The name is Seven. WinMo Seven.

Image Credit: WMExperts

With all of the Apple tablet rumors floating, it’s only fair to let Windows Mobile 7 have it’s time in the gossip column. WMExperts shines the spotlight on a slew of speculation and it’s the first I’ve heard the name “Seven” bandied around. The short, classy nomenclature just rings of a James Bond introduction, no?

Some of the good include super high-end device specifications from LG and HTC — and by “super high-end” I mean at least as good as the über-powerful HTC HD2 that has folks drooling. Many of the specifications simply make sense to me, mainly because tight software integration and customization combined with fast hardware are what make the HD2 appealing. The banter about a 1280 x 720 resolution on a 3.8″ display doesn’t sound quite right, however. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but I can’t see that being an efficient resolution on a display of that size. A 5″ display would be better suited for WXGA, but even that’s a stretch.

On the software side of the house, Seven appears to be coming in at least two versions: a Business Edition and a Media Edition. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the basic target audience for each, although I’m hoping that some phones offer the best of both worlds. With handhelds becoming the device we always have with us, limiting productivity or entertainment features by different editions isn’t appealing to me. One device should suffice for many purposes. And perhaps that’s what will happen — this is rumor and speculation, after all.

The Business Edition is allegedly more of a bare-bones offering to allow for carrier and handset maker customization. But there’s talk of some remote document editing and management features as well. Media Edition sounds more up my alley with potential offerings like Zune and Xbox 360 integration of some type, as well as Silverlight, Mediaroom and ties to both Facebook and Twitter. The social aspects certainly sound legit, since many other current platforms are already offering that. And many Zune addicts have been clamoring for better WinMo integration for years.

I expect we’ll begin to see a clearer picture for Seven at next month’s Mobile World Congress. As exciting as much of this functionality sounds, I’m equally as interested to see how revamped the user interface is, and at what level that revamp goes to. Previous releases showed that the old-style, stylus-driven input was still lurking just below the surface. While there’s a time and place for a stylus, nearly all other mobile platforms are succeeding without the pen.

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