Windows Mobile 7 details leaked ahead of Mobile World Congress

by Stevie Smith - Feb 8 2010, 06:07

With Windows Mobile (WinMo) version 6.5.3 not even out the door at Redmond-based Microsoft, rumours regarding Windows Mobile 7 have already started gathering pace ahead of the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

And, although Microsoft hasn’t yet confirmed the existence of WinMo 7, the emergence of leaked aspects supposedly connected to the new mobile operating system isn’t likely to quell the surge of related chatter.

The leaked system details, which have been offered up by Boy Genius Report (BGR), suggest a user interface similar to that already utilised by Microsoft’s Zune HD platform, while the Web browser will straddle Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8 in terms of base structure and functionality.

Other contributing elements include unspecified compatibility for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 videogame platform (a la PSP to PS3 remote connectivity perhaps), along with Microsoft Silverlight and support for social networking destinations such as Facebook and Twitter.

On the downside, the leak points to a lack of multitasking, a no-show for Adobe Flash, software app installation via the official Windows Mobile Marketplace and not through SD storage, and a restriction on custom interfaces from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).  

According to expectations, Microsoft is likely to unveil at least the new mobile operating system’s user interface during the Mobile World Congress event, which will take place in Barcelona, Spain, between February 15 and February 18.

If the current seeds of rumour bear fruit, we should begin seeing devices equipped with Windows Mobile 7 towards the end of 2010’s third quarter.

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