Windows phones launching October 6, 2009
Today we are announcing the availability of Windows phones at retail stores worldwide on October 6, 2009. The new phones will be the first to feature Windows Mobile 6.5, the latest version of our mobile phone software, and will deliver new customer experiences through an improved, easy-to-use user interface, better browsing capabilities and access to valuable services, including Windows Marketplace for Mobile and Microsoft My Phone.
Mobile partners from around the globe are committed to updating or expanding their portfolios to include phones with Windows Mobile 6.5.
- In North America: Mobile operators AT&T, Bell Mobility, Sprint, TELUS and Verizon Wireless, and phone manufacturers HP, HTC Corp., LG Electronics, Samsung and Toshiba Corp.
- In Europe: Mobile operators Orange, Deutsche Telekom AG and Vodafone Group Plc, and phone manufacturers Acer, HTC, LG Electronics, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Toshiba
- In Latin America: Mobile operator TIM Brazil, and phone manufacturers HTC, LG Electronics and Samsung
- In Asia Pacific: Mobile operators NTT DoCoMo Inc., SoftBank Mobile Corp., SK Telecom, Telstra and WILLCOM Inc., and phone manufacturers Acer Inc., HTC, LG Electronics, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Toshiba
What’s new in 6.5?
- Consumer oriented features – A Windows phone lets you get your work done and still have fun, wherever you are. We have been working on making Windows Phones more consumer friendly while retaining our strong enterprise focused applications, such as Outlook, Word, etc.
- Stay connected – Connect to powerful online services so the information, contacts and apps you need are always at your fingertips.
- Better UI, Better UX
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A new home screen with customizable widgets that display glance-able updates, such as news, weather, traffic and more, from your favorite Web services.
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An improved user interface focused on finger touch and the ability to cut through clutter to accomplish what you want. Windows phones enable a number of gestures that take advantage of the new physics engine to make it fun and easy to use the phone with your finger. Windows phones support resistive touch, which can be operated with one hand and uses pressure to activate the touch feature.
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Lock Screen
Today screen
Programs Menu
- New Browser – Internet Explorer Mobile, a powerful new browser where websites will look the same on your phone as they do on the PC so it’s easy to check in for a flight, get directions or pay a bill from wherever you are. Internet Explorer Mobile is built on the same technologies as its desktop counterpart, Internet Explorer, and brings the mobile browsing experiences on par with what people expect from their desktop computers.
- High quality mobile browsing – Using the Internet Explorer rendering engine, Internet Explorer Mobile displays Web pages on the phone in the same quality as on the desktop, allowing consumers to experience their content in the layout they enjoy. Panning and zooming capabilities, as well as mouse navigation for non-touch phones, helps people easily find and enjoy what they are looking for while browsing the Web.
- Rich media experiences – Internet Explorer Mobile will support the rich experiences that many Web pages are built on, such as Adobe Flash. This will enable people to view Flash-based video content, like YouTube, at the same level of quality as if they were using their desktop computers.
- Desktop consistent AJAX support - Through the support of Jscript version 5.7 in Internet Explorer Mobile, developers will now be able to deliver desktop-consistent AJAX Web experiences up to date to that of Internet Explorer 8 on Windows Mobile devices.
- Best-in-class mobile Web transactions – With the newest experiences in Internet Explorer Mobile, Microsoft brings the mobile Web browsing experience on par with what people have come to expect from their desktops – the ability to easily view Web pages and multimedia on the Web and complete transactions, from banking to Facebook updates.
Internet Explorer rendering http://bing.com
Internet Explorer rendering http://united.com
- Sync your on-device data – My Phone, a free service, which provides Web sync of valuable data from the phone, like pictures, music and texts, to a Web portal for safe keeping and sharing.
- Download and install apps easily – Windows Marketplace for Mobile, a new, rich application marketplace available on Windows phones which allow people to easily find, install and experience the applications you want
Which phones are upgradeable to 6.5?
Some current Windows Mobile 6.1 phones will be updateable to Windows Mobile 6.5 if they meet hardware requirements. Ultimately, it’s our partners’ decision whether their phones will support the upgrade.
The Samsung Jack with AT&T, the HTC Diamond 2, the HTC Touch Pro 2, and LG phones Eigen and HQ, along with four new Windows Mobile 6.5 devices from Acer have announced to offer Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrades.
Why “Windows phone”?
As we move into the consumer space, we need to adjust our language to be more approachable and friendly. Windows phone fits naturally into consumer language and users can easily relate given the popularity of the Windows brand.
When will My Phone be available?
My Phone is available today for all users of Windows Mobile 6.0 or 6.1 phones will and can be downloaded at http://sn1-p1.myphone.microsoft.com/. My Phone will be available on Windows phones beginning on October 6, 2009.
My Phone Sync Screen
My Phone Syncing
What is Windows Marketplace for Mobile?
A rich and integrated marketplace for searching, browsing and purchasing mobile applications from Windows phones based on Windows Mobile 6.5, or from a PC, by simply using a Windows Live ID. For developers, the marketplace presents yet another opportunity to generate revenue by selling applications, but now with direct access to millions of Windows phone users. For mobile operators, it provides opportunity to increase data plan attach rates and generate a new revenue stream from application sales.
ISVs and developers will set their own price for applications, some will be available for free. We’re doing all we can to help generate revenue for ISVs and developers to encourage innovation and attract shoppers by delivering strong value and a great experience. Our model will encourage developers to sell their applications at a price that reflects their true value to customers.
What is the Race to Market challenge?
When you submit your mobile app to the Windows Marketplace, you’ll be eligible to win the Race to Market Challenge and exciting prizes. The Race to Market Challenge will reward the developer whose paid application earns the most revenue within the contest period and the developer whose free application is downloaded the most within the contest period. Winners will receive a prize package including a Microsoft Surface table and developer kit, free online marketing and promotion of their application, plus a one-of-a-kind trophy. Visit http://www.mobilethisdeveloper.com/ for more details.
Stay connected
- Twitter – @wmdev
- Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wmdev
- Our website – http://developer.windowsmobile.com
- The Windows Phone Blog – http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windowsphone/default.aspx
- You can also meet members of the Windows phone team in person at these events:
- Mobilize on 9/10 in San Francisco, CA
- TechCrunch50 on 9/13 and 9/14 in San Francisco, CA
- CTIA Wireless on 10/7-10/9 in San Diego, CA
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Update: Here is Stephanie Ferguson’s launch announcement post: Windows phones are Coming on October 6th! and our PressPass announcement : Microsoft to Deliver New Generation of Windows Phones on Oct. 6
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Jay Cuthrell on 
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Umesh Nawani on 
Ken Yeung on 