MIX09: Windows Mobile 6.5 UI changes and Windows Marketplace

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Early this year Microsoft revealed Windows Mobile 6.5 and some of its plans for Windows Marketplace for Windows Mobile. Now at the MIX09 sessions, Microsoft has revealed more details on the various UI enhancements in the Windows Mobile 6.5 and details regarding Windows Marketplace for Windows Mobile.

The new customizable user interface is more touch-friendly with:

The most notable change being the honey-comb interface dropped in the start screen, but retains the same basic structure of honeycomb and the icons are made bigger to make it touch-friendly
A fresh lock screen showing alerts and notifications on the device
Revamped text messages UI
Improved scrolling

Below is a comparison of the old and new honeycomb interface. Watch the video at the end of this article for more UI changes demo

Text Messages

Outlook Email

Every Windows Mobile 6.5 device will have a Marketplace (installed out of the box) and will offer

Automatic updates for purchased applications
Payment with credit card
Besides native code C/C++ and .NET apps, widgets will also be included in the store

Windows Mobile market place will be available in the countries as shown in the slide below and is free for student developers who enroll via Microsoft DreamSpark program

The developer tools offered on Windows Mobile platform will include emulator and other SDK tools, and Web enhancements in IE Mobile including support for the W3C Mobile Widget Packaging and Configuration standard.

Watch the video presentation below to see further interesting UI changes and about Windows Marketplace in Windows Mobile 6.5. You can also download the slides and video here

(1 reply) #1 Kushan on 20 Mar 2009 - 02:10

That silverlight player isn't working for me. Video is fine, audio is choppy.

Could be any number of things on my end, though -

Windows 7, tried it with FF3.1b3 and whatever beta of IE8 came with W7 build 7000.

#1.1 Chaks on 20 Mar 2009 - 02:12

The video is playing fine at my end. You can download it though

(1 reply) #2 BigCheese on 20 Mar 2009 - 09:22

Old news. Already running this version on my phone.

#2.1 GP007 on 20 Mar 2009 - 10:15

Which phone and how does it run?

#3 Quikboy on 20 Mar 2009 - 15:18

The old honeycomb wasn't too bad...

I hope WM7 touchscreen version has a completely redesigned UI for finger-friendliness; lose the bulky scrollbars and finger scrolling would work better. 'X' should be more bigger, etc.

#4 Quikboy on 20 Mar 2009 - 18:29

They have money clips? Wowzers.

#5 TakeNothingBack on 21 Mar 2009 - 02:35

marketplace will be on available on 6.1, right?

#6 Slick86 on 21 Mar 2009 - 06:46

Anybody notice in the text message picture, one of the new messages is from a guy at the bar with some friends at 11:23AM? rofl

#7 1uk3 on 26 May 2009 - 00:57

Yep, been running this or a build that looks similar for well over a month now on my HTC Touch Dual. It's okay but nothing amazing. Hope that WM7 is something more special.

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