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Microsoft to Launch New and Improved Windows Mobile 6.5 in 2009

6:00 am on November 10, 2008 | Category: Business, Cell Phones, Software

The world’s biggest software company, Microsoft, confirmed Friday that it will introduce a new version of its mobile operating system next year, adding a number of additional software features to better compete with the Apple iPhone.

The updated platform, Windows Mobile 6.5, will come before a complete overhaul of the software expected with the release of Windows Mobile 7.0 (the date for which has not been announced).

“With releases we’ll make this year, releases we’ll make with 6.5 next year, (and) Windows Mobile 7, I think we have a pretty interesting roadmap,” said Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, at an investor briefing for the Australian carrier, Telstra.

Ballmer acknowledged that Windows Mobile 6.0 has been unable to deliver the same experience as Apple’s mobile OS, in terms of features, and the user-friendliness of its touchscreen technology. He said that Windows Mobile 6.5 will address these shortfalls, but did not mention any specific features or improvements.

In reference to Google’s new mobile operating system, Android, Ballmer expressed skepticism that it would be a serious competitor to Windows Mobile. “They’ve got some smart guys and hire a lot of people – blah-di-blah-di-blah,” he said. “They start out way behind in a certain sense, and we’ll see how they do – I’m not giving them a hard time.”

“I don’t really understand (Google’s) strategy,” Ballmer added. “If I went to my shareholder meetings and my analyst meeting and said, ‘Hey, we just launched a new product that has no revenue model’ I’m not sure my investors would take that very well, but that’s what Google’s telling their investors about Android.”

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