Windows Mobile 7 Debut May Have Been Pushed Back

The release of Windows Mobile 7 may have been delayed by about 6 months, according to an unconfirmed report.

CNET, citing unnamed sources, reports that the next major revision of Microsoft's smartphone operating system won't be ready until the second half of next year. Previously, Windows Mobile 7 was expected to launch some time in the first half of 2009.

Not the First Time

This isn't the first delay that Microsoft's next generation operating system, reportedly code-named "Photon," has suffered a setback. It was originally planned as the next version after Windows Mobile 6, to be released this year, but was pushed back when Windows Mobile 6.1 was created.

Reputed screenshot of Windows Mobile 7 Via MoDaCo

Very little is known for certain about Windows Mobile 7. However, leaked reports state that it will focus heavily on touchscreen and device gestures, such as swiping a finger to scroll or skip, and shaking the device to wake it up.

It will also radically overhaul the existing interface, following the patterns started in Windows Mobile 6 Standard, with increased use of scrolling, tiles, and visual aesthetics.

It has also been previously reported that Windows Mobile 7 is intended to merge the touchscreen and non-touchscreen versions of the operating system, creating a single common platform, though whether this is still planned is unclear.

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