Internet Explorer Mobile 6 Only Coming to New Models

Microsoft has revealed that the next version of Internet Explorer Mobile will only be released on new models. There will be no official way for current users to get this upgrade.

This new version of the default Windows Mobile web browser was announced last spring, and Microsoft promised to introduce it before the end of this year. Which it is, but only on a few devices as they launch.

The news that users are expected to buy a new smartphone or handheld in order to get Internet Explorer Mobile 6 came from a member of the Windows Mobile team on this group's official blog:

Regarding making IE Mobile available as a separate download or update, the rich media experiences that IE Mobile 6 enables require more powerful, advanced devices. That is why it will not be available as an upgrade or direct download for current phones, but rather will be made available on new phones.

More about Internet Explorer Mobile 6

The most obvious enhancement in this new version will be support for new types of embedded streaming video, including Adobe Flash.

In addition, there will be a great many changes under the hood, and this application will include features from the desktop versions of both Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 8. The current IE Mobile is based on a version of this browser that's over a decade old. 

Other features will include:

• Improved fidelity (support for full fidelity desktop rendering)
• Layout fixes to accommodate a mobile screen (text wrap)
• Enhanced Script and AJAX support (Jscript v5.7 from Internet Explorer 8)
• Improved multimedia experience (Adobe Flash Lite 3.1 for Adobe Flash content)
• Deeper integration with search
• Enhanced cursor navigation model
• Touch and gesture support - pan support
• Multiple zoom levels
• Easy switching between mobile and desktop versions of sites by specifying UA strings.

Video Overview of Internet Explorer Mobile 6

Last spring, at the time of the release of Windows Mobile 6.1 and the announcement of Internet Explorer 6, Microsoft's Derek Snyder gave Brighthand a preview of this upcoming browser:

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