Windows Mobile 7 'Maldives' test program reportedly on track for Q1 2010 release to OEMs
By Donald Melanson 
posted Nov 10th 2009 8:19PM
posted Nov 10th 2009 8:19PM
Ballmer may have wanted it to be out yesterday, but it looks like the initial release of Windows Mobile 7 may now finally, actually be in sight. According to ZDNet Taiwan, the mobile OS is now on track for a release to OEMs for testing (the so-called "Maldives" program) sometime in the first quarter of 2010, and will be launched publicly sometime in the third quarter of the year (or about a year after the release of Windows Mobile 6.5) -- all of which more or less lines up with earlier rumors of a release to manufacturing in Spring 2010. If past history is any indication, however, it seems likely that the earliest builds of the OS could be circulating around the usual channels well before that -- probably right on the heels of the release to OEMs.
Too little too late.
,,,,,and you know that how ? you have seen WM 7?
Who needs to see it when we've already seen Android and iPhoneOS?
I like the current windows mobile platform.. so I think windows 7 mobile is going to be Excellent.. I actually want it on my next phone or android depending on which has better hardware at the time.
Agreed. Too little too late. WinMo is as good as dead, no point in this upgrade. All WinMo users are going to end on the iPhone, Android, Pre or Nokia.
Why all the hate for WinMo7? Microsoft put a lot of time and effort into this and I'm sure it's going to be mind blowingly good!
BTW, believe it or not, Android and iPhoneOS aren't perfect, so it isn't going to be impossible to compete with them.
@David
By your logic, "Who needs to see what airplanes have to offer, we already have trains."
or
"What's this new fangled e-mail all about, we already have the post office!"
or perhaps more fitting
3 years ago when Apple first released the iPhone, did you say "Who needs to see new Apple's iPhone, we already have Windows Mobile, Palm OS, and Blackberries."
You see where this is going?
That's not hate, that's trolling.
If it's anything like the screenshots that were leaked a week or two ago .. We're dealing with major suckage here. Come on it didn't use subtle coloring (like the No switch should have been red tinted and the yes switch green) and the screens were quite busy.
Seems they tried and failed to imitate Android.
Here's me hoping that Microsoft comes out with an iPhone and Android killer OS.
Competition... the only thing that lets consumers win.
I see that the Microsoft rankbots are working efficiently tonight.
Seriously -- "Microsoft has put a lot of time and effort into this."
What, is a mobile OS a book report? A for effort?
Please.
Peeps,
Nobody is saying that MS doesn’t deserve a shot, they are saying that it is too late. Is it? It’s getting close! I think the Pre is nice, but also think that Palm has almost zero chance in the market.
Best of luck! But, Microsoft had half a decade head start and could have easily been the leader in the market.
Why can't the minority Microsoft fan boys ever get highest ranked here on engadget? Not.
I guess its the same reason that Microsoft isn't going to make the Windows Mobile 7 registry any lighter or a less bloated feature... because they can't help it. So sad.
cant w8 fir this.... well maybe i can
@what a surprise: Other than a flashier UI, what exactly is WinMo lacking that the other OSes have?
And by then we will have iPhone OS 4.0, Android 3.0 and WebOS 2.0 and MS will still be catching up. They really need to move faster if they want to stay in this game.
Clearly you're counting something wrong because this will be Windows Mobile SEVEN (7). Pretty sure that's 3 ahead of iPhone and even more over the others. GG
Not really, they have a solid platform, it just needs to address some of the areas that have been neglected, add a new paint job and all of a sudden it is back in the game. HTC and co will add sense or some other skin on top, so as long as it delivers a solid foundation it's all good.
Yeah, it's amazing that windows has had 6.5 chances to make huge improvements to their OS, and they are behind OS's that are in 1.x, 2.x, 3.x and will probably stay behind if the screen shots are anywhere near what it is going to actually look like. Besides, our friend up above is right, iPhone OS is probably going to get multitasking by then, who knows how many awesome things Android is going to get, and webOS is just going to keep pushing forward.
How long did it take apple to add MMS.. seriously.. Everyone needs to improve. I'm not happy with any of the current phone OS.
I wouldn't count any screenshots as final. Microsoft is notorious for not releasing the updated UI until the beta is released. This was the case with Aero in Vista as well as the Superbar on 7. Alphas that were previewed were missing them, and intentionally so. You don't need the slick UI to test to see if things are working, and a UI although extremely important is more or less a skin on the underlying OS, so it is something that they can take the time to polish and introduce later as it is less likely to cause bugs.
Remember when they thought the Internet was a fad? Why are they always the last one to the party?
Remember when they thought 640K was enough for anybody?
Remember when computers were the size of entire buildings?
Remember when Apple had a higher market share?
Remember when all computer interaction took place through a terminal?
Remember the time before all Engadget commenters were douches?
because they hate technology. they're just in it for the money.
why else would they still be charging when the vastly superiour Android OS is free.
Doesn't matter. As long as they're asking for money for this POS, more and more OEMs will jump ship.
By the time WinMo 7 is in the hands of actual PEOPLE, Apple will have 150,000 apps in the store. Oh yeah. And uh. A new version of OS X iPhone.
Get it Ballmer? A new one every year. Hurry up.
@mike
Because mike.. when you have vertical services to offer with the OS, such as zune integration, exchange, etc. and its what people want, then hardware manufacturers will pay the $15 per handset license for WM7. The linux crowd still hasnt figured out that because their OS is free doesnt mean people will want it.
"Remember the time before all Engadget commenters were douches?"
Don't try to go back too much in time, it hurts my head.
If MS makes similar transformation as they did from Vista to Win 7, I'm sold.
"If MS makes similar transformation as they did from Vista to Win 7, I'm sold. "
They'd have to release countless patches and updates (larger then the actual OS itself) and make Win 6.5 usable, and then slap some UI effects on it, label it '7' and ask you to pay up.
@p0p0
Pepperidge Farm does.
Soon to foolow Encarta, Money, MSN Direct........
I WILL BELIEVE WHEN I SEE IT and i'm not holdin my breath
why does everyone think hating on Microsoft makes them look cool?
Why do people think that no one out there suffered through earlier versions of Microsoft WM, and aren't in a forgiving mood about it?
@ Dster: If you're still bitter about old Win Mobile Oses, then a comments like "Let's hope it's better than the last pieces of crap OSes they released" or "I won't be holding my breath" or even "Doubt it'll run Crysis" would make more sense than "Too little, too late". Unless you have some sort of insight as to what it will be like?
Windows 7 is receiving critical acclaim despite Vista, Me and other disasters, so why can't WinMo7 turn out awesome?
Hi guy943,
I suppose I could give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt that they won't release garbage again, but they've given so very much evidence against this.
Also, there are now a plurality of real, quality options, which means I don't *have* to give them the benefit of the doubt. Nor does anyone else.
Therefore, too little, too late.
As for Windows 7, I am astounded that they got their act together (if indeed they have). I suppose they could't afford to keep screwing up their flagship product.
@kojo87
same reason people buy Mac computers
See that picture, thats what Ballmer looked like right before punching Jobs in the vagina. POW right in the baby maker.
i think you mean "hay-maker to the babymaker"
Windows mobile is DEAD! Long live anDROID!
Microsoft's got one shot to knock WM7 out of the park before Android 3.0 steamrolls it into obliteration.
/clutches his WinMo 6.5 phone and weeps softly.
Damn you, Microsoft! Fix this! Don't let this abomination go on! We've suffered enough!
I agree, I do think what is left of Microsoft's hopes in the mobile OS arena are riding entirely on WinMo7. If they botch it, I don't think they will be able to come back. The good news is that they have been on a role as for quality and interfaces lately (except for that cursed Office Ribbon), including the closely related ZuneHD. I sincerely see this thing having a solid chance, and with the potential convergence possibilities with Zune, Windows Media remote streaming, and Media Center, it could make for an interesting product. Of course MS has always dropped the ball on converging technologies and getting them to work together.
my friend, in this global smart phone race WinMo is the horse with the broken leg. Might as well take it out the back and put a bullet in its head to take it out of its misery. No point in letting the poor beast suffer any longer. The real stallions of the race, iPhone, Blackberry, Android, have left WinMo far behind.
I dont think either iphone os or web os are direct compeition as they are tied only to one or two phones. But rate at which android is developing WM7 would need to be something spectacular to be in the frame. I dont see even yearly release is good enough in this market. They probably need a modular platform and quarterly releases.
I could really see the competition between WM7 and Android. I'm a webOS developer and love my Pre, but if webOS doesn't branch to other phones it's going to be overwhelmed by all other devices which will probably be Android and Windows Mobile 7.
2010 will be interesting to say the least (lets not forget the other OS's that will be shown off).
I think MS should just strip it down to the kernel, and give it out to companies that are building winmo phones and let them redesign the whole thing to their liking.
HTC does a good job, im sure they could redesign the whole OS for them
It all depends on the...DEVELOPERS!
And in that regard Windows Mobile still has the clear advantage above the rest from a developer perspective. Lets just hope WM doesn't restrict it's developers too much (we all know it might get a tiny bit more limited for those wanting a stake in marketplace).
all the DEVELOPERS are dumping WinMo and migrating to Android and iPhone OS. No point sticking with a dead platform.
DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, Yeah!
so it will be on XDA in a week?
Even if it is, i doubt it will even work on today's handsets (except the HD2) Anything with a 7200/7600/7500 series processor i would say will not work at all with it.
vista released on Jan 30, 2007; windows mobile 6.0 released on Feb 12, 2007.
Windows 7 on Oct 22, 2009; windows mbile 6.5 about Oct 2009. and windows mobile 7 will be in 2010.
Such nice way, we never wouldn't get a version upgrade to new ones for free. really narrow space of time!
Difference is that 7 is by most accounts goign to be sold at the same time as 7. 6.5 will run on older CPUs and resistive screen devices, while 7 will run on higher end hardware with capacitive screens. So for those of you with a 6.5 device in your hand, it is neaarly certain you won't be getting a free upgrade to 7 without new hardware (I am really hoping the HD2 meets the specs)
Maldives eh? Should be nice :p , that's where I'm from!
Could be good. Next iPhone will be close to release and the hype train for smartphones is going to be high. With the mindshare Windows has they will be seen as the direct competitor to the iPhone. Most of the public is going to think of the mobile OS as Windows 7. Most of the smartphone converts now don't "know." Wait until EVERYBODY has a smartphone. Winmo7 could palpably shoot to #2 by the end of next year. Android has a evil hacker, fad shit going on. Everybody, grandma, has windows.
Especially since since Apple's MO is to stick with what works, I don't expect the next iPhone OS to be revolutionary at all, just add a few small features and some case changes, perhaps a nano version. Whereas most people are expecting a major shift from the dated Winmo 6.x to a significantly different WinMo7. That alone could make the difference with the hype.
Dreams my friend, just dreams. WinMo drove itself in the complacency black hole and failed to innovate. Google seized the opportunity and now all the major phone builders are leaving WinMo to go to Android. Motorola and Palm already produce zero WinMo phones, HTC and SonyEricsson are on a similar route. Meanwhile more and more users chose iPhone and Blackberries. There's no going back.
@Highest Ranked
Stop being a goon and just open your mind. You appear to be on a one gimp campaign.
No one here knows enough about WinMo7 but one thing that you can be sure of is a distinctly radical 'upgrade' from what 6.x offers.
MS are in a position where they can leave their previous platform behind because it is losing them market share (it is important to note, in a growing market). This is an overhaul and not just an upgrade that takes a year to produce. It has been stated that it is no.2 in their priority list after Windows 7.
The expected list of established technologies and services that are to be included in WinMo7 is enough to get anyone hopeful for the platform at the very least.
The main problems with 6.5 at present are UI and none unified Hardware API for developers. I can't see that being a problem with WinMo7.
Also palm have jumped ship because they have their own OS they have invested in and there is evidence that Motorola are working with The WinMo7 beta.
Stop spreading mis-information and get your head out of your ass while you are at it.
peace out
Maldives?? I may be from there, but seriously they could have picked a better name, then again it may be the right name, a small, distance, scattered, too expensive, and nothing but good for a stroll place, just like Windows hehe
sounds good. I am getting a 6.1 phone very likely in December, and while that may have a 6.5 upgrade path, they won't have a 7 one. That's fine.
There was a rumor a bit ago of an LG Monaco that was releasing on AT&T this month that was supposed to run Winmo7, as well as a lot of folks think that the HD2 will be capable of it. So it is possible that hardware that is Winmo7 capable is starting to be released. No way to know for sure, but it does make sense that the hardware capable of running it needs to be around prior to be able to do widespread testing.
You know what, until MS can put out an office viewer / Office program that is on par with what is available on Android and the iPhone, they will be a laughing stock in my eyes.
Go ahead, try and load up a rather complex spreadsheet in WM, even just to view it...
Oh, and with the exception of Tasks, Android and the iPhone have a much smoother Exchange Activesync experience IMO.
Fix those two things and I'll bite.
I tried ActiveSync on the iPhone and didn't like how it merged multiple calendars and contacts. I also couldn't make a meeting request. I do like how both Android and Symbian can have multiple ActiveSyncs. Nice to be able to use it on Exhange(work) and Gmail(personal) on the same phone.
Mulva!
If it has a start button, then it already fails. You guys can vote me down all you like, but that remains the reality. Sorry.
Doctor: Here you go, here's your baby, Windows Mobile 7.
Microsoft: Aww, it's so cute! I just know it's going to grow up to be big and strong.
Doctor: Uh, yeah. About that.
Microsoft: What is it, doc? Give it to me straight, I can take it.
Doctor: Well, it's just that...
Microsoft: WHAT?!
Doctor: Your baby was born without developers.
Microsoft: What do you mean? I have all kinds of developers.
Doctor: No, I'm afraid while you were pregnant with Windows 7 for the past couple years, all the developers have dried up. They all moved on to iPhone and Android. They're gone, forever, and without them your baby is going to waste away slowly and never reach maturity.
Microsoft: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
The doctors next comment should have been:
DOCTOR: "Oh don't worry though, all the smart ones have stayed on"
Is windows mobile all so backward? from what I'm reading, here and the net it sounds like ppl are defending iphone as being 100 steps ahead of windows mobile. but how so?... I've seen the iphone in action, but after all the eye candy, it doesnt seem to be a powerful business phone, but it is a powerful MID? the apps dont aggregate with the other apps like calendar and contacts and such as i had thought and cant run more than one task in the back. I'm not trying to be sarcastic or any thing, really I want to know how exactly is the iphone better than windows mobile apart from multi touch and apps? or is it just only 'cool' to be an iphone. i dont want to waste my money.
the iphone is cool for gaming and all, but I'm waiting and hoping that MS comes out with a phone with xbox gaming and such. Does any body know if windows mobile 7 will be it?
iPhone is easier to navigate and and scores pretty high on the usability factor. However as a power user I find it lacking in flexibility, or even basic abilities I value. Jailbroken phones are supposed to be better, but I didn't ever do that with the phone provided by my work. Overall, I think they are a great if not phenominal consumer phone, as a business phone they are way down the list, behind Blackberry, WinMo, Symbian, and Android. Apple has a long way to go to make a enterprise class product whether it be OSX or iPhone OS, but I wouldn't expect them too, it isn't really what they do.
iPhone = simple = appealing to most/casual/general users
WinMo = complex = for advanced users
Thanks, finally a good honest answer. so all windows mobile have to do is make it user friendly and pretty looking.
and the iphone needs to get better management tools.
ok cool thanks.
It seem that WinMo is not really behind. its a blind perception.
so about xbox gaming on windows mobile?
Oh WinMo still needs some improvement in reliability too. I rarely go a week without it freezing for some reason or another, but I try lots of crazy things like syncing thousands of messages a day. Still it is mostly the interface that garners the criticism, to many little scroll bars that beg for a stylus or fingernail, to many little drop down lists, tiny little onscreen keyboard, etc. In essence it looks like Windows 3.1 But it sure can do a lot and is very customizable.
Regarding gaming, it's a mixed bad on WinMo. I've seen a lot of good games on it, and the fact that you can use buttons instead of/as well as the touch-screen is a plus. Software distribution on it is sucky though, so it's hard to find the good games. The app-store on iPhones really brings the iPhone ahead in that regard.
then no gaming potentiial?... whats it like on previous releases. do you get gamer tags?
Not sure if this comment has been posted, but this is in response to the "little too late" comments and "winmo is dead", apparently you guys haven't heard of xda-dev and other sites like it? And as a member go check it out, then come back and post, xda-developers.com
XDA = ex-windows Developers (now) Android
let's all now join hands and celebrate the slain of the hideous blob known as WinMo by the shiny swords of the white knights iPhone, Blackberry and Android!
One more throe by the blob and it is dead for good.
@[Highest Ranked]
Are you stupid or something? xda-developers only has 3 Android phones, compared to 19 (current) WinMo phones.
Seriously, do people who criticize Windows Mobile even know anything about the system? I'll agree that the smartphone market has evolved and MS needs to catch up to it because the WinMo 6 was developed with a different group in mind (power users and techies). That said, a good WinMo phone definitely was and probably still is pretty tough to beat IMO. My more than two year old Tilt (HTC Kaiser) has features that others have only recently gotten or don't have at all. How long did it take the iPhone to get copy&paste, video recording, GPS, or remote desktop connection? I've had them all since I got my phone. Office Mobile is standard and always has been. Navigating multiple open programs in the native OS may not be pretty, but multi-tasking is certainly doable, and no problem at all with other UIs. That brings me to my other point is if you don't like the interface, you can easily change it. In fact, you can change it every month if you want to vary things up. The other aspect that annoys me about the iPhone is storage. If you need more space, you have to buy a new phone. With WinMo, you just buy a new microSD card.
What it really seems to come down to (at least to me) is that in order to actually utilize a WinMo phone, you have to know what you're doing because in effect, it's a palm-top computer. That and the crappy UI, which practically no one sticks with.
You guys talk like WinMo phones are the only customizable ones out there. Haven't you ever heard of jailbreaking the iPhone? Do that and you have access to the entire Unix-based OS. You can multitask, do things like use the phone as a modem for computers over an ad-hoc WiFi, ssh, remote desktop, etc.
I've used and programmed both the WinMo phones and the iPhone and right now, the iPhone wins hands down. It's not a simple phone for noobs. Jailbreak it and you can do whatever you want. The frameworks available are much richer than what WinMo provides.
Maybe things will change with WinMo 7, but right now a jailbroken iPhone OS leaves WinMo 6.5 in the dust.
@RandomGuy
not trying to flame or fanboying the subject but, what ur experienceing could be just firmware problem due to w/e rom your using, because stuff coming out from sites like xda are pretty awesome, with little to none issues to freeze and lock ups, and there is so many tweak tools out there.
Too little too late. WinMo is as good as dead, no point in this upgrade. All WinMo users are going to end on the iPhone, Android, Pre or Nokia.
iPhone developers, developers, developers, developers!
Android developers, developers, developers, developers!
Pre developers, developers, developers, developers, developers!
Nokia developers, developers, developers, developers!
Q1? That was actually a surprise. Hopefully it means early Q1, and we can see handsets by Q2 or so, not Q4 2010.
Whoa!!! Didnt think Maldives would make such a fancy name for trial and error. This is indeed good news for 2 reasons. We can expect some leaked Win7 Builds @ XDA and all around soon. Next....Maldives??? Really??? Thankx Balmer!!!
You can do it Microsoft! Seeing all the new stuff Microsoft has delivered on this year, I can definitely see WinMo 7 fulfilling missed opportunities from WM6 and maybe even more. Please don't make this a disappointment.
i'm from the Maldives too :) it's so cool that they used a country's name for a codename :p
@ haxen
indeed man!!! Balmer must have a good reason to call it such....
whoa whoa - how many of you haters have tried WinMo 6.5? I have Mighty Mike's 6.5 MightyROM installed on a Verizon Touch Pro2 my wife is using and it's SLICK. You only have to pull out the stylus if you're really deep into your preferences. I'm now using a Verizon Droid and it's got some cool features but it has no where near the polish of WinMo 6.5's phone/contacts/email/calendar management and integration. Oh and don't get me started on managing documents, I tried copy/paste on my Droid for 5 minutes today before giving up. There's some features that are a lot easier to use with a stylus, don't knock it if you haven't tried the latest build.
RE: App Store - Microsoft's new Marketplace offering with WinMo 6.5 is easy to use and has some cool games etc, it'll only get more apps as time goes on
RE: Developers - how many fart app's do you really need? There is easily a critical mass of developers on WinMo. DataViz anyone? XDA Developers? SPB? They are all very accomplished WinMo developers. They make useful business apps, ROM's, customizations or skins. Just because they don't have 10 fart noise apps don't knock them.
oh and don't count MS out just because there's no "buzz" surrounding them. Everyone was saying Motorola was going down the tubes and they just released Droid which as already gone past 100,000 units in the first couple days.
wow.. our country Maldives is so famous now..kooool..
pretty isnt it. and to think, on nov 11th too such good news. release win7 already Balmer!!
cool!, code name 'Maldives". i am a Maldivian.
Like to see this.. really surprised about the name ' Maldives'....
its the beautiful country v're living.... keep it up guys...
Anyone who thinks WinMo7 is going to be such a radical update that it will make demand skyrocket has got to be smoking something good. People have already realized that there are far superior non-windows alternatives in the market and they are not going to go back to the same ol' bag of hurt. That is only the fanboy dream.
WinMo will just keep sinking further into irrelevance while the iPhone, Blackberry and Android take over the market.
Really?!
As an obvious pro, do you mind telling what iPhone, Android and BlackBerry offer and WinMo didn't have 3 years ago?
I can tell you what each of them still doesn't offer, and WinMo did 3 years ago...
@ MiniMe
It doesn't matter what the iPhone had or didn't have 3 years ago, that's past. What the iPhone is offering now is nearly unmatched in the industry, that's why now it is fast approaching BlackBerry volumes and is soon to surpass it to become #1. Meanwhile, WinMo who once enjoyed 40% of the market when there was no competition is now shriveled to about 8.5% and fast dropping still.
I guess, reading comprehension is not your strongest skill. Can you tell me what any of this OS have now, what WinMo didn't have already 3 years ago (hint: this task should be done without 4-hour long search on Google)?
And I will correct your statement "I guess some people love to live in the past and bask in old glories while the rest of us are in the future: iPhone and Android."
I guess some people love to follow the trend without thinking for themselves (and blindly repeating meaningless statements they half-heard somewhere on the web and failed to understand), while some of us do head-to-head comparison to pick the winner..
WinMo 7.
I'm going to get a big laugh when Ballmer announces they will be giving it away for free to OEMs.
Because OEMs are not going to pay for it.
Google provides Android for free because they anticipate ROI on mobile searches.
What's the MS model? ROI from Bing?
Time to ramp up for the layoffs!
Now there is a face for radio.
Zune HD Phone please, and thank you.
Can't wait to ditch my iPhone for Win7. Customizable, upgradable, unlockable (and not at the mercy of half-potent iPhone-Dev), full app support (and not 100,000 applications of which only what, 10 are useful). Bring it on!
I guess some people love to live in the past and bask in old glories while the rest of us are in the future: iPhone and Android.