Network World editor John Cox reports in his On Wireless blog that Motorola Co-CEO Sanjay Jha has accidentally told the world that Windows Mobile 7 is due in 2010. The slip occurred during a phone conference to analysts when discussing the company’s dismal earnings. Cox writes:
“Jha was responding to an analyst’s question during the traditional question-answer session. Jha was elaborating on the time frame for Motorola handsets that would run either Windows Mobile or the open source Android OS from the Open Handset Alliance.
‘…More of our effort and focus in 2009 is going to Android, but in 2010 when Windows 7 will become available, we will then participate in a more focused way in Windows Mobile 7 in 2010,’ Jha said, according to a CNET story by Eric Ogg.”
Over a year ago, Microsoft was talking about Windows Mobile 7, then did an about face and in November let the world know that it would be Internet Explorer Mobile 6 released as the so-called next generation browser for Windows Mobile — which will be Windows Mobile 6.1.4. IE Mobile 6 was to only (eventually, sometime in 2009) be available for new devices, the story goes. Loyal Microsoft fan Robert McLaws grew so disgusted with the laggard performance of the current IE browser, he announced a boycott of IE Mobile in his blog.
So news that Windows Mobile 7 could be here next year is nice to know, if the Motorola leak proves true. The bigger question, of course, is will it work well enough for people to want to use it?
READ MORE about Windows Mobile 7 on John Cox blog.
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