14 DAY TRIAL // Redmond-based software giant Microsoft has set a while ago October 6 as the day when the first mobile phones running under its Windows Mobile 6.5 will reach the market, and today it has also showed a list of the new Windows phones that are available for purchase all around the world. Coming from a wide range of handset makers, the new devices are expected to offer more user friendliness when compared to those running under previous versions of the platform, and they also provide access to two new services, namely MyPhone and Windows Marketplace for Mobile.
According to the company, more than 30 new handsets should reach the market running under Windows Mobile 6.5 before 2009 is gone, and they are also expected to become available in over 20 countries around the world. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer commented on the availability of the Windows phones: “We all want to connect quickly to the people and information that’s important to us from across our lives at work and at home. A Windows phone lets people take their entire world of digital information, communications, applications and entertainment with them wherever they go.”
As for the new services available for Windows Mobile 6.5 users starting today, MyPhone comes as a cloud based backup alternative, enabling users to put their important information in a secure place from where it can be easily restored on the device. The service is free, yet there are also a series of Premium features that it comes with and which will be offered for free to all users until November 30, 2009. Starting with that date, owners of a handset running under Windows Mobile 6.0, 6.1 or 6.5 in the U.S. will be able to access the features for a $4.99 seven-day access.
The Windows Marketplace for Mobile is the long-awaited software portal Microsoft makes now available for all users of a handset running under its Windows Mobile 6.5 OS. However, as announced earlier, starting with November 2009, WM 6.0 and 6.1 users might also see access to the storefront. The application portal launches today with a number of 246 apps on board, yet many others are expected to soon become available to mobile phone users. Among the ones already available we can count Facebook, MySpace, Netflix, Twikini, WunderRadio and ZAGAT, and game titles like “Sudoku,” “Guitar Hero World Tour” and the “PAC-MAN” series.
Along with announcing officially the launch of the new Windows Mobile 6.5 flavor and of the new services, Microsoft also released a list of handsets that come to the market with the new goodies and their availability around the world. Thus, North American users can enjoy HTC Pure (AT&T), HTC Imagio (Verizon Wireless), Samsung Intrepid (Sprint, Oct. 11), HTC Tilt 2 (AT&T, coming soon). Latin American users will soon see Samsung Omnia II launched on TIM Brasil.
In Europe, Orange will launch HTC HD2 in France, HTC Touch2 in France, Spain, Switzerland and Romania, Samsung Omnia II in Poland, Switzerland, Slovakia and France, Samsung Omnia LITE in France and Spain, Samsung Omnia PRO B7320 in France and the U.K., Toshiba TG01 W in France, the U.K., Switzerland and Romania, and will update HTC Touch Pro2 in France, U.K. and Romania. Deutsche Telekom will launch MDA Vario V, MDA Compact V and HTC Touch2 and the Samsung Omnia II in certain markets.
SFR will launch LG GM750 in France, Vodafone launches HTC Touch Diamond2 in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, South Africa and Central Europe, HTC Touch Pro2 in the U.K. and Switzerland, and LG GM750 in Germany, the U.K., Spain and the Netherlands. TMN in Portugal will release TMN Bluebelt 2 and TMN Silverbelt, made by ZTE, as well as Samsung Omnia II and Omnia LITE.
Users in Asia will be able to enjoy the following devices: ZTE X60 from China Unicom and HTC Touch Diamond2 from Telstra, as well as Acer beTouch E100, beTouch E101, beTouch E200 and Acer neoTouch, Garmin-Asus nüvifone M20, HTC Snap, HTC Touch Pro2, HTC Touch Diamond2 and HTC Touch2, LG GM730 and LG GM550, Samsung Omnia II, Samsung Omnia PRO B7320 and Omnia PRO B7330.
More details on Windows phones can be found here.