14 DAY TRIAL // Redmond-based software company Microsoft unveiled a week ago a new mobile operating system, dubbed Windows Phone 7 OS, which is said to be a completely new mobile platform, and not a new version of the already existing Windows Mobile OS. Since there are a great deal of handsets available on the market with the older platform, the question that rises is whether these devices will taste the new OS, and it seems that there are little chances for that to happen, especially since the development of the Windows Mobile 6.5 OS is said to continue for an indefinite period of time.
Aaron Woodman, Microsoft Mobile Communications business director, said recently in an interview with Cnet that there were chances that Windows Mobile 6.5 phones did not meet the requirements for an upgrade to Windows Phone 7 Series. “We will provide the OS primarily to software developers in March. Every 7 Series device will have a Qualcomm chip. It will be touch-based. There won’t be any non-touch, but that’s not saying there won’t be any keyboard devices, so they will all be touch and capacitive,” he stated.
In other words, non-touch devices will certainly not receive an upgrade to the new Windows Phone 7 OS, and there are chances that touch-enabled phones won't taste the OS either, as few of them would be compliant with the hardware specs requirements put in place by Microsoft (we say few because HTC HD2 has chances to receive the upgrade). And with Windows Mobile 6.5 still included in Microsoft's roadmap, it is understandable why the company plans on maintaining the OS alive on the market.
Moreover, a recent article on PocketNow says that HTC already confirmed that the development of Windows Mobile 6.5 would continue for an indefinite period of time, the same as Woodman stated in the aforementioned interview. This shows that Windows Mobile 6.5 will indeed continue to exist beyond the launch of Windows Phone 7 Series, and also unveils the fact that Microsoft will most likely transform it into a business-oriented platform, unlike the new OS, which is more end-user friendly.
“There are many reasons for this, not least Steve Ballmers announcement that “no current handsets will be upgraded.” Also 7 Series is NOT an upgrade to 6.5. Microsoft is releasing it as a totally new and separate OS from the existing Windows Mobile versions. 6.5 will continue to be developed, even after 7 will be available, to offer two different OS versions for different needs. 6.5 will remain more business orientated, and for devices with OS skins on them (Like the HD2 which uses our Sense skin), and 7 Series for new, more media and social based handsets, which will not be skinned,” HTC stated, according to PocketNow.