14 DAY TRIAL // Redmond-based software giant Microsoft is expected to make a public announcement regarding the next-generation Windows Mobile 7 flavor of its mobile client next month during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, yet it seems that the wait might be in vain once again. Even if there have been a lot of reports on the platform's upcoming arrival during the ongoing year, some of the latest rumors around the Internet suggest that we'll be able to taste it next year only.
The guys over at Bright Side of News claim they have spoken with a great deal of sources around, including people from Microsoft, Lenovo, Qualcomm, TI, NVIDIA, HTC and Symbian stalwart and Nokia, and the general consensus is that the next big iteration of Windows Mobile won't make an appearance on the market until next year.
The news site says that Windows Mobile 7 is not to be expected to be seen anywhere before next year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Moreover, it seems that the majority of mobile players will shift focus towards Google's increasingly powerful Android operating system. For what it's worth, with previous reports suggesting that WM7 is already in its final stages, it is rather hard to believe that Microsoft will not bring the OS to the market during 2010.
“This unfortunate turn of events had several sacrifices, such as dedicated Windows Mobile 7 cellphones and smartbooks that are now being shifted to Android. We are not certain what this means for viability of Microsoft in handheld market and can Zune Phone make amends and restart the eco system but again, according to our sources – they're all going either for Windows XP/7 or Linux where they can [x86 CPU designs] or simply adopting Google's Android or Chrome OS,” the news site notes.
On the other hand, in case the rumors pan out, the delay might suggest that Microsoft has already acknowledged its loss on the smartphone market and it won't try to put up a fight anymore, but even this is somehow hard to believe. However, MWC is only one month ahead, and additional details on the matter should emerge as it nears even more, so stay tuned to learn the news.