Windows Mobile 6.5 release

[pm]

The first Windows Mobile 6.5 phones are starting to show up at the CTIA conference this week. The reviews of the hardware of the first one, the HTC HD2, are pretty glowing. They love the look, the feel, the 800x480 capacitive display, the 5MP camera with dual LED flash... but they are not so impressed with WM6.5.

There's this one from Engadget which is a bit underwhelmed:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/1...ows-mobile-6-5-review/

You know when it starts out like this:

It's widely acknowledged by users, media, and even Steve Ballmer himself that Windows Mobile is in dire need of a ground-up revamp, and it's happening -- but not quite yet. That's Windows Mobile 7 you're looking for, and realistically, it's not going to be in your pocket for at least another year. That leaves Microsoft in a bit of a pickle: how do you facelift version 6.1 -- which is already a facelift of 6, which in turn was a facelift of 5 -- just enough to eke another year or two of life out of it? Is it even possible?

that you can prepare to be underwhelmed.

Then there's this one from Gizmodo which is pretty brutal:
http://gizmodo.com/5374876/win...res-no-excuse-for-this

The title "There's no excuse for this" pretty much sums up Gizmodo's disdain for the new release. I like the summary "Seriously, it reminds me of Windows for Workgroups" which, if you are ancient like I am, will likely make you chuckle.

The two big new features of WM6.5 appear to be Windows Marketplace - which is MS's version of Apple's AppStore, and MyPhone - which appears to be MS's version of Apple's MobileMe. But it appears that it's more or less a facelift to the main sceens while leaving much of the underlying GUI the same, thus you have what Gizmodo says is "It never takes more than a few finger taps to get from the pretty, new 6.5 interface, to the blocky, old, finger-hostile one." CNet says something similar - that you still more or less need a stylus to use WM6.5.

 

[pm]

On the hardware front, I'm personally a lot more impressed:

The Samsung Intrepid - which is headed to Sprint:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-1...10368410-10356022.html

The very delicious HTC HD2 - which is not headed to the US any time soon:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-1...10368400-10356022.html

The HD2 will also be powered by Qualcomm's new 1GHz Snapdragon mobile processor and boasts a 4.3-inch WVGA (480x800) capacitive touch screen. Other highlights include Bluetooth 2.1, a 5-megapixel camera, and a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack.

The HTC Imagio - headed to Verizon:
http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-p...5-6454_7-33773057.html

The HTC Pure - headed to AT&T:
http://reviews.cnet.com/smartp...5-6452_7-33774372.html

The HTC Tilt 2 - headed to AT&T on 18 Oct.

This is AT&T's version of the HTC Touch Pro2 and comes with a 3.6-inch WVGA tilting touch screen, a full QWERTY keyboard, and HTC's Straight Talk Technology for improved speakerphone quality.

And the Samsung Omnia 2 - headed to Verizon:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10264584-1.html

 

[IamDavid]

so can my new phone be upgraded to this? just got a new HTC TP2.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: IamDavid
so can my new phone be upgraded to this? just got a new HTC TP2.

Yes, it can run WM 6.5, but I don't know why you would want to.

 

[aceO07]

Originally posted by: pm
The very delicious HTC HD2 - which is not headed to the US any time soon:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-1...10368400-10356022.html

The HD2 will also be powered by Qualcomm's new 1GHz Snapdragon mobile processor and boasts a 4.3-inch WVGA (480x800) capacitive touch screen. Other highlights include Bluetooth 2.1, a 5-megapixel camera, and a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack.

Somehow engadget believes that it's arriving in Q1 2010..
http://www.engadget.com/2009/1...-in-early-2010-huzzah/

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Basically everything that I knew would go wrong with 6.5 seems to HAVE gone wrong with the final release. I've been running 6.5 developer builds for a while now and they completely suck. There's no reason to run the 6.5 GUI because it's simply retarded. I thought FOR SURE that they would fix the re-arranging of the program icons to include more than just "Move to Top" but it seems that somehow (and I have no f*cking clue how), it got missed. It's just... wow. The dev team for 6.5 needs to be fired and MS just needs to copy Apple's GUI as much as they can.

For now I'm just going to have to depend on HTC's Touch Flo system or SPB Pocket Shell because they at least don't seem to be as incompetent.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: aceO07

Originally posted by: pm
The very delicious HTC HD2 - which is not headed to the US any time soon:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-1...10368400-10356022.html

The HD2 will also be powered by Qualcomm's new 1GHz Snapdragon mobile processor and boasts a 4.3-inch WVGA (480x800) capacitive touch screen. Other highlights include Bluetooth 2.1, a 5-megapixel camera, and a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack.

Somehow engadget believes that it's arriving in Q1 2010..
http://www.engadget.com/2009/1...-in-early-2010-huzzah/

Yeah HD2 is coming to the US. Just don't know about the carrier. I doubt TMobile or Sprint. It's probably AT&T or Verizon. If it's Verizon, be prepared to be screwed. Maybe not because they already are carrying the Omnia 2 from Samsung which would be direct competition. 3.7" vs 4.3"

 

[Deeko]

I don't really understand all the vile hatred for WM 6.5. It was never intended to be a really revolutionary new OS - just a facelift for 6.1 - hence its number being 6.5, not 7. Its just 6.1 with a more finger-friendly UI and a few new features. Some of them, like Marketplace for Mobile and MyPhone may not be game-changing, but they were SORELY lacking from Windows Mobile before.

 

[aceO07]

Originally posted by: Deeko
I don't really understand all the vile hatred for WM 6.5. It was never intended to be a really revolutionary new OS - just a facelift for 6.1 - hence its number being 6.5, not 7. Its just 6.1 with a more finger-friendly UI and a few new features. Some of them, like Marketplace for Mobile and MyPhone may not be game-changing, but they were SORELY lacking from Windows Mobile before.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/1...-impressions-on-video/

WM6.5 looks nice with the HTC UI. Based on my experience with WM5 on a PDA, it has all the apps that I needed (and free downloads too) and did it well.

 

[aceO07]

Originally posted by: DLeRium
Yeah HD2 is coming to the US. Just don't know about the carrier. I doubt TMobile or Sprint. It's probably AT&T or Verizon. If it's Verizon, be prepared to be screwed. Maybe not because they already are carrying the Omnia 2 from Samsung which would be direct competition. 3.7" vs 4.3"

I hope it's not Verizon. I want to be able to buy it and use my sim card.

It'd be nice if HTC has another version that supported Android and was with T-Mobile. I'd definitely do a contract for that.

 

[abaez]

HD2 with Android would be an instant buy.