In the leaked video you can see what the Windows Mobile 7 UI would have looked like, if Microsoft hadn’t decided to scrap the plans of a new Windows Mobile, and go with a whole new design that we today know as Metro UI on Windows Phone 7 Series.
The Metro UI seen in Windows Phone 7 Series is much more user friendly than what the WiMo7 UI. I think it was a good decision to start the whole work from scratch, which led to the fact that we today are waiting for Windows Phone 7 Series.
With Mobile World Congress only a week away, a new batch of info on Windows Phone 7 has popped up on blogs over the world. PPCGeeks leaked the following info about the new OS:
WP7 will be announced at MWC, and there will be a demo, but this will be just the UX
MIX will have specific developement focus sessions on WP7
WP7 supports both Sliverlight (out of browser) and XNA
Silverlight is version 3.0, with elements of 4.0 plus mobile specific features such as sensors etc
XNA apps can be developed using XNA GameStudio 3.1
SL apps developed using Expression Blend 3.x and VS2010
MS will release a mobile version of VS / Expression which will be free, and VS2010 / Expression Pro will have a free add-on
WP7 will have an equivalent of .NET CF embedded into SL, but no SQL.
WP7 will have isolated storage which is accessible using LINQ
The UX of WP7 is based upon a theme called “METRO” and is similar to Zune HD, but with a completely new “Start” screen.
No multi-tasking (applications will pause when in the background, however they will support notifications using the MS Push Notifications environment)
No .NET CF backwards compatibility, however a proportion of the data and business logic in .NET CF could be ported
MS were confident to have devices ready for Sep 2010
No MS manufactured device, however much tighter control of manufactring process, so as an example each device has a 3D processing chipset, and
MS provide all of the device drivers. So no platform builder. This enables OTA updates and simplified model for ODM’s
Marketplace will support buy and try before you buy, as well as an API
ODM / OEM will not be able to modify the “Start” screen, so no more HTC Sense / TouchFlo etc.
MS are actually ahead of schedule which will surprise the analysts / journalists
Browsing experience is currently faster / better than iPhone 3G, and they are aiming towards 3GS.
Browser is based upon desktop IE7 codebase, but with some IE8 functionality
No in browser Flash or SL
WP7 has full integration with XBOX Live, and ability to purchase games
WP7 will use the Zune software for music, videos, photos sync
WP7 only supports app installation through service based delivery i.e. marketplace, so no side-loading
MS will provide a hosted push notifications environment
The most important points being that there will be no multi-tasking, and that the browsing experience is better than on the 3GS, and that Microsoft is “aiming towards 3GS”.
msmobiles.com has found an interesting picture at Microsoft’s website. What makes this interesting, is the fact that the text “Mobile World Congress 2010″ is glued together with a picture of CEO Steve Ballmer. This guy is normally taken on stage when something big/important is announced.
Basically this confirms a rumored Windows Mobile 7 announcement for Mobile World Congress 2010.
Microsoft Canada will host an event called “Energize IT 2010 – From the Client to the Could V 2.0″. What is interesting about this, is that Windows Phone 7 will be discussed at the event.
The event will take place on March 30th, starting at 9:00AM.
MSFTKitchen has been doing a whole lot of digging on Microsoft’s server to have found the slide you can see above. The Chinese presentation was created on the 11th December 2009, and by then Windows Mobile 7 RTM(Release To Manufacturers) was scheduled for a Spring release.
A spring RTM date would mean a summer/fall release date for phones with Windows Mobile 7.
Eldar Murtazin is on it again, which is leaking information. This time around it is about Windows Mobile 7, and its minimum system requirements. They seem quite high-end in my opinion. Maybe there will be two different versions of Windows Moible 7, one dedicated to high-end phones(Professional?) and one dedicated to basic phones(Basic?)? Or, maybe Windows Mobile 6.6 is bound for lower-end, and Windows Mobile 7 for high-end smart phones?
Minimum requirements for Windows Mobile 7 (Professional?):
Eldar Murtazin is on it again. This time his twitter account tells that he is currently playing with a HTC manufactured Windows Mobile 7 phone.
The phone will have a 1GHz CPU, 3.6″ screen with WVGA resolution, FM-radio, 5MP camera, compass, G-sensor and will run on Windows Mobile 7. A 1850 mAh battery will run the phone for only 6-7 hours. Suggests that Windows Mobile 7 is extremely power hungry. As you can see from the tweet, according to Eldar Murtazin, the phone will launch soon.
According to CNET, Microsoft will finalize the code for Windows Mobile 7 this summer. Microsoft will show a demo of the next big Windows Mobile OS at Mobile World Congress this February. Developers attending MIX 10 will get information about programming Windows Mobile 7.
There have been many rumors about Windows Mobile 7 missing its launch this year, and that it will be delayed till 2011. CNET now tells us that we will in fact see Windows Mobile 7 released this year.
Eldar Murtazin, a Russian insider god, has supposedly gotten his hands on an early build of Windows Mobile 7. According to his twitter posts, it will not have support for software coded for 6.x and below. Only software coded for Windows Mobile 7 will work on the OS. He also said that the UI resembles the one seen on the iPhone, and Android 3.1/3.2(what?).
More info of this little thing hopefully at Mobile World Congress in February.
Presse-Citron, a famous French tech blogger, today said on his twitter page that Windows Mobile 7 will be released in September 2010. He had gotten this info from a Design Lab at LG that he attended to.
Another thing that LG let out of the factory, was that they’ll release an Android 2.1 capable device in April. The phone will first be released in USA, and shortly after that in Europe.
