CTIA: Windows Mobile 6.1 Officially Announced by Microsoft

Today at CTIA, Microsoft officially unveiled their long awaited update to the Windows Mobile 6 platform.

The update known as Windows Mobile 6.1 actually resembles a completely new operating system in some respects while keeping a familiar face in others. Read More for the complete breakdown and the complete list of carriers and manufacturers committed to the upgrade.

In building Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1, the Windows Mobile divison set out to address common complaints that were found with daily use of Windows Mobile 6. The biggest complaint for new first-time users as well as seasoned veterans was the difficulty of setting up the device properly.

Windows Mobile 6.1 remedies this by introducing the Getting Started Center, an intuitive wizard which will be available from the homescreen and will assisst users with the most common issues such as pairing Bluetooth devices, setting up Wi-Fi connections, and configuring email accounts.

Another complaint was the difficulty in ordering tasks on the homescreen and the need to navigate to different parts of the operating system in order to utilize common functions. Windows Mobile 6.1 now features the most commonly accessed features on the homescreen such as the media player, message inbox, phone, and photo gallery.

Windows Mobile 6.1 also includes features inspired by the iPhone such as zooming in on sections of web pages and viewing complete pages on screen, flagging emails with gestures for mass deletion or movement to other folders, photo zooming, and in a nod to Garnet OS the operating system will now feature threaded messaging for SMS messages.

The rest of the improvements to the operating system also make it easier for large corporations to deploy fleets of devices and ease IT departments fears over information security by providing tighter integration with Exchange Server SP1 and introducing a new management tool known as System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 which helps to manage entire fleets of devices much in the same way Windows PCs would be managed over a corporate network.

Carriers have also expressed a committment to updating current devices. The following carriers will update selected devices from their current Windows Mobile lineup in the US:

• Alltel
• AT&T
• Sprint

The following devices from the aforementioned carriers will be updated:

• HTC Touch
• HTC PPC6800/Mogul
• HTC TyTN II/Tilt
• Samsung BlackJack II
• Samsung ACE
• Pantech Duo
• MOTO Q9c
• MOTO Q9h global
• HTC Touch Dual-ships with 6.1 pre-installed

The following manufacturers will be updating their current devices:

• ASUS
• HTC
• i-mate
• Intermec
• Motorola
• Pantech
• Samsung
• Toshiba