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Windows Mobile 6.5 details coming in May?

Microsoft's next release of Windows Mobile could get a thorough airing at the TechEd 2009 conference in May, but phones still aren't expected until later in the year.

Tom Krazit Former Staff writer, CNET News
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Tom Krazit

Windows Mobile 6.5 phones still aren't expected to arrive until the second half of the year, but Microsoft sounds like it's ready to show off the new operating system next month.

Electronista spotted a post to Microsoft's Windows Mobile blog last week that said the company is planning to "launch" the new mobile operating system at TechEd 2009, scheduled for May 11. "Launch" can mean an awful lot of things in the business world, and in this case, it's likely that Microsoft is referring to the "release to manufacturing" milestone, when a product is made available to its handset partners for testing and certification.

Representatives from Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on what will announced or demonstrated in May. When Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer discussed Windows Mobile 6.5 in February at the Mobile World Congress, he said that phones with the new software wouldn't be available until the second half of the year.

Updated 4:15pm - Microsoft issued a statement regarding Windows Mobile 6.5 and TechEd 2009. And here it is:

"We're excited about TechEd as an opportunity to talk to business customers and developers about the software for the next generation of Windows phones. There will be several sessions we think will help people learn more to get their planning ideas started about the new phones coming to market in the 2H of 2009."