CNET confirms Windows Mobile 7 devices “before the end of the year”, ‘Zune phone’ to come earlier

January 27, 2010 | By Surur

We all know Windows Mobile 7 is coming, but a little confirmation from credible sources will never go amiss.

Ina Fried from CNET’s Beyond Binary column reports that sources told them that “Microsoft is still planning to finalize the code for Windows Mobile 7 by summer in order to have the new software on devices that ship before the end of the year.”

They also claim that a phone which connected to the Zune service and which was based on Windows Mobile was also due to arrive this year, and should come earlier in the year ahead of Windows Mobile 7 devices.

CNET’s claims are consistent with various rumours which claim a Zune-compatible phone, which may be branded by Microsoft and the result of work by the Pink team, would be coming in only a few months, and a different branch which would be the actual Windows Mobile used and branded by other OEM’s.

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About Surur

Site Admin and Windows Phone enthusiast, he has been using Windows Mobile devices since before they were called PocketPC’s. He is currently sporting a HTC 7 Trophy.

Tagged windows mobile 7, zune, zune for windows mobile 7

John

This is the wrong direction to take. All other platforms are merging business and consumer devices. How is splitting the markets up going to help the platform? Its just going to cause unnecessary divergence. How about add the ability for businesses to lock down features on the devices instead of making us chose between a "business" device and a "consumer" device.

http://intensedebate.com/people/l3v5y l3v5y

At what point was divergence of media and business mentioned?

MS will probably release a Microsoft branded "Zune" device. That doesn't mean WM7 won't be Zune compatible.

http://intensedebate.com/people/mohsen7x8 mighty

I think if previous leaks concerning business and media editions are to be believed, then it's pretty much true that these categories have been separated.

John

Especially in light of the last post about gaming on windows phones at the MIX conference, this rumor makes even less sense. If anything is going to pan out of this, I think its going to happen 1 of 2 ways. 1st way there is only one version of Windows Mobile 7 and it has a zune media player on it that syncs with the zune software. 2nd way is there will be microsoft branded phone thats media centric and running WM7 that may or may not be the same UI etc that the OEMs get.. similar to what google did with the Nexus One. I dont see how the second way helps them without canibalizing their OEMs which will be needed to push the OS. I dont think you can have it both ways.

GP007

I think you can have both just fine, the OEMs will get a more full and customizible version of WM7 while the “zune Phone” or whatever project pink is, will be a media specific, trimmed down phone that’s closer to the ZuneHD than to a Windows Phone per se. It could be sold as such by MS in a unlocked state or through some partnership with a carrier.

The difference here is that it’d probably be less of what you’d be able to get/do with a true WM7 phone from say LG or HTC. This way MS won’t step on partners toes, it’ll just have a more basic custom media phone that’s a step up from a ZuneHD and a step down from something like a HD3 etc.
http://intensedebate.com/people/l3v5y l3v5y

Zune Phone is likely a Zune HD, with a phone strapped on to it. Windows Phones such as those from HTC will be devices that can do everything. They're not cannibalising OEM market share by doing that, they're just promoting Zune services else where.