microsoft
Report a problem

Fresh Windows Mobile 6.5 screenshots

Chaks   on 13 February 2009 - 12:04 · 39 comments & 8435 views

Advertisement (Why?)
Mobile World Congress is not far away and we have had already many screenshots of Windows Mobile 6.5 leak. Except for the new Honeycomb interface, the screenshots didn't look that good. pocketpc.ch have managed to install the latest Windows Mobile 6.5 in HTC Touch HD and have provided with some high-quality screenshots which certainly looks better than the previous ones leaked.

Enjoy these screenshots for now without that (cute) bird in the background!

The Home Screen



Home screen with missed calls info



Device locked



Home screen with the music player



Honeycomb interface



Option to move an item to top in the Honeycomb



And the inner-honeycomb after you open Office Mobile folder in the above screenshot



Honeycomb in landscape mode



Incoming Call



Missed Call and other reminders



Full QWERTY Keyboard with WLAN Configuration



Mailbox



Images Courtesy: pocketpc.ch

Post a comment · Send to friend Comments · There are 39 additional comments
#1 kiddingguy on 13 Feb 2009 - 14:26
sweet. wonder if it's a free upgrade to my htc touch diamond.
#2 DanCADMan on 13 Feb 2009 - 14:55
Those are great screen shots!
(3 replies) #3 Marshalus on 13 Feb 2009 - 15:01
The touch screen keyboard is a bit... ugly?
#3.1 +Kirkburn on 13 Feb 2009 - 16:09
Marshalus said,
The touch screen keyboard is a bit... ugly?

Well, it's readability over prettiness, but yeah ... courier? Eww.

(It appears to be the large version too, I expect there's a smaller version available)
#3.2 ramik on 13 Feb 2009 - 16:21
This is the HTC Touch keyboard and has nothing to do with WM6.5, it is available on HTC touch series since some time..
#3.3 ShadowlineDesigns on 13 Feb 2009 - 17:10
The board is from HTC, I am using it on my Kaiser/Tilt... Though those arrows arent present in it...
#4 profets on 13 Feb 2009 - 15:05
looks like some promising improvements so far. i hope they have even better plans for wm7.. i'd really like to see everything finger touch based. no more need for stylus please
(5 replies) #5 LTD on 13 Feb 2009 - 15:08
More of the same, really.
#5.1 profets on 13 Feb 2009 - 15:39
at least the bird is gone in these screenshots, lol
#5.2 +Kirkburn on 13 Feb 2009 - 16:10
LTD, you really don't have any experience of Windows Mobile, do you?
#5.3 LTD on 13 Feb 2009 - 16:21
Doesn't look like there's a whole lot to experience.

Last edited by LTD on 13 Feb 2009 - 18:53
#5.4 +Kirkburn on 13 Feb 2009 - 17:08
LTD said,
Doesn't look like there's a whole lot experience.

Oh you're very drole today, aren't you. Can't you just leave Microsoft-related topics alone for all our sakes?
#5.5 GP007 on 13 Feb 2009 - 22:12
I think the new screenshots with the updated UI look like a great move up from winmo 6.0 and 6.1.

LTD is posting "more of the same" bias apple fanboy comments.

The update looks cleaner, more touch friendly and most important simple. Anyone who's used WinMo or even Windows can go through and use that device without any problems.
(1 reply) #6 Intelman on 13 Feb 2009 - 15:30
I just hope the performance is improved. They need a "Windows 7" of phone oses.
#6.1 ilaugh on 14 Feb 2009 - 06:31
Intelman said,
I just hope the performance is improved. They need a "Windows 7" of phone oses.

Done:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/06/is-this-windows-mobile-7/

It will arrive on new phones next year, and a private beta will be released this year.
(1 reply) #7 ivdubvr6i on 13 Feb 2009 - 15:56
I like the new direction they are going, however what is with the inconsistencies with their UI lately... Some screenies the menus are transparent/opaque while others they are solid black. They did similiar UI enhancements to 6.1, the default 6.1 theme the top is a solid color while the bottom has a "glassed" look to it...

#7.1 GP007 on 13 Feb 2009 - 22:15
You don't get it? In the screenshots that have a solid black menu are ones where you have a menu or an app open. When you're back to the home screen they are transparent showing that you don't have anything "open".

That's how I see it.
(5 replies) #8 JonathanMarston on 13 Feb 2009 - 16:00
I'm still not sure about that honey comb. It looks alright I guess, but how is that more functional than a grid? Seems more like a waste of space...

The other changes look nice. Generally more touch-friendly and a bit more pleasing to the eye.
#8.1 +Kirkburn on 13 Feb 2009 - 16:11
JonathanMarston said,
I'm still not sure about that honey comb. It looks alright I guess, but how is that more functional than a grid? Seems more like a waste of space...

I can imagine that a grid may be more touch friendly - for example, your finger is more of a circle than a rectangle.
#8.2 ilaugh on 13 Feb 2009 - 16:21
Kirkburn said,
I can imagine that a grid may be more touch friendly - for example, your finger is more of a circle than a rectangle.

From PocketNow:
"What's with the hexagonal honeycomb style application icon layout in the new Windows Mobile 6.5 leaked screenshots we've seen? Was this design implemented purely for the sake of being different? What's the point?

Well, there actually is a point. If you'll notice, there are no more scrollbars in the honeycomb interface. However, with the hexagon-shaped grid layout, you are easily able to recognize a pattern to the layout and instantly see that the pattern continues towards the bottom of the screen. That visual cue should indicate to users that they can pan in that direction in order to see more icons. The areas where the hexagonal grid pattern do not continue are obviously the limits to the content dimensions.

Most other touch-scrolling smartphone operating systems really don't take these kinds of usability issues into account. Android and the iPhone's scrollable lists really have no visual indication that they are continuous since the lists simply stop at the bottom of the screen. Microsoft's design makes it instantly clear to new users that this pattern can be panned."
http://pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_de...&t=news&id=6820
#8.3 +Kirkburn on 13 Feb 2009 - 17:09
Wow, excellent points
#8.4 GP007 on 13 Feb 2009 - 22:17
I'd like to think MS doesn't just slap in a new UI element without testing it out and thinking about it.

Though I'm sure others think they do it just for the hell of it.
#8.5 random_n on 13 Feb 2009 - 23:45
I'm convinced that a lot of UI elements were slapped into many Microsoft products with little thought other than "We need to find somewhere to put this feature... here looks good!".

That seems to have entirely stopped since Office 2007, and I'm very grateful for it.
#9 Mieky242 on 13 Feb 2009 - 16:22
Looks pretty good in my opinion.
#10 +Odom on 13 Feb 2009 - 16:24
What, no bird? I don't want it anymore...
(1 reply) #11 LaXu on 13 Feb 2009 - 17:10
Still looks crap to me. The taskbar at the top just doesn't work well for a phone IMO and the programs menu looks pretty cluttered.
#11.1 +Kirkburn on 13 Feb 2009 - 17:23
LaXu said,
Still looks crap to me. The taskbar at the top just doesn't work well for a phone IMO and the programs menu looks pretty cluttered.

As in, it has many programs?
(1 reply) #12 Xenomorph on 13 Feb 2009 - 17:16
Windows Mobile needs to be more like iPhone.

If I ever need to pull out a stylus to use my phone, then the terrorists have already won.

I don't need a screen full of tiny buttons.
#12.1 +Kirkburn on 13 Feb 2009 - 17:20
Xenomorph said,
Windows Mobile needs to be more like iPhone.

If I ever need to pull out a stylus to use my phone, then the terrorists have already won.

I don't need a screen full of tiny buttons.

Whereas I'd rather be able to do more, than less with my phone. If you don't assume a stylus is present, then you can only assume fingers as an input method.

Not exactly great for drawing, writing, or many types of games.
#13 Apogee on 13 Feb 2009 - 17:16
Looks like it's progressing somewhat.
(1 reply) #14 dimithrak on 13 Feb 2009 - 18:22
hey, i just noticed that the word qwerty is spelled out on the keyboard itself.. lol.. is this where they got the name from? sorry for being so ignorant..
#14.1 mrp04 on 13 Feb 2009 - 21:07
Are you serious? All US standard keyboards have QWERTYUIOP on the first line.
#15 JoDaddy on 13 Feb 2009 - 21:23
It's a really good start. The honeycomb looks incredible...I might actually get a WinMo phone now!
Looks like they took some inspiration from the Zune team on that home page?

...now to fix that taskbar and the application title bar. This has GOT to be more than what HTC and others have already been doing. Control Panel needs to look just as good as the home page.
(1 reply) #16 Raa on 13 Feb 2009 - 23:56
That X button STILL looks effin ugly!

But I like the rest it seems okay.
#16.1 Digix on 14 Feb 2009 - 01:36
Raa said,
That X button STILL looks effin ugly!

But I like the rest it seems okay.


It'll be smoothed before release you can bet on it.
#17 Digix on 14 Feb 2009 - 01:37
Now it's running on a proper decent phone it shows its true beauty which is good it's coming along well
(2 replies) #18 shempanzy on 14 Feb 2009 - 05:52
I am all for being anti-mac for a plethora of reasons, but at least the iphone interface looks nice.

I have to say this new windows mobile looks fugly. The text is sooo damn big, plus, why read when you can recognize an icon a lot faster (iphone), and what's with the ugly f00kin honey comb boxes?

This crap looks horrible, I'm serious, MS needs to fire the idiot working on this. Look at the pre, now that's a really cool and useful interface - MS is trying to hard to reinvent the UI wheel.

Sorry guys, maybe you'll do better on 7.0
#18.1 ilaugh on 14 Feb 2009 - 07:44
shempanzy said,
I am all for being anti-mac for a plethora of reasons, but at least the iphone interface looks nice.

I have to say this new windows mobile looks fugly. The text is sooo damn big, plus, why read when you can recognize an icon a lot faster (iphone), and what's with the ugly f00kin honey comb boxes?

This crap looks horrible, I'm serious, MS needs to fire the idiot working on this. Look at the pre, now that's a really cool and useful interface - MS is trying to hard to reinvent the UI wheel.

Sorry guys, maybe you'll do better on 7.0


Im not in the business of looking at leaked photos, or using a leaked ROM of an unreleased product, and making definite conclusions about the usefulness or beuaty of anything.

So I'm going to do the sane and rational thing of actually waiting for them to present it, and in the future, having a run with an offical ROM.

Anyone doing anything else, and making pronouncements is being a windbag.
#18.2 shempanzy on 14 Feb 2009 - 08:05
why? how drastically do you see software change when it is presented to the public? not very much. Also, I've not stated that this is the final product nor have I stated that it's a beta, my critique was simply of the current state of the look.

True I might have alluded that win 6.5 looks ugly, but I stated this according to what I saw, why is it not ok to judge a product before final release? Designers do this all the time, evaluate and reevaluate their own work, so get over it buddy.

I think you're a windbag cause you're trying to limit my free speech, *******! - but don't take that personally! lol

Last edited by shempanzy on 14 Feb 2009 - 23:18

Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!

Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.

Advertisement (Why?)