Windows Mobile 6.5 screenshots have a little Zune in 'em

Windows Mobile 6.5 was just a whisper on a Motorola phone chief Sanjay Jha's lips two weeks ago, but now that Ballmer himself has confirmed that there's at least one more rev of WinMo 6 en route before Windows Mobile 7 hits it looks like the floodgates have opened -- check out these hot screenshots, one of which seems to have been liberally dipped in Zune sauce. We're hoping that means we'll see some Zune integration with this next generation of handsets, but we're not going to get too worked up yet (cough, Xbox). It does look quite nice, though, and we've got our fingers crossed that this revamp is more than just a pretty new home screen and app launcher -- you're way late to that party, Microsoft. No telling on when 6.5 will actually get here, but Ballms said it'll be sometime next year, so we're guessing we don't have too long to wait.

Update: As several of you have pointed out, some of the icons are a little suspicious -- that "Today" icon is OS X's Home icon, for example. We're hoping this is the real deal and not just a user-made skin, but we wouldn't start making any long term plans here.

[Via WMPowerUser]

[bob sakamano @ Nov 12th 2008 12:12PM]

if by windows mobile 6.5 you mean megan fox and by zune you mean me, them i'm all for it

[Kiwi616 @ Nov 12th 2008 12:24PM]

Exactly "A little YOU"

[bob sakamano @ Nov 12th 2008 12:37PM]

touche

[Anomoly @ Feb 13th 2009 11:53AM]

looks more finger friendly - hopefully the menu will be customizable... as in you can add, delete and move things around - it will hold me over until that PalmPre drops. I’ve tried Microsoft… i tried.

[roach @ Nov 12th 2008 12:12PM]

I just ordered my HTC Diamond. Will I be able to upgrade to 6.5?

[nerdtalker @ Nov 12th 2008 12:18PM]

There's little doubt in my mind that XDA Devs won't hack WM6.5 so the Diamond/all HTC devices can run it. They're usually very good when it comes to that.

On another note, why is it that adding a "facebook" link is suddenly such a critical thing? Isn't it redundant to provide a browser, and then make a fixed link in the UI simply for one site, entirely for marketing purposes? It's the same reason Blackberry seems to throw a facebook logo over the entire screen of just about every piece of marketing/promotional material, so that the thing is suddenly marketable to otherwise ignorant daddy's-money sorostitiute-type chicks who otherwise had no fucking clue that you could *gasp* get to facebook using the built-in browser...

It's really sad to see WM6.5 caving into this sort of trend and catering to the lowest denominator. I know I cringe just about every time I see the hardcoded facebook links in Touch Flow 3D on my Touch Pro, which, BTW, aren't removable yet.

[Blazeitup123 @ Nov 12th 2008 12:18PM]

yes

[saccrant @ Nov 12th 2008 12:28PM]

Maybe its cause microsoft invested $240 million into facebook?

[telepheedian @ Nov 12th 2008 12:40PM]

And having a native app for facebook is worlds better than m.facebook.com (ask iPhone users).

[Sergio @ Nov 12th 2008 1:10PM]

FU#$ facebook!
Same thing happens on TF3D ported to Diamond from HD. I cant remove all that FB CRap!!

[chefgon_ign @ Nov 12th 2008 1:13PM]

Unless all WM6.5 devices will also have a permanently hard-coded link to "Dodge Ball", I'd take a wild guess and say that this is a user-customizable screen.

[Mikeweezer @ Nov 12th 2008 11:33PM]

Touch Pro??? I have a bookmark to Facebook through Opera on my Touch Pro, but not a dedicated link like the one shown above. For what it is worth, there is also a MySpace link. Neither get much click-age... I'm just too damn lazy to delete them.

[Paul @ Nov 12th 2008 12:13PM]

Microsoft has a lot of work to do in order to compete with BB OS 4.5 / 4.6

[Paul @ Nov 12th 2008 12:15PM]

looks great...

[fred @ Nov 12th 2008 12:34PM]

Really. That's darn sweet for WinMobile.

[Canoo @ Nov 12th 2008 12:16PM]

hahahha you did not just call him "Ballms"

[StalematE @ Nov 12th 2008 12:17PM]

quick iEye, say something stupid about the iPhone so we can all downrank you!!!

[Decoy @ Nov 13th 2008 11:50AM]

Quick Jubei, say "me too" about the Zune so Zeus:God can get locked into argument with you.

[Blazeitup123 @ Nov 12th 2008 12:18PM]

OMG! transparent top and bottom bars! finally lol

[Pete @ Nov 12th 2008 12:19PM]

Just because they make it look like a Zune doesn't mean the music quality doesn't suck anymore. D;

I have to admit, it does look a hell of a lot better than the previous layouts, though. I kind of saw something like this coming after 6.1 on the AT&T Fuze...cross your fingers for an update on current WinMo phones. Hopefully it irons out some functionality/speed issues while still promising to look sexy. ;D

[Fernando @ Nov 12th 2008 12:20PM]

Hexagonal menu? that's weird

also I wonder if the 64k color screen limitation is fixed

[Stuart @ Nov 12th 2008 12:21PM]

Um, I don't think MS would use Apple's home and camera icons...

[jopari @ Nov 12th 2008 12:23PM]

Well spotted. That's gotta be a fake or a user-made skin.

[Eros @ Nov 12th 2008 12:27PM]

yeah, exactly. look at those Home, Music, Camera, Calender icons.

[Chris @ Nov 12th 2008 12:30PM]

Why not, they always use Apple stuff that looks (sells) good :-)

[sinai @ Nov 12th 2008 12:43PM]

and it only took 24 minutes for someone to say "LOL THEY STEAL APPLES STUFF"

[dnl2ba @ Nov 12th 2008 1:11PM]

True... but OTOH, it's possible that these are just comps, or working software with stand-in icons. Graphic designers everywhere have an Apple fetish; why not Microsoft graphic designers too?

[HunterXI @ Nov 12th 2008 2:33PM]

Plus, what the hell is "dodge ball" there for?

Maybe SmartphoneFranceInfo (or whoever made it) thinks it's English for "chat" or whatever.

[IrishGandalf @ Nov 12th 2008 3:39PM]

@hunter most french ppl in the business world are practically fluent in english at least one's that i've encountered. Seriously, while in paris i went in to a restaurant on a square and started ordering in my (quite limited) school level french and the waiter just explained that he understood english. To say understood was being modest, he was as fluent as i am! Alot of tourist areas in european cities are like that because english is the business language of the world, chances are even if he was talking to a german they'd have at least the same level of english as my level of french (ie school level)

[_||_ @ Nov 13th 2008 12:10AM]

it's a fake, but a good design nonetheless. The left mock-up is clearly inspired by Zune, but the one on the right is actually based upon the Microsoft spin-off mobile-UI company: Zumobi, which is *gasp* a shortened version of Zune+mobile.

[kjb434 @ Nov 12th 2008 12:24PM]

This looks like someone just screenshot a homemade theme for SPB Mobile Shell 2.1. Just Google the program or themes for it.

WinMo can look whatever you want it to look like in the WinMo6 and 6.1 versions.

[Zachary Waldowski @ Nov 12th 2008 3:02PM]

SPB Mobile Shell is only for WinMo devices running the Professional version. Since this interface is clearly designed for no touchscreen, I'd say it wouldn't be SPB.

[kjb434 @ Nov 12th 2008 3:08PM]

How do you know this isn't a touchscreen interface?

They don't distinguish between smpartphone or professional devices anywhere.

[ZSX @ Nov 13th 2008 6:56PM]

@Zachary

The jump from Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard to 6.1 brought the sliding panels home screen which was a major change in the UI. It is the Professional interface which is now due an update, which may well come with 6.5.

[ZSX @ Nov 13th 2008 6:57PM]

@Zachary

Oh, and since the Windows button is in the upper left corner of the screen this would make it a Professional rather than a Standard device.

[ijyt @ Nov 12th 2008 12:25PM]

I like the honeycomb menu, reminds me of the Nokia Morph. I'd like to see the iPhone homescreen in hexagons.

[ANDROiD DREaM @ Nov 12th 2008 12:25PM]

I am psyched. I hope there is a good bit of upgrade with WM6.5 and IEM6. I am holding out on a new phone (currently have HTC TyTN II) untill WM7.

My hope is that mid next year HTC comes out with a phone much like the Touch HD but with slide out keys for US 3G networks (ATT) and have WM7 with most if not all that has been "leaked". I'm a dreamer though, because I am still convinced that MS is going to bring there optical touch technology to phones ala mobile surface in one or two years, take that capacitive touch.

[John Miller @ Nov 12th 2008 12:28PM]

Extra Zune sauce on mine, please.

[ugg.tryptophan @ Nov 12th 2008 5:03PM]

yeah! the zune os is the best around, the zune software is another story though...

[Ryan Rife @ Nov 12th 2008 12:32PM]

Uh the battery indicator isn't in the same spot....these look fake.

[telepheedian @ Nov 12th 2008 12:42PM]

Plus, if they were adding Zune looks to it, the indicators would be in the bottom right hand corner, vertically stacked. Actually, they really should consider doing that.

[Kris @ Nov 13th 2008 2:54AM]

Ryan, well spotted, 10 points.

[AlekZander @ Nov 12th 2008 12:32PM]

Everyone's always talking about how great Zune integration with the Xbox would be... I don't see it. What exactly would that offer that Zune integration with your PC wouldn't?

[Mike C @ Nov 12th 2008 1:07PM]

I place said zune next to said xbox and can then listen to the radio while smoking newbs?

[erwin @ Nov 12th 2008 12:34PM]

maybe it will be the mobile "vista"...hope not!

[Major4Play @ Nov 12th 2008 12:34PM]

Or just install a new shell for winmo 6.1, If this isn't just a skin it will be soon.

[Rollins @ Nov 12th 2008 12:35PM]

On the off chance that these are real, I think it'd be a good call.

There really isn't much wrong with the OS under WM6's interface. The interface is what's fallen behind, and this could help quite a bit.

Maybe.

[ysleiro @ Nov 12th 2008 12:53PM]

Somebody throw me a bone here.

If 6.5 comes out mid 09, I don't see MS dropping WinMo 7 six months later. Which means we might have to wait until 2010 for WinMo 7. Which is a bummer because I was expecting it to drop late 2009.

[Patriks7 @ Nov 12th 2008 1:00PM]

That looks pretty cool.. At least much better than those tiny buttons on the current WinMo.. Looks like the stylusless WinMo is coming soon!

[PeanutButterJellyRoll @ Nov 12th 2008 1:10PM]

@Alek
You're thinking too small (not an insult)... don't think "music", think, "Portable, wi-fi enabled, app-capable, sharing and storage device". If MS ever gets off their butt and comes through with the Live integration they boasted like 2 years ago... it would be glorious for us Xbox/Zune/PC peoples.

But you're right, streaming music from PC to Xbox works hella better than plugging in an iPod and waiting 20 minutes for the damn thing to read.

As far as WinMo... damn, fake or not, this is what they need. The Zune UI is so clean and crisp and would be amazing on a cellphone. Combine that with some touchscreen action, and WinMo could finally really be in the game.

Too bad I'm all Android now.