Redmond-based software giant Microsoft is reportedly getting ready to release to the market a new, heavily upgraded flavor of its mobile operating system, namely the Windows Mobile 7. Rumors on this platform have already started to converge to the same idea, that the first devices to sport it will land in late 2010, though some of them are expected to be unveiled next month at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Among them, we might see an HTC Obsession, rumor has it, the first device from the Taiwanese handset vendor to run under the new flavor of Windows Mobile, and also one of the first phones in the world to arrive with it on board. Some specs of Obsession already emerged into the wild, along with rumors that it might arrive as Diamond3, followed today by some images that gsmhelpdesk.nl says that might represent it, even if nothing is quite certain at the moment.

Obsession was said to pack a great deal of raw power inside it, which would be complemented perfectly by the Windows Mobile 7 OS. It should include a 1Ghz Snapdragon processor inside, along with a 5-megapixel photo snapper that can offer HD recording, music and video players, microSD memory card slot, great connectivity options and more, all packed inside a device that measures 112 x 56 x 11.7 mm.

The funny part is that the device in these images seems to be running under the Android operating system, and not under Microsoft's Windows Mobile. A closer look at the top of its screen will show you clearly what platform it is pre-loaded with. Given this state of facts, the legitimacy of these images is strongly shaken, especially since HTC has been already rumored to be “leaking” misleading info into the wild, though the photos might be only the result of an eager enthusiast.

We should wait until the MWC show in Barcelona kicks off before things get cleared up, it seems. Both HTC and Microsoft have announced press conferences set to take place during the event in Spain, and enthusiasts are certainly hoping that the two companies will shed some light on their plans for the future. Stay tuned for additional details on this.