Microsoft has been recently rumored to plan on unveiling the latest version of its mobile operating system, the Windows Mobile 6.5, at the Mobile World Congress to be held in Barcelona next month. Since the actual launch date of the next-to-come OS is also surrounded by a lot of hype, some people over the Web asked around about it and came up with a few answers.

It seems that the software giant is set to make the newest version of its software platform available sometime in mid-2009. The exact date remains unknown, yet Microsoft should release the mobile phone platform during that period. According to the news, the first smartphones and PDAs powered by Windows Mobile 6.5 should make it to the shelves in the third quarter of the year.

The news also suggests that the Redmond company along with its partners might release a series of firmware updates for the currently-available Windows Mobile 6.1 mobile phones. If this proves true, we should be able to see a whole lot of Touch Pros, Diamonds, Xperias or other good-looking handsets featured with the new software.

The upcoming Windows Mobile 6.5 is a highly-anticipated update for Microsoft's mobile operating system. More and more users have been complaining about the rather old OS the WinMo seems to be, while also asking for improvements and updates to be brought to it. Nevertheless, we'll still have to wait for another six months before the software comes to us, but it’s better to see it later than never.

In related news, we learn that Microsoft will continue licensing its operating system to mobile phone manufacturers, just the way it has done it until now, and will not come to the market with a device of its own. Some even say that it’s better for things to stay this way.