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MWC 2009: Windows Mobile 6.5 announcement & screenshots

Remo Knops — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 06:00:07 +0000

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Steve Balmer and Andrew Lees announced Windows Mobile 6.5, together with two additional services: (1) MyPhone and (2) Windows Marketplace for Mobile. This article will focus on the main changes in Windows Mobile 6.5 and provide some background information together with screenshots.

“Windows phones bring together the best of the Web, the PC and the phone so you can connect instantly to the experiences you care about, no matter where you are,” Ballmer said. “We’re working with partners across the industry to deliver a new generation of Windows phones that break down the barriers between people, information and applications and provide great end-to-end experiences that span your entire life, at work and at home.” [ref01]

The first remarkable fact is the naming: “Windows Phones”. Since a phone running the Windows Mobile platform is per definition a MOBILE device, the term Mobile is absolete. It’s al in the simplicity of the word choice: A phone running Windows. In slightly different words Clinton Fitch’s describes Balmer’s idea’s above:

“Microsoft is working on the concept that people and information are the center of your personal universe, not necessarily a phone, pc or other digital device. Accessing those people and that information is really what is key – on what you use to access them is somewhat secondary. To that end you will see with Windows Mobile 6.5 a focus on getting to the information you want to access quicker. Further, you will see more of this information being available in different locations. You can see some of that now with Live Mesh and with the introduction of My Phone, you will see this vision further develop.” [ref03]

The essence however is to connect the different platforms (PC, Cloud & Phone) and to get quicker acces to your information With this essence in mind I will guide you through the main area’s of change, and focus on the different aspects shown in the accompanied screenshots. After that I will provide a summary an some initial thoughts about the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system.

1. LOCKSCREEN

The first major area of change is the lockscreen, which is shown in the screenshots above ! Research has shown that people want to know three things on the first screen they see on a mobile device: (1) the time, (2) the next appointment, (3) the status of their phone. The latter means the notifications about missed calls, voicemails, new text messages etc. This lockscreen is shown when the device is touched or turned on. If you have enhanced security enabled on your Windows Phone, you probably need to enter the code AFTER this screen. The next appointment and the time are more or less obvious (remark the homescreen of SPB Mobile Shell and the background information I provided in the review of version 2.0). However the phone is locked and the blue box shows the total number of notifications. If you tap or click on the blue notification box, the notifications are split up per type. As an example you have a missed call, than you simple make a sliding gesture to the left or right, which results in the automated action of opening the dailer and calling the “missed call” number.

2. HOMESCREEN

The second major area of change is the homescreen. I will start to lookback at (1) the sliding panels which were introduced with Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard, and (2) the interface of a Zune Player. It looks like bits of both interfaces have com together in the new Windows Mobile 6.5 homescreen design. While the sliding panels were only available on Windows Mobile Standard, this homescreen is rolled out both on Standard and Professional devices.

“The order of the items on the home screen are not movable but you will be able to add web widgets for things like weather. These widgets will automatically update so you don’t have to tap around to update them, improving the information feed to you.” [ref03]

For the readers among you who hooked up to the livestream of the keynote already saw this homescreen in action during one of the demo’s. Personally I was pleasantly surprised by the speed of the interface on the HTC Touch Pro2 device (Windows Mobile Professional). At this point in time it’s not clear to me if and how this new homescreen will interact with custom userinterfaces like TouchFLO 3D.

3. START

The third main area of change, and probably the most dramatic is the honeycomb-style start menu. Let’s have a look at a current professional device where you have a folder with programs and a folder with settings. If you install third party applications some get their link in the programs folder, others in the settings folder. With the new Windows Mobile 6.5 start menu both the settings and programs are merged into one single honeycomb-style menu, which is fully customizable. The end-user can manipulate the icons where-ever he or she wants to have it in the list. If you look at the darkened sides of the screen, and not showing additional honey-combs to the left and right a user knows that he cannot scroll to the left or right (and the same applies for scrolling up in the screenshots above). The start menu isn’t a single-level list, but consists of more levels:

“If, for example, you were to tap on Settings, you would see the Settings menu in this same honeycomb layout with thinks like Bluetooth, Owner Information and so forth occupying the cells of the menu.” [ref03]

The question may remain: “Why a honey-comb and not a box or a circle ?” There are two arguments which favor for use of the honey-comb design, which came out of Microsofts Research groups. (1) The honey-comb is the optimal area to tap on with your fingerprint (not a box or a circle), in short finger-friendlyness, and (2) The honey-comb design makes it possible to pack relative a large amount of links / icons into the screenspace. The combination of these two arguments results in this easy to use, simple start menu.

4. BROWSER

The fourth main area of change is the browser: Internet Explorer 6 (for Mobile). This browser supports flash lite, and is optimized for finger use like you can see in the screenshot above. Cool but very functional features are the zoombar and the breadcrumb, which shows up in the corner during panning accros a webpage. Furthermore Microsoft claims that it’s possible to complete more online transactions on this mobile browser (than on any other mobile browser). Furthermore this browser is based on the (desktop version) Internet Explorer 6, and now brought to the mobile platform.

“One of the questions that many of us MVPs asked was why the version was based on IE 6 when Internet Explorer 8 is near release. The answer, which makes good sense, is that the vast majority of website were built to the IE 6 standard. This will make sure the browsing experience more robust for users.” [ref03]

5. SERVICES

The last area of change is not directly ON the Windows Mobile platform, but consists of the services which INTERACT with the Windows Mobile 6.5 platform. Recently the Microsoft Live Mesh service was introduced, which easily connects and let you share files on the PC, in the cloud and on your phone. This only supports the fact that Microsoft will explore the service domain a little further. During the Micrsoft Mobile World Congress keynote of Steve Balmer and Andrew Lees two additional services were announced: (1) Microsoft MyPhone, and (2) Windows Marketplace for Mobile.

The MyPhone service was also shown in a demo, and if you are interested you can read more in my article about the MyPhone service. The second service Windows Marketplace wasn’t shown in a demo, nor in any screenshots, so we have to be a little patient to see more on this service.

WRAP UP & FINAL THOUGHTS

This article highlights the main changes that will come to the Windows Mobile platform in the next upcoming release called Windows Mobile 6.5. While there are changes in five main area’s I assume that Microsoft will do a lot more tweaking and finetuning under the hood, for example to increase batterylife. Overall I do think that this is a step in teh right direction, where both the Professional and the Standard platform get the same look and feel, resulting in a more unified platform. Furthermore Microsoft tries to simplify the use, and make it more easer to use (fingerfriendlyness), and for all to get quicker acces to your information. Also the addtional services are good signs, since I think that there is a bright future for services (compared to applications).

A first question might be: Is my phone compatible ?”

HTC’s Touch Diamond 2 and Touch Pro 2, announced today, will be upgradeable to Windows Mobile 6.5. New enhanced contact integration combined with new Internet capabilities deliver a people-centric approach to mobile communication. HTC’s Touch Diamond 2 features TouchFLO 3D, a sleek and compact design with a large 3.2″ high-resolution wide-screen display, while HTC Touch Pro 2 introduces one of the best-ever mobile productivity experiences on a phone highlighted by HTC’s new Straight Talk technology, an integrated E-Mail, voice and speakerphone experience.
The LG-GM7300 is a stylish, user-friendly phone with features such as one-click E-Mail set up to help people stay connected to the information they care about most. Available first on Windows Mobile 6.1, LG will add a Windows Mobile 6.5 version to the family, complementing an expanded alliance to dramatically increase the number of LG phones running Windows.” [ref01]

A second question could be: When will it be available ?

“The new Windows phones are expected to be available in the second half of 2009.”

While during the keynote we already saw some first impressions during the demo’s. I would like to finalize by asking your opinion about the changes, the direction Windows Mobile is heading, the services and the time frame of the whole development.

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MWC 2009: HTC announces a new signal wave: HTC Touch Pro 2

Remo Knops — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:33:52 +0000

While I wrote earlier about the announcement of the HTC Touch Diamond2, HTC also announced another flagship device: The HTC Touch Pro2, a real powerhouse with a full QWERTY hardware keyboard.

“Designed for business professionals, the HTC Touch Pro2 is architected with distinct style and strength while delivering the most powerful productivity experience available on a mobile phone” [ref01]

If I have a look a the current HTC Touch Pro, this is also true. HTC has packed the HTC Advatage X7510 features into the compact casing of the Touch Pro, making this an extremely powerfull device in a compact design. This device is very very popular and commonly used both in corporate environments as well as in personal (home) environments. Let’s have a quick look at the HTC Touch Pro2:

“Sporting Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, the HTC Touch Pro2 features a Qualcomm MSM7200A CPU at 528 MHz, a 3.2 megapixel main camera and a 3.6″ TFT-LCD WVGA touchscreen at 480×800 pixels. At a size of 11.61 x 5.92 x 1.70 cm the device weights 175 g only, including the 1500 mAh LiIon battery.” [ref02]

“Leveraging HTC’s TouchFLO 3D, people-centric communication and Push Internet technology, the Touch Pro2 features a high-resolution 3.6-inch widescreen VGA display for an expanded viewing area and large finger-friendly QWERTY keyboard. With improved battery life, expandable memory, a touch-sensitive zoom bar as well as gravity, proximity and ambient light sensors, the Touch Pro2 is optimized for touch as well as heavy email use.” [ref01]

Specification wise there is nothing to complain. To be honest some specifications look the same as the HTC Touch Pro1. I like the new outer casing, which has a more business-finish in comparison with the diamond design. Also the round edges make it a more comfortable device in use. I currently use the HTC S740 and this one also has this sharp edges. Furthermore I do like the improved batterylife, with 3G use in the current times you can’t have enough of battery juice. Thumbs up for HTC.

I was watching the Microsoft Mobile World Congress Keynote with Steve Balmer and Andrew Lees. The demos during the keynote were conducted on a HTC Touch Pro2 device, given the rounded edges. During the keynote already I was impressed with both the speed and snappy-ness of the devices as well with the fact that it will be upgradable to Windows Mobile 6.5 as soon as this platform hits te market. At the end of the keynote Pter Chou, president and CEO of HTC made the announcement that both the HTC Touch Diamond2 and the HTC Touch Pro2 are free upgradeble to Windows Mobile 6.5. This speed is also addressed in a short hands-on video Arne Hess from the::unwired shot at the Mobile World Congress.

Finally one of the features that made the HTC TyTN II such a popular device is back: A screen with TILT-MECHANISM. In the short hands-on video this feature is also addressed, while it is also shown in the picture below. According to Eric Lin fron HTC it is possible to tilt the screen in what position you just like.

“The HTC Touch Pro2 will be available across major global markets beginning in early summer. A price wasn’t announced today.” [ref02]

Although in general I prefer a full QWERTY non-sliding device, I do think the features of this device look really great. Again a five row QWERTY keyboard, which I also like on the HTC Android G1 device is build in. Furthermore I can’t wait to get my hands on a Windows Mobile 6.5 device, so combined with the power and features of the Touch Pro2 this seems a fair choice !

UPDATE:

T-Mobile announced, the day after the HTC announcement of the HTC Touch Pro2 and the HTC Touch Diamond2, the T-Mobile MDA Compact V and the T-Mobile MDA Vario V. These devices have a slightly different casing than the HTC models. Please have a look at some pictures live from the Mobile World Congress (Barcelona).

UPDATE2:

Michael Gartenberg writes about a new people centric approach on the device, which is also mentioned by Peter Chou, president and CEO of HTC in my previous article about the HTC Touch Diamond2.

“I had a chance to play with this a few weeks ago and the implementation is downright brilliant. Need to see a contacts history in terms of email, messages or other interaction? It’s all there. Want to call a person instead of emailing them back a reply? It’s one click. Want to make a conference call to all the folks on an email list? No problem. Favorite feature? Turn the phone upside down on a flat surface and it automatically engages in speaker phone mode. There wasn’t a whole lot of innovation this week at MWC, but the Touch Pro 2 delivered quite well. This is one handset to look for when it hits later this year.” [ref05]

UPDATE3:

Windows Mobile Italy has posted an article with a great video, showing a hardware tour of the HTC Touch Diamond 2 & HTC Touch Pro 2.

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MWC 2009: Microsoft MyPhone – A new backup & restore service for Windows Phones

Remo Knops — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:27:18 +0000

A week ago the::unwired already published an article about Microsoft MyPhone service that went live, prior to its scheduled date. Today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona during the Microsoft keynote with Steven Balmer and Andrew Lees, not only the Windows Mobile 6.5 is unveiled, but also two additional services: (1) Microsoft MyPhone, (2) Windows Marketplace for Mobile.

Some of you might saw the demo during the MWC-keynote, but -with many thanks to Scot Rockfeld from Microsoft for providing the screenshots of this service- I will be able to focus more on some details, in the following walk-through. Microsofts strategy is aimed at providing the Windows-experience on (1) the personal computer, (2) on a mobile phone, (3) in the cloud, and provide an exhange of information among the different “platforms”. The Microsoft MyPhone service connects these platforms, resulting in synchronizing, editting and sharing of personal information.

Currently MyPhone is offered as a free backup-service, which includes 200MB of storage. For using this service you need to install a client on your Windows Phone, and this also emphasizes that this is not an Exchange Active Sync solution for the mass market, although this might be a direction to go for the furture. However if you use a Microsoft Exchange solution now, you can use MyPhone as a complementary service because it backups your text messages, your photo’s, your video’s, your music and your documents. The Microsoft Exchange partnership has priority over the MyPhone service for managing your contacts, calender, tasks and e-mail just to be perfectly clear. For the documents backup and restore the following file-formats are supported: ppt, xls, doc, one, wks, as well as txt, rtf, pdf, html and xml.

The screenshot above shows the option “connected devices”. It is possible to connect multiple phones to this service, extremely helpful for technology enthusiasts lik we are. On the other hand the normal consumer probably just has one Windows Phone. Furthermore you can browse on your personal computer and upload a picture to the MyPhone account, and add it to a contact, restore it to a Microsoft Phone (one or more if you have connected more phones), or Archive it to the web. The last option just puts the file on your MyPhone account, while the icon clearly shows that the file isn’t on a device but in the cloudservice.

The MyPhone service is compatible with all Windows Mobile 6.0, 6.1 devices (professional and standard) up to the today announced version 6.5. Furthermore the MyPhone service seems to work both over a cellular data connection as well as over WiFi. The MyPhone business model is currently based on advertising, in order to provide the free storage. However for the future one could also think of premium subscriptions, which offer more storage space, or even operator “branded” services. For example: “My T-Mobile Phone” or “My Vodafone Phone”.

The bottomline is that I’m really enthusiastic about the MyPhone service, because it can keep all my important information in the cloud. And for instance in comparison with DashWire it is a total Microsoft solution which builds upon the existing Windows platforms, Microsoft Exchange and cloud-services, resulting in a solid and robuust backup and restore solution. If you are as enthusiastic as I am, please read on over here for additional information.

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MWC 2009: HTC announces a new signal wave: HTC Touch Diamond 2

Remo Knops — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:46:54 +0000

Today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona HTC has announced two new flagship mobile devices running the Windows Mobile Platform, of which one is the HTC Touch Diamond 2. Below you can read how Peter Chou, president and CEO of HTC summarizes the launch of these new devices.

“The HTC Touch Pro2 and HTC Touch Diamond2 introduce a mobile communication experience that simplifies how we communicate with people in our lives whether through voice, text or email,” said Peter Chou, president and CEO, HTC Corp. “HTC is delivering the latest, cutting-edge sophistication in a broad portfolio of mobile phones that improve how people live, work and communicate.” [ref01]

You and me care more about the hard facts like specifications and some pictures, so let’s have a more detailed look below.

HTC Touch Diamond 2

“Sporting Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, the HTC Touch Diamond2 features a Qualcomm MSM7200A CPU at 528 MHz, a 5 megapixel main camera and a 3.2″ TFT-LCD WVGA touchscreen at 480×800 pixels. At a size of 10.80 x 5.31 x 1.14 cm the device weights 117 g only, including the 1100 mAh LiIon battery.” [ref02]

“With fifty-percent better battery life, a five mega-pixel auto focus camera, expandable memory, gravity sensor and an ambient light sensor, the Touch Diamond2 brings the most sophisticated capabilities to a broad consumer audience looking for the professional benefits of a smartphone without sacrificing size, looks or functionality.” [ref01]

What really puts a smile on my face is the increased batterylife, which is a problem all mobile users are struggling with. So my compliments for HTC who really do listen to their end-users and dealing with one of the problems of the HTC Touch Diamond. The specification list reveils that this device incorporates everything you need while on the move, and compared with the previous HTC Touch Diamond the screensize is increased. If you are a non hardware keyboard user this simply is your device, due to the easy Touch FLO 3D navigation and the incredible small size and weight. For more incredible eye candy browse to the HTC website. Also very cool are the build-in FM Radio and the G-sensor, which make it a device for both business and pleasure.

The HTC Touch Diamond2 will be available to customers across major European and Asian markets in early Q2-2009 with broader global availability coming later in the year. A price wasn’t announced today. [ref02]

I can’t wait to get my hands on such a baby (which is a real powerhouse) !

UPDATE:

Windows Mobile Italy has posted an article with a great video, showing a hardware tour of the HTC Touch Diamond 2.

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