Microsoft confirms Windows Mobile Widgets are coming

Last Wednesday, we mentioned Windows Mobile 6.5 will come with widgets support. Now we have more details to share.

First we know the official name – they will be simply called “Windows Mobile Widgets,” and they will rely on the latest draft of the emerging W3C standard for mobile widget applications. Since new Internet Explorer Mobile 6 will power-up these widgets, developers will be able to use standard web technologies such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript; as well as Flash and ActiveX controls, which is kinda cool.

Finally, and this is where it gets cool – widgets can be designed in a manner that users don’t even realize it’s a widget. Rather, widgets can get the look and feel of a full-blown native application. If you remember, Nokia (NYSE: NOK)’s S60 widgets work in the pretty much same manner, although they were never adopted on a wide scale.

What we don’t know, however, is whether Windows Mobile Widgets will be available for older Windows Mobile 6 smartphones and PDAs, or this will be an exclusive feature to the upcoming Windows Mobile 6.5. When you think about it, if all WinMo 6.x phones will get a 6.5 upgrade, maybe that down compatibility isn’t that important. Any thoughts?

[Via: the::unwired]