Windows Mobile 7 pushed back to second half of 2009?

Good thing nobody's working on anything right now in the smartphone space, or this could be really bad news for Microsoft, whose current version of Windows Mobile lost the technology and usability edge a while ago, and is being bandaged up by the likes of HTC to keep the OS relevant to consumers. According to CNET, some of Microsoft's partners in the space are claiming that the upcoming Windows Mobile 7 has been pushed back to the second half of 2009, instead of the "early next year" they'd been expecting. Microsoft has yet to make a formal announcement about the release date of the OS or the specific feature set, so we can't exactly point our fingers and laugh, but we'd say crying big, mobile OS tears into our morning cereal is certainly appropriate.

[Thanks, pd]

[sconnor99 Posted Sep 23rd 2008 9:29AM]

I think WM/Android/iPhone/PalmOS has a real problem, my handset running WM/Android/iPhone/PalmOS is great and has all the features I need. I'm fed up with people running down WM/Android/iPhone/PalmOS as they clearly have a better operating system than WM/Android/iPhone/PalmOS, I should know I chose it myself and I'll spend lots of time on forums defending my purchasing choice as I'm clearly right, WM/Android/iPhone/PalmOS rules!

(Delete OS's as appropriate)

[catdogburger Posted Sep 23rd 2008 9:47AM]

That couldn't have a better comment. Hats off to you.

Can I use that as signature for my school email please? It will drive people nuts.

[BigFoamHat Posted Sep 23rd 2008 10:14AM]

Posted from my WM/Android/iPhone/PalmOS!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2008 10:11AM]

Great comment! Although I'm sure some spoon will still argue that you are wrong and that their way is best!!

[Rob Bourne Posted Sep 23rd 2008 10:12AM]

Steve wins the Internets.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2008 9:30AM]

So let me get this straight, Microsoft has NEVER announced a release date to the public, it's partner ecosystem or anyone else and yet Engadget can write an article bagging Microsoft (yet again) for some unsubstantiated rumour about a delay to Windows Mobile 7 which doesn't yet have a public release date?

OMG, and how many idiots write comments on here based upon this unsubstantiated rumour to an OS which doesn't yet have a release date! Idiots.....

[Malweran Posted Sep 23rd 2008 3:34PM]

I'm wondering if the Engadget staffs reads these comments. Instead of just blindly keep on bashing certain products.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2008 9:35AM]

I love Microsoft.

[Nomi Posted Sep 23rd 2008 10:08AM]

oh no you didnt...

[ronin691 Posted Sep 23rd 2008 9:44AM]

Hey it takes time to cram Vista into a handset, give'm a break! :P

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2008 9:46AM]

Doomed.

[APickle Posted Sep 23rd 2008 10:07AM]

I have this idea that Microsoft HAS NO DAMN CLUE WHAT IT'S DOING. Mobiles are the new PC. Delay Windows 7 if you have to, dammit, Windows Mobile 7 is more important. Microsoft needs to revamp the UI in Windows Mobile (completely), so that it doesn't depend on a stylus for simple tasks (texting, calling phone numbers, etc.), they need to make a synchronization system that takes place in the cloud, and they need an app store that's easy to find applications (including FREE ones).

Double, triple, quadruple the manpower on Windows Mobile 7, but... Microsoft... if you want to lose the mobile battle, you will continue doing what you're doing -- and focusing on Windows on the PC.

[Queshun Posted Sep 23rd 2008 10:22AM]

WHAT YOU SAID IN YOUR POST THEY HAVE ALL READY DONE! THE NEW ZUNE WILL RUN WINDOWS 7 THE DON'T WANT A HAVE ASS PRODUCT OUT THERE!

[Spiny Norman Posted Sep 23rd 2008 10:35AM]

As others have pointed out, Windows on the desktop is MS's cash cow. Corporations are hesitating to upgrade from XP, so MS has to satisfy that itch first.

I agree that mobile phone OSs are the future, but it's probably still a drop in the bucket for MS compared to their desktop and Office revenue.

While the delay might be a good thing, allowing them to work out the kinks, this assumes that everyone else is standing still. WM7 may come out "bug free" late next year, and be instantly out-of-date w.r.t. the latest Apple offerings.

[CJ Posted Sep 23rd 2008 10:40AM]

Honestly, I prefer using a stylus on touchscreen phones. For one thing, I'm brilliant at writing, not the actual writing part, but the technical pen-to-paper part, I'd imagine most of us here are. I use a modified pen (Papermate Xtend Triple) with a stylus input for all my touchscreens, and I honestly prefer it over my finger. When I absolutely MUST use my finger/thumb, I use my nail, because the pad of my finger/thumb has too much surface area to accurately pinpoint on certain areas.

Case in (ha ha) point; the iPhone's keyboard. After using it for several days (borrowed from a friend), I still haven't got the hang of typing without making mistakes.

The Hiptop 2, on the other (again, ha ha) hand, is easy; I managed to belt out a fairly lengthy email (about 500 words) without many mistakes, minutes after picking up the device. The hiptop actually less surface area per letter, but they're physical buttons, and so less accidental mistakes from pressing the virtual buttons to the left and right of a letter. But I digress, back to the problem at hand.

I actually prefer the WM virtual keyboard to the iPhone's virtual keyboard, even though it's smaller, I can use a stylus to get exactly the right letter, every time. Granted, it takes slightly longer with only one input device (unlike iPhone's two thumbs (or more), but I actually spend less time typing something out with a stylus than I do with my thumbs, because I spend less time correcting my errors.

That and (admittedly lacklustre) handwriting recognition.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2008 11:10AM]

I agree with most of what you said, Norman. Companies spend the money where they make the money. Microsoft is no different in that regard. The company I work for didn't upgrade to XP until last year and they aren't about to upgrade to Vista anytime soon. It just costs too much to install a new OS on thousands of machines and they also have to ensure that our customized software is compatible. We just can't afford to have machines down with glitches. I suspect they're going to skip Vista stick with XP until well after Windows 7 is released.

Microsoft is spending money on their new campaign, trying to get that touchy feely image like Apple. Mac users upgrade their machines readily as the new OSs are released. If Visa is a failure in any regard, it's in the fact that so many people just don't care about it and are not upgrading.

So what does this have to do with Windows Mobile 7? I believe Microsoft isn't as committed to it as many users would like them to be because they are busy working on their image and trying to increase sales of Vista. Lets face the facts. The economy sucks and they're competing for your money just like every other corporation out there. Microsoft has spent a lot of money on Vista and they want to make as much as they can on it.

[resource Posted Sep 23rd 2008 10:25AM]

Why is this delayed or premature??

WM 6 came out 18 months ago (2/07) and barely improved on WM5.
And that still wasn't enough time to get out 7?

Apple is dropping OS revisions constantly, although they still have a ways to go.
I was holding out for a dream combo like HTC Touch HD with WM7/Zune software w/ Skymarket because I like the WM openness over the iPhone platform but there is no way in hell I am waiting until Dec 2009.

Android/Apple, here I come...

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2008 12:33PM]

WinMo 6.1 came out in April this year, moron.

[agreenbhm Posted Sep 23rd 2008 10:38AM]

I have a Treo 700WX with WM 5 and I love it. By the time WM7 is released maybe it will be in line with the Windows 7 release?

[mcarroll Posted Sep 23rd 2008 10:44AM]

WM7 should be the mobile "redeemer" for MS, and if that means spending a little more time on it, then so be it. One of the perks to a Windows Mobile device, be it 2003,5,6,6.1 whatever, is that it is usually upgradeable. In my case, I'm running a 3 year old HTC Wizard (Cingular 8125) originally running WM5, but now running one of the latest builds of 6.1 from the Diamond. With this in mind, I'm happy to be patient, because I know that my current phone will last me through the release of WM7 and beyond, and with the right customization, it can do just as much as the other "big boys". People need to grow out of the "blind fanboy" phase and grow up to accept competition for its benefits, and not to bash before official details are released.

[CJ Posted Sep 23rd 2008 10:49AM]

But they MUST bash, don't you understand?

If they wait until the actual product is released, they may find that everything they were/weren't going to bash it on doesn't/does exist! Therefore, they must hang up a device or system early, so that they already have a pre-concieved mindset by the time it's released, and they realise that they've been barking up the wrong tree.

[Daz Posted Sep 23rd 2008 10:44AM]

@resource

Apple are only dropping new revisions constantly because they first released it with buggy software so they are fixing it as they go along, once they fix one thing they release a new revision.

MS could do exsactly the same if they released the OS now, and then they can keep dropping revisions every month untill they get to a near fixed OS.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2008 11:04AM]

This delay is like an invitation for everyone to try out Android for a year...

[David3000 Posted Sep 23rd 2008 11:06AM]

I thought it was strange to have all these new WinMo devices being released only months before a major sofware refresh. This delay might have more to do with Microsoft allowing its hardware manufacturers to sell their currently and soon to be released devices before they hit us with the next gen of hardware.

I guess this answers the question, "Will my new TouchPro/Xperia/TouchHD/Omnia be upgradeable to WinMo 7?" It doesn't matter, you'll be buying a new device second half of the year.

With more and more Manufacturers building WinMo devices there sure is/will be a lot to choose from in 6.1 flavor.

http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=1094

http://www.wmexperts.com/articles/smartphone_pool_may_be_getting.html

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2008 12:03PM]

HAHAHA Of course it was pushed back, it's MS. Did you seriously expect something more? Their heads are so far up their asses nowadays this is really no surprise. Their OS releases are becoming a laughing stock. This is hilarious, a big LOL for you MSFanboys. One more for our side. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Ioncloud9 Posted Sep 23rd 2008 6:48PM]

You guys realize that Windows Mobile (Windows CE 5.X) is used on more than just cellphones right? Barcode scanners, dispatch handhelds, something like 20,000 different unique devices it runs on. Cellphones are probably fewest on that list.

Here is what I am hoping from Windows Mobile 7:

Finger friendly stock GUI, will obviously combine Standard and Professional Editions.

The ability to completely strip the GUI and all the core programs down to core functionality and be redone, reskinned, or reworked by 3rd parties, (Users, HTC, etc.) I love what HTC have done with their TouchFlo3D and how much cooler it could be if that was truly the core UI of the OS.

Increased stability, added protections (togglable) to keep the device from hosing up completely when running apps that consume the CPU.

Higher standards for WM phones. Required minimum resolutions, CPUs, RAM, perhaps Accelerometer if the device doesnt have a keyboard.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 24th 2008 12:14AM]

It'd be cool if Windows Mobile 7 looked kinds like Vista, the menus and everything ran like a lite version of Vista. The way menus pop in and out and nice little effects like that. Windows Mobile already has the functionality, it just looks dated even with the most rescent update.

[JoseNMTE Posted Oct 6th 2008 3:37PM]

my question is will windows mobile 7 be available for an upgrade for phones that run winmo6.1 cuz i want to buy the htc touch hd whenever it gets released but dont want to switch phones mid 2009 to use winmo7? i dont know if i can get the touch hd and expect an update later on or if i should just hold on and wait for a winmo7 phone?