Moto chief pegs Windows Mobile 7 for 2010
updated 10:45 am EST, Tue February 3, 2009
Moto Says Win Mo 7 in 2010
Microsoft's true next-generation Windows Mobile operating system isn't due until next year, Motorola chief Sanjay Jha said today in a conference call discussing the company's fall 2008 results. In explaining his company's emphasis on Google Android phones in 2009, the executive maintains that Motorola is "still committed" to Windows Mobile and expects renewed interest in the software in 2010, when he understands Windows Mobile 7 will launch. Android is simply "more competitive" this year, Jha says.
Part of the interest in Android stems from the amount of control Motorola will have over the Linux-based platform. The company plans to modify Android beyond its stock feature set and confirms that it will focus heavily on social networking with its devices.
The statements appear to corroborate rumors of a 2010 launch and that Windows Mobile 6.5 is a relative stopgap release meant to fulfill Microsoft's goal in recent years of having a new Windows Mobile edition each year. Version 6.5 is largely set to introduce a minor upgrade with a freshened interface along with possible cloud sync and storage services.
