I’ve been talking my way around Tech.Ed for the past few days, and decided to interrogate some of the guys about Windows Mobile 6.5. Unfortunately they are all very tight lipped guys, but I did receive a few stares with raised eyebrows when I started asking questions from Windows Mobile 6.5.1.
What they will give out is the basic information that can be found on the web, Global Release date is October and all the OEMs supposedly already have WM 6.5. The problem with WM 6.5 is that anyone following the builds that are almost being leaked daily look very different to the stock marketing images.
The enthusiast named “Windows Mobile 6.5.1” looks like Microsoft are going the way of both Apple and Google and giving users OS updates outside of a normal major release. The new release moves the start and close/ok buttons to a redesigned bottom button bar, where the bottom of the screen has up to 5 buttons across the bottom (Start, Left Function, Keyboard, Right Function and Close/Ok).
While no one would confirm anything with words, there were plenty of looks as we played some kind of software release charades with facial expressions.
Hopefully OEMs can’t block these kind of updates from Microsoft to help make any new 6.5 phones even better as 6.5 evolves on the way to Windows Mobile 7.