WM 6.5.3 to become Windows Phone Classic; Windows Phone 6 Starter Edition announced for emerging markets
By Ilinca Nita on 18 Feb 10Since Windows Phone 7 Series is designed for high-end smartphones, Microsoft will still need an OS for mid and low-end devices.
That’s why it will continue with Windows Mobile 6.5.3 – but it looks like it will rename it and call it Windows Phone Classic (via jkOnTheRun and I started something). Most probably, this will happen after Windows Phone 7 Series is launched (sometime in late 2010).
Windows Phone Classic aside, Microsoft will also have an OS especially designed for emerging markets: Windows Phone 6 Starter Edition, which is based on WM 6.5 and will be able to run on both consumer and rugged devices.
(HTC HD Mini, one of the latest Windows Mobile 6.5.3 smartphones)
According to Bsquare, Windows Phone 6 Starter Edition will only support 2G (GSM), 2.5G (CDMA2000 xRTT, EDGE, GPRS), CDMA (Rev A, EV-DO Rev A) and TD-SCDMA radios – so there’s no UMTS/HSDPA support. Well, I assume that there will be lots of Windows Phone 6 Starter Edition devices in China, since TD-SCDMA is supported.
The bottom line of all this: the “Windows Mobile” moniker is pretty much dead.
If you liked the post, you might find these interesting too:
- Windows Mobile 6.x handsets not upgradeable to Windows Phone 7 after all
- 5 new HP iPAQ’s officially announced
- Windows Mobile 6.5 apps won’t run on Windows Phone 7 Series
- Re-confirmed: Microsoft, Adobe working to bring Flash to Windows Phone 7 Series
- HP iPAQ 110/ 114 Classic Handheld
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