unveiling another minor update in the form of Windows Mobile 6.6 (codenamed Maldives) at the Mobile World Congress in February. The minor update will support capacitive touchscreens and help Microsoft bide its time. If the report is correct, then MWC 2010 may not even feature a fleeting glimpse of Windows Mobile 7.

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Posted 01/11/10 at 05:51:35 PM by Pulkit Chandna

With even Google leaping onto the smartphone bandwagon, those clamoring for a Zunephone now have a strong case. Perhaps Microsoft does need something more than just a software overhaul to arrest its slide in the smartphone market. OEMs remain under considerable pressure to abandon the relatively primeval Windows Mobile platform after the advent of the more voguish Android.

At a recent meeting with analysts, the president of the entertainment and devices division at Microsoft, Robbie Bach, hinted at his company expanding the Zune franchise even further in ways he could not reveal.

"Now, your other question was about I'm getting old. Zune, so Zune has been critically successful. And the way Zune is going to be successful for us in the future is you should think of that as our media service across multiple screens. We'll continue to have the Zune device screen. But, we now have Zune on Xbox. We have Zune on the PC.  There are other places where Zune logically could go that we don't get to talk about yet. And I think lots of different screens with that capability can go,” said Bach. Zunephone still dwells the realms of wild speculation. Bach could very well be pointing toward something less radical.

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Posted 01/08/10 at 06:52:58 PM by Ryan Whitwam

Google’s Nexus One announcement earlier this week included confirmation that future phones sold on the Google website would all be available unlocked. So, Google intends to work with various hardware partners, and sell some of the resulting phones as Google branded. Some have said this could be a dangerous road for Google to travel, as they may risk alienating their partners. Among those critics is Microsoft.

Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices President Robbie Bach took Google to task for the move in a speech at CES.  "Doing both in the way they are trying to do both is actually very, very difficult…  Over time you have to decide whether your approach is with the partners or more like an Apple approach that is more about Apple. Google's is an interesting step. We'll see how people react," said Bach.

Microsoft has been struggling with Windows Mobile as of late, so you have to wonder if they should be giving Google advice in this space. It is possible that some hardware partners could be put off by Google’s move, but Android has one big advantage over Windows Mobile. Google does not charge their hardware partners a license fee to use Android. We’ll have to see if hardware companies are scared enough that Google could upstage them to pass up that deal.

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Posted 01/04/10 at 08:08:15 PM by Ryan Whitwam

It’s no secret that Android is gaining momentum. The release of the Droid on Verizon and the upcoming Nexus One announcement have gotten people’s attention in a big way. A recent survey by ChangeWave shows us just how much Android’s star has risen in the last few months. With the millions Verizon has spent on advertising the Droid, this shouldn’t be too surprising.

In December, ChangeWave asked 4068 consumers that planned on purchasing a smartphone in the next 90 days which mobile platform they would like to purchase. They found that 21% of people planned to get an Android phone, up from only 6% in September. The iPhone still won out with 28%, but that’s down a few points from the last survey. Android’s 15-point jump seems to have also come at the expense of Windows Mobile and Palm’s WebOS, both down 3%. Blackberry weathered the Android storm well, and actually saw a small uptick in the December numbers.

Google’s brand and Verizon’s marketing seem to be combining to lure in consumers. While the iPhone isn’t about to be knocked off by Android, Palm is hanging on by a thread. Just a year ago Palm was the underdog darling of CES 2009, but they may have to pull another rabbit out of their mobile hat to make it to 2011.

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