The news that the new Sony Ericsson Aspen would have an updated version of Windows Mobile, the only thing we knew for sure about version 6.5.3 was that we’ve never seen it before. Microsoft has produced this interim version of WinMo in preparation for the next big thing, Windows Mobile 7. We’re now getting word about exactly what WinMo 6.5.3 brings to the table, err, small screen, and it’s a pretty substantial upgrade over previous versions.
The most significant addition in this new version is OS support for capacitive screens, which translates into native multitouch support. Microsoft may be late to the party, given that HTC already produced such a phone on its own (HD2), but it opens the doors for some cool phones from multiple companies.
Other things that Windows Mobile 6.5.3 adds are:
- Touch control enabled throughout the system
- Magnifier to make touch easier in legacy apps
- Simpler out-of-box experience
- Drag and drop icons on Start screen to desired location
- Better browser performance
- Better memory management
- Zoom and rotation now faster
- Faster page load time
As is usually the case with phone updates, it is not clear which handsets will get this new update. It is also clear that this is a stop-gap version until Microsoft can get Windows Mobile 7 out the door. That’s the version we really want to see, hopefully we will at the MWC in a bit.
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