Microsoft has launched a new version of its
Windows
Mobile smartphone software sporting a revamped user interface and enhanced
browser. Officially unveiled at the same time are the
My
Phone web synchronisation service, and an online store for mobile
applications known as Windows Marketplace for Mobile.
Windows Mobile 6.5, announced today at the
Mobile
World Congress in Barcelona, is the latest incarnation of Microsoft's phone
platform. It puts a greater emphasis on ease of use, and introduces some
gesture-based controls similar to those seen on platforms such as Apple's
iPhone.
The new release is thus a relatively minor update focused on changes to the
user interface. A more significant overhaul is to come with Windows Mobile 7,
which is expected later this year or in early 2010.
However, even handsets with Windows Mobile 6.5 are not expected until the
fourth quarter of 2009, according to Microsoft, and the exact timing will depend
on vendors such as
HTC and
Samsung.
Microsoft also said it is moving to rebrand the platform as 'Windows Phone'
in an attempt to more closely associate its mobile software with other Windows
platforms in the minds of consumers.
"It's not about the phone alone. It's about the user experience," said Alex
Reeve, Microsoft business group director for Windows Mobile.
Reeve claimed that Microsoft's phone strategy is open and enables partners to
provide the end products, in contrast to vendors like
Research
In Motion, which tie buyers into a single source for BlackBerry handsets and
server software.
As
part of Microsoft's goal of a better user experience, the Windows Mobile 6.5
home screen is a departure from earlier releases. It features hexagonal
on-screen buttons forming a kind of honeycomb pattern to access common functions
such as phone, email, calendar and web. This design was chosen as an easier
target to hit with a fingertip than square buttons, according to Reeve. Users
can also swipe the screen with a fingertip to scroll up and down.
The Today screen also shows browser favourites of the user's choosing for
speedy access to commonly viewed sites. Local weather information is displayed,
and the screen has larger icons for touch activation.
Attention has also been paid to the lock screen, because unlocking the
handset is the most frequent user action, Reeve said. This now displays
at-a-glance indicators showing whether the user has a new email, text message or
voicemail, and swiping one unlocks the phone and opens the relevant application
at the same time.
"You swipe the one you want and it takes you straight to where you want to go
in one gesture instead of three or four," said Reeve.
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