Once again, Microsoft is throwing some flattery Apple’s way by following its lead. Earlier today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Microsoft announced the latest version of its mobile operating system, Windows Mobile 6.5. The new OS takes cues directly from the iPhone. It has “an improved touch-screen interface, making it easy to take action with a finger” (so advanced) and a dashboard-like interface with different application icons in honeycomb cells (screen shots).
One of those icons will launch a Windows Marketplace with 20,000 mobile apps, similar to how the iTunes App Store can be accessed directly from the iPhone. And the phones will come with a new My Phone service, formerly codenamed Skybox, which sync contacts, emails, text messages, calendar, and pictures. Apple has a similar syncing service for the iPhone called MobileMe. The new mobile OS will appear in phones in the second half of 2009.
The upgraded Windows Mobile is not a complete imitation, however. It probably takes more cues from the Zune than from the iPhone. There is also a status update/feed view which highlights new messages, voicemails, and calendar appointments. The updated mobile version of Internet Explorer which will be included in the OS will at least support Flash (something the iPhone stubbornly refuses to embrace).
And the My Phone service, while it appears the same as MobileMe on the surface, is but the first step in Microsoft’s roll-out of its Live Mesh initiative. As more Live Mesh services become available, they should automatically be added to WinMo phones. If anything, that is where these phones will distinguish themselves from the iPhone down the line. Update: I was wrong about this. The My Phone service is based on technology from Mobicomp, a company Microsoft acquired last June. It has nothing to do with Live Mesh. But syncing with data on mobile phones is in Live Mesh’s roadmap, so hopefully these two technologies will eventually merge.
The flash support is a plus. I wish Apple would get around to that.
If it allows them to improve their product and generate some healhy competition, I am all for it.
It is nice to see Microsoft in an underdog position in so many different areas these days.
Anjali
you know what? i had not t5hink about it but yes, it is great to see MS as the underdog against apple and google and i think that position will allow a lot of innovation in Redmond so i think we will see a lot of cool new products, i hope MS comes out as the winner
They had planned to jump to 7 from 6, but now to bring out 6.5 was good for microsoft.
it is wonderful because not a single mobile phone that littely near at iphone
at least they “know” what to do after they see how to do it right.
You mean how Apple “knew” how to make a touchscreen phone after watching others do it for years? And they still screwed it up leaving out tons of features. WinMo had more features in version 5 than the iphone copy of it has ever had. I’m so sick and tired of idiot fanboi’s claiming everyone else copied the iphone when it is the real copy.
Ditto.
It is really about the ignorance of the young: we all believe that history starts when we are born…
For them MS is “dead” although it is the largest –and richest, software company in the world. Apple is a cool, innovative company, however, it is small compared to others in the same space and represents only a small fraction of the market.
And is about as old.
Sheer # of features does not a good product make. Haven’t we learned this by now?
“And the My Phone service, while it appears the same as MobileMe on the surface, is but the first step in Microsoft’s roll-out of its Live Mesh initiative. ”
Yet more pathetic journalism from Schonfeld. My Phone will NOT be running on Live Mesh. A quote to prove it: http://jamietho...ve.com/blog/cns!550F681DAD532637!9493.entry
Also forgot the minor point that My Phone is *free* versus Mobile Me, which is $99/year.
This is definitely noteworthy.
Definitely not my phone … maybe Their Phone. Anyone?
I dont see anything similar to the iphone.. ya’ll wierd
… yeah! maybe around the cave you live in!
the honeycome and ‘zune’ like layout is a lot different than the iphone grid layout. the grid layout is getting old since everyone uses has it now.
Really .. even if it was similar to iPhone there is only so much you can do.
Sure maybe it does features that Apple does .. but what does that matter? An Apple has a keyboard, monitor and mouse … so does a PC .. does that mean PC is copying Apple or the other way around.
But as Schonfeld says “It probably takes more cues from the Zune than from the iPhone.”
The new interface borrows a lot from many previous handheld devices (zune, palm, iphone, etc.). But, lets be honest, the iphone borrowed a lot from its successors, as well. In fact, very little (besides multi-touch) hadn’t been done before on a handheld device. When the iphone inevitably rolls out true multi-tasking in a future release, will you be writing a similar digg bait article on how Apple is imitating other handhelds?
“But let’s be honest, the iPhone borrowed a lot from its successors.”
You’re right. The iPhone is so far ahead of its current competition that its only recourse is to “borrow” from future, yet to be released devices.
Never fails…for every typo, there is someone waiting with a snide remark.
When will Microsoft “really” get it? It’s all about the user experience. The UI they have put out maybe a step in the right direction but its a baby step at best!
When apple decided to design a mobile interface they just didn’t take the mac os and shrink it – they actually thought through it. What does MS do, take the windows start button and cram it into the mobile interface – LOL
I think it’s time for them to get really adventurous.
Nikhil
A step in the right direction for microsoft. I dont think there is any copying going on. Just looks like a natural progression of the software.
Does it bug anyone else that the icons seem to sit slightly too high in the honeycomb. Not sure a honeycomb is the most effective use of screen space too.
I noticed the icon placement too – I’m guessing it’s so that there can be two lines of text underneath the icon. Looks like it can’t dynamically arrange the position.
I think a article that compares the major mobile OS will be really interesting…
I know will sound little bit odd but I still prefer the Symbian OS and my old nokia instead of iPhone.
About M, what can I say? They are getting a bite now, will see if will be a big piece after all or will remain just a little bite.
it lacks a lot to be MyPhone
How long until the lawyers start flying on this one?
Something I don’t really understand is why they’re still sticking with IE for their mobile browser. Is it NIHS or are is there a really good reason that’s escaping me?
Or have they really beefed up the mobile version of Internet Explorer that much?
IE on the mobile??? come on…
*Sigh*
Just get off that high horse. Not everything is about apple!
Does an improved touch-screen interface make it an iPhone clone? iPhone’s touch screen’s only main plus is multi-touch… other than that Windows Mobile was already way ahead of it! The interface is being changed yes… but it is nothing like the iPhone. Infact, i haven’t seen anything today that reminded me of the iPhone…
As for MyPhone… Hah! MobileMe doesn’t even compare to the MyPhone service! Microsoft has been offering the functionality of syncing e-mail, contacts, and calendar using Windows Live since a while now… (the equivalent of Apple’s Mobile Me)… My Phone on the other hand goes to a whole new level; allowing the user to synchronize e-mail, contacts, calendar, tasks, text messages, music, video, and other documents!
good eye SK. great personalized natural language naming on the part of MS. too bad they dont own the domain name myphone.com. does MS have a strategic internet and mobile social network footprint at all? or are they just on MZ’s backside trying to catch a coat tale. MS needs a serious social network footprint they own or they can lose the “final fronteir” internet and mobile game altogether. 19,900 games at the myphone app store is not gonna help anybody get any work done across the internet and mobile divide. the company that can best bridge that divide will win the digital game.
LiveLocator.com – beam yourself
@ Erick Schonfeld
You are a an iDiot who thinks everything is copied of the iphone. I really see no resamblance in 6.5 and the iphone – none at all. But the again what can you expect of a iTard who lives in Apple Land and practice it’s religion day in and day out. You are pathetic and maybe Arrington should fire you!
Is there FireFox script that allows us to remove/block Erick’s posts? I really have no interest in reading any of his dribble.
I don’t get this following apple nonsense. didn’t MS release a touch enabled phone long before apple and also have’nt MS been employing legions of researchers working on touch tech for just as long?
Apple might have got a nice device to market earlier but thats about it. I am a mobile developer working on all platforms and the iphone is better at somethings but not others. Its much of a muchness. You say great touch UI and I say multitasking etc
*yawn*
M$ is news?
*yawn*
Not fair to say that Microsoft is following iPhone’s lead with the dashboard-like interface, if anything, this is the same interface they had starting with Windows 3.0 that had named application icons on the desktop.
As long as we’re having religious debates, I’d just like to say that I don’t believe in an interventionist god.
Oh, and Jobs is not the Messiah, Balmer is not the Beelzebub.
Eric, will you quit being Apple’s bitch and write from a neutral position?
this is the difference between a blog writer and actual journalists.
At leasty journalists arent fanboys.
how much does apple pay you guys?
It reminds me of the htc phone I used to have until last August when I got my iphone. Windows Mobile [shiver]. The navigation, the delays in booting apps, the settings menus. Just appalling.
Why does this have to be about Apple? Terrible article.
This is why I rarely read Techcrunch now. Every article about Microsoft has useless references to CrApple.
Also, Eric you should have noted that MyPhone is FREE, where as Mobile Me isn’t. You give blogging a bad name with such a biased attitude.
“One of those icons will launch a Windows Marketplace with 20,000 mobile apps, similar to how the iTunes App Store can be accessed directly from the iPhone.”
What’s with all this scorning about ‘copying’ the iPhone. These are all obvious features that anyone would include on a modern day mobile OS. So what if the iPhone did it first, do you really except other OS’s to not do it because of that?
Did anyone ever used a windows mobile devices as apple users use their iphone with several apps cause I never found a usefull app on my wm device O.K except for divx player.
Sounds like you never used a WiMo Device so you should not make comments without using the device to know if they are useful apps. Heck from my experience most apps on the Iphone are stupid, crappy and non productivity application. Not saying that they is not a fair share of good applications but most are stupid, such as the 100+ farting apps available. On my WiMo device i have used all types of applications such are taking orders from my customers, financial planner, Stocks feed, games, ebooks and much more.
Very few will buy a Microsoft powered phone. MS credibility is shot after Vista. This company has a culture with a stunning mix of incompetence, stupidity, arrogance, and dishonesty. They couldn’t come up with a good product under any circumstance.
I’m a PC