Cue the sad trombone, folks. If you were waiting around with your Windows Mobile 6.5 device with hopes that Microsoft would one day bless it with a new chance at life in the form of Windows Phone 7, it’s time to move on.
APC Magazine just got the full spiel from Microsoft themselves: Windows Mobile 6.5 devices won’t be upgradable to Windows Phone 7 series. (You hear that? Five hundred XDA hackers just scoffed and said “Yeah, we’ll see about that.”)
Why? Standards. Microsoft has a very, very, almost ridiculously strict set of hardware guidelines that they want manufacturing partners to follow when building Windows Phone 7 Series handsets — and for the most part, old handsets just don’t fit the bill. They either lack one of the three mandatory keys (search, back, and Windows key), or — get this — they have too many keys.
A while back, a shot of the HTC HD2 allegedly running Windows Phone 7 Series hit the net. We were quick to debunk it here, with our reasoning being that the HD2 lacked the mandatory search key. Sure enough: Microsoft’s GM of Mobile Communications in the Asia-Pacific, Natasha Kwan, says the HD2 won’t be getting the upgrade “because it doesn’t have the three buttons”.
Of course, this just means that they won’t be getting the upgrade treatment from Microsoft. As we mentioned above, there’s probably a mighty army of hackers just waiting to get their hands on Windows Phone ROMs for the sake of down-porting it to older handsets; if it’s feasible, it’ll probably happen.
Official support or no, I’m sure the fine folks at XDA-developers (and other mod communities like Modaco) will continue to do pretty much whatever they want with the hardware they pay for. If they can shoehorn Android onto WinMo hardware, an upgrade from a similar codebase shouldn’t be a problem.
Impossible is nothing.
uh-oh.. I guess we just wait now and see if there’s a mod/hack for that…
Basing from the reviews and sideglances on the Windows Phone 7, it appears its a bold yet refreshing way for a mobile OS to start. Hopefully it’ll become a success: http://bit.ly/windows-phone-7-opinions
But I read an article that the upgrade will depend on minimum hardware requirements and there are very few handsets which meet this criteria.
Not all is lost for WM6.5.x phones.. check out:
http://windroid.com/2010/03/01/windroids-do-have-the-wow-factor-the-lesscro-series/
For all intents and purposes, the Windows Phone 6.5 (classic) platform is dead. If you can’t upgrade the Windows Phones, then you should not buy a Windows Phone. Simple as that.
Hacking the ROMs is not an option. Its one thing to show an OS runs on a handset. But its another to have it work properly for everyday use. Usually handset OEMs test for 9 months before issuing a new OS to the public. That’s why cooking the ROMs yourself is not a reliable solution.
Well it is sad, I think Windows Phone 7 has really got amazing features this is why Microsoft wants customers buy new smart phones to have a look at their new product.
That sucks. I feel sorry for all those people that just bought a phone running 6.5.
I bought HD2 thinking it would be upgradable to winmo7! Never again will buy winmo. That’s why Android will be (already is) far better O.S…..
Main stream mobile OS: IPhone and Android…
Yeah, I really feel angry that I have a perfectly working windows mobile 6.5 phone that does everything I want it to do.
GRRR!
The main reason the WinWo 6.5 can’t be upgraded to Windows Phone 7 as this device don’t match the physical requirements for ruiing Windows Phone 7.