Hasta La Gadget!

Looks like HTC CEO and President Peter Chou just spoiled Microsoft’s MWC surprised. In his words, “Later today, together with Microsoft, we’re introducing Windows Mobile 6.5.” Whoops! Keep your eyes peeled, we’ll be live at Microsoft’s press conference at 9AM ET today.

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC CEO: Windows Mobile 6.5 to be announced this afternoon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, what have we got here? Someone has upped nine breathtaking minutes of Windows Mobile 6.5 (build 21159.5.0.0, if you must know) running live on an HTC Touch HD. The action is pretty choppy — we get the impression this is a fairly rough beta — but the new home screen, “honeycomb” launcher, IE Mobile and portrait mode, along with dozens of other interface tweaks are all representing. Video is after the break, be sure to bring a snack!

[Thanks, GON]

Continue reading Windows Mobile 6.5 feature tour sneaks onto YouTube

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Windows Mobile 6.5 feature tour sneaks onto YouTube originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re just days away from Mobile World Congress where Microsoft is expected to make a few notable announcements. Until then, we have to settle for all the hints and innuendo we can gather as Redmond attempts to win back the hearts, minds, and pocketbooks of consumers infatuated with Android, WebOS, and whatever Apple’s got cookin’. Like these supposed 6.5 screenshots above, this time showing what looks like a Marketplace store a la the Zune. We also have CNET reporting today that Microsoft quietly split its Zune team in two on January 22nd: software and services under Enrique Rodriguez, and hardware under Tom Gibbons who just happens to heads-up hardware design at Microsoft’s Windows Mobile unit. According to Rodriguez, “Zune the service needs to transcend Zune the device” adding, “The goal is to make non-gaming entertainment a first-class citizen within Microsoft’s business.” That includes expanding the Zune service beyond the Zune and onto more devices than just Microsoft’s. Or, “a little further out than just in Redmond,” to quote Rodriguez directly. While he wouldn’t say specifically when it was coming to Windows Mobile, he did say to expect products other than the Zune player to be using the Zune service sometime this year. Now, armed with those Zune-centric WinMo 6.5 screenshots and project Pink leaks, it’s not too much a stretch to expect a Zune-like WinMo experience to be detailed in Barcelona. Besides, isn’t it about time that Danger made good on that estimated $500 million acquisition?

Read — CNET interview
Read — Latest WinMo 6.5 screenshots

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Microsoft readies Zune service for non-Zune devices, Marketplace appears in WinMo 6.5 screenshot originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chatter over Windows Mobile 6.5 has grown into a deafening din the past few weeks, strongly suggesting we’ll all be treated to the next WinMo release at MWC in a couple weeks — but how does that translate a device that we can hold in our own two hands, exactly? We’d previously heard Microsoft was targeting the third quarter of 2009, and “sources” of ZDNet’s Mary-Jo Foley are right in line. In a nutshell, she’s saying manufacturers will have access to the gold code in April and the first 6.5 devices will hit the market in September (okay, tail end of the third quarter, but that’s how the cookie crumbles), but she doesn’t stop there — she goes on to say that beta Windows Mobile 7 code will be in the wild in November of this year, with the first handsets following on in April of 2010. That’s a long-ass time from now, yes — but on the flipside, that’s a record for releasing two major WinMo versions in rapid succession. Can’t blame us for trying to find the silver lining.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

First WinMo 6.5 handsets in September ’09, 7.0 in April ’10? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seems the good people at Expansys are up to their shenanigans again, but this time we’re seeing a few Samsung sets dribbling out of the leaky tap — mind you, we won’t holler legitimate ’til we hear it from Samsung. The Samsung B2100 — apparently a follow up to the M110 and B2700 — which actually appeared back in October 2008, The Samsung Louve (perhaps a typo of Louvre? It’ll make sense in a minute) and the Samsung Pivot. The Pivot is apparently set to be one of Samsung’s first handsets with Windows Mobile 6.5 and will come loaded with a 5 megapixel camera, QWERTY keypad, LED flash, aGPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, and is touted as coming in a package similar to the Samsung i780. Samsung’s Louve is said to be designed like the TyTN II and shares its sliding and tilting screen — see where the Louvre name fits in? — runs Windows Mobile 6.1, a 3.2 megapixel camera, and shares the i900 Omnia‘s tweak-ready interface. The Expansys “Insider” mentioned filling in the details and posting some pics soon, we’ll get those up if we see them or fill you in when we hear more.

[Via Cellpassion]

Filed under: Cellphones

Leak sauce: Expansys rides again, three Samsung sets outed? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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