Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.5 UI screenshots confirmed, SkyMarket to be application store
By Will Park on Monday, January 19th, 2009 at 3:15 PM PST In Applications, Rumors, Services, Windows Mobile
Last we heard, Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) was planning to launch its revamped Windows Mobile 6.5 OS in the first few months of 2009. Back in November, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed that WinMo6.5 was coming down the pipeline for an early 2009 delivery. And, we couldn’t help but hope that the Windows Mobile 6.5 UI would be as finger-friendly and menu-averse as the leaked screenshots indicated.
Today, we’re hearing that Microsoft will be unveiling their Windows Mobile 6.5 OS at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month. There’s also talk of those previously leaked WinMo6.5 screenshots actually being legitimate WM6.5 concept screenshots. It’s unclear whether the conceptual UI seen in the screenshots (above) has made the cut as Windows Mobile 6.5’s UI, but we’ve got our fingers crossed.
In other news, Microsoft is expected to unveil three new web-based services alongside Windows Mobile 6.5 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. 
SkyBox will launch as Microsoft’s new cloud-based phone-synchronization service, similar to Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)’s MobileMe service. In addition to syncing contacts, email, text messages, calendars, and photos to the cloud, SkyBox also allows for over-the-air backup and restore of the your mobile phone.
SkyLine will be unveiled as the enterprise-strength version of SkyBox that allows companies to setup Microsoft Exchange hosting on their own domains.
And, last but not least, SkyMarket will turn Microsoft’s Windows Mobile Application Store into reality next month. We caught wind of Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s iPhone App Store last year, and it seems that the content delivery platform will be henceforth known as the SkyMarket. Watch for SkyMarket to aggregate the thousands of Windows Mobile applications currently on market, as well as providing an integrated platform for delivering new apps.
We’re coming to you live from Barcelona, so make sure to keep checking back on the latest Windows Mobile 6.5 developments!
[Via: Neowin]
