Rumors are suggesting that Windows Mobile 7 may be delayed until 2011, but November 2010 now looks to be the month when the ball will start rolling for real.
Using Windows Mobile 6.5 as an example, rumors of Windows Mobile 7 being delayed until 2011 may not be accurate. Back in February 2009, Microsoft showcased Windows Mobile 6.5 at the Mobile World Congress. The platform was then released to manufacturing in April 2009, while manufactureres and carriers started offering phones based on the platform in October 2009.
In other words, if Microsoft follows a similar path with the introduction of Windows Mobile 7, there's still a pretty good chance of seeing the platform being showcased at MWC 2010 next month. However, as Bright Side Of News recently reported, MWC 2011 may become the trade show when we'll first see smartphones powered by Windows Mobile 7 in every second booth.
We would be surprised to see Windows Mobile 7 ending up at U.S. carriers more rapidly than what was the case with Windows Mobile 6.5 though, meaning that late 2010 is probably as early as it can get for involved players to start offering subsidized WinMo 7 phones to U.S. customers. As with most hot high-end phones, there's then a certain "shipping pre-orders only" period, and we could easily be talking about early 2011 until the first Windows Mobile 7 smartphones will be widely available in stores.
Interestingly, HTC recently said to a customer that the HTC HD2 will be eligible for a free upgrade to Windows Mobile 7 in November 2010 at the earliest. It's common practice for HTC to offer such upgrades, which was also the case with for instance the Touch Pro2 back in 2009. HTC shipped that phone with WinMo 6.1 in mid-2009 and then offered a free Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrade in October 2009. This month, we're also seeing more U.S. carrier phones receiving upgrades to Windows Mobile 6.5.
All in all it looks like at least the HTC HD2 will become a Windows Mobile 7 smartphone in late 2010, and there's a good chance that we'll at least see announcements of brand new Windows Mobile 7 smartphones around November 2010. But again, the first showcase of Windows Mobile 7 could appear at MWC 2010 already next month regardless of when or where the platform would appear to end-users first down the road.
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