When will Windows 7 handsets see the light

The Mobile World Congress is expected to be the launching pad for Microsoft’s refreshed mobile platform.
Anticipated for months, Microsoft’s Windows 7 is expected to be unveiled by CEO Steve Ballmer at the Mobile World Congress February 15 – 18 in Barcelona. Ballmer has scheduled a Monday press conference at the show.
After allowing its earlier versions of Windows Mobile languish, Microsoft is in the position of smartphone darkhorse to Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android phones, and Research In Motion’s BlackBerry devices. The software colossus will have to unveil something special to attract attention.
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On a Windows Mobile device, applications are typically not closed down, but they stay in the background. Maarten Struys shows you a simple way to preserve battery power inside your own applications. Teardown TV takes a look inside the guts of the new Blackberry Bold — Research In Motion’s newest smartphone. The Arrival of Dual Mode Handsets
On a Windows Mobile device, applications are typically not closed down, but they stay in the background. Maarten Struys shows you a simple way to preserve battery power inside your own applications.
Predictions call for a consumer-oriented platform built on Microsoft’s Zune HD player, but with links to Microsoft’s traditionally strong enterprise products such as Office, Outlook ,and Exchange. Microsoft’s Xbox and Bing search engine are expected to figure into any Windows 7 announcement, as are free navigation features.
When will Windows 7 handsets see the light of day? There is no official word, but reports have surfaced that LG plans to introduce a Windows 7 handset in September.
While its market share has dropped precipitously in recent months, Microsoft’s smartphone platform still commands a respectable 18% of the market, according to research figures released by comScore. BlackBerry dominates the category with 41.6%, followed by 25.3% for the iPhone and 5.2% for Google’s Android phones. Android handsets are catapulting into the market and their shipments have jumped 100% in recent months. The iPhone, too, is growing rapidly.
Microsoft released its Windows Mobile 6.5 incremental update on phones in October, but the release didn’t generate much buzz. At least one observer believes the Windows Mobile platform needs a complete redesign.