Windows Mobile 6.5 was only just announced but everyone’s already got their eyes turned towards the release of Windows Mobile 7 which is expected out next year. That’s because it is believed that Microsoft will finally be bringing the Zune multimedia experience to its Windows Mobile Smartphones with the new release. This belief is based on rumors circulating about an ad campaign that the company is working on for a product that is code-named Pink. Although the announcement about that ad campaign only indicates that Pink is some sort of mobile service, reliable experts in the industry have confirmed that they believe this refers to the goal of bringing Zune to mobile phones.
This is a much-needed move by Microsoft if it plans to stay in the smartphone game. Although twelve percent of today’s smartphones are currently running Windows Mobile, this toe-hold in the industry is quickly slipping due to competition from better and newer multimedia-capable phones including the iPhone and the new Android phones. An improved user experience would likely be possible with a phone running Zune software since the most recent release of Zune software received positive reviews. According to the announcement about the ad campaign, ads featuring Zune on mobile phones could start appearing as early as this summer although if it’s indeed going to be part of the Windows Mobile 7 update then it’s probably not actually going to appear in the market until 2010.
If Windows Mobile users are lucky, it might be possible to get Windows Mobile 7 as an automatic upgrade rather than having to purchase a new phone with the updated software which has been the case with this operating system to date. Microsoft has been spotted advertising job positions for developers of a system that would automatically update the software through a user-friendly process similar to that which Apple allows on the iPhone. Many users have complained about the lack of this type of system before so this could be another way that Microsoft retains smartphone customers in the year to come.
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Yes the excitement is building…. Can’t wait for Windows Mobile 6.5 and beyond. I really think with all of the innovation and consumer demand in this space that Microsoft will step up and listen to consumers. I think version 7 will be a huge leap from all versions 6. I’ve heard good things about the next release of internet explorer mobile, live mesh for mobile, silverlight 2 for mobile, and windows media player mobile. I have a strong database development background and love data-driven apps so I am very excited about the new versions of the * .NET compact framework and SQL server compact. If you have ever tried to develop database apps on other platforms you will quickly appreciate the depth of SQL server compact. I am hopeful the Windows Mobile Marketplace is rolled out in a way that is supportive to developers as I think developers are at the core for future success. I also think if Microsoft deployed their own device that would likely really be a hit as well.