Rumors

So the HTC Pharos (though

Making a cameo appearance on the big screen during the Gates keynote, a future version of Windows Mobile! Maybe. It could be Windows Mobile 6.1, but it doesn't look anything like what BGR leaked awhile back. And yes, it could be just a custom skin. If that's the case, then color us impressed with HTC's customizations. If that's not the case, then either we just caught MS with their pants down or they're viral marketing geniuses (or this isn't new at all and we're the ones lacking trousers).

Take a look at the new Start Menu of listing programs / settings / etc. It looks like there's a left/right menu on top to switch between “Programs,” “Settings,” “Photos,” “Internet,” and so on, then up/down to switch between the stuff within those categories.

Full gallery after the jump!

(p.s. since we lost connectivity last night, expect our live coverage article to be updated with some photos in just a bit)

CES may start tomorrow in Las Vegas, but there's big news from Europe coming out from BGR. They've scored a Vodafone product roadmap. As was predicted (accurately, by yours truly) over at TreoCentral, Palm is going to be replacing their Treo 750 in July of 2008. We don't have a full picture yet, but we do have some specs:

• Quad-band GSM
• Windows Mobile 6.1 (Pro? We assume)
• 320x320 Flush (!) screen (gotta be touch? We assume!)
• 2mp camera
• 1500 mAh battery (huge!)
• GPS, WiFi (!), Bluetooth 2.0

Basically is the GSM Windows Mobile Treo we've all dreamt of. It also seems to be a continuation of Palm's love affair with Vodafone - they got the Treo 750 first, the Treo 500v first (and probably exlusively), and come July (or thereabouts), they'll get the Treo XXX/Drucker first. Our money is on it being called the Treo 850v.

Thanks to Chad for the tip!

Read: Vodafone Roadmap: Palm Drucker! | The Boy Genius Report

p.s. We'd like to think that “Drucker” is named after TreoCentral's own “Michael Ducker,” but we wouldn't want Miradu to get too big a head, now would we?

I was just chatting with Merlyn3D about the BlackJack II and he wondered, innocently enough, whether or not the BlackJack II would be upgraded to Windows Mobile 6.1. I smacked my forehead - of course it will be upgradable. We know because Microsoft told us so in October.

“But WMExperts,” you ask, “Windows Mobile 6.1 is still in the ethereal land of myth and rumor. How could Microsoft have confirmed the upgrade back in October, when 6.1 was but a whispered dream?”

We reply: that's some fancy prose there, bub. But check it: at CTIA in October, they announced Microsoft System Center, Mobile Device Manager 2008 (aka MSCMDM). As part of that announcement, they mentioned that it would require “forthcoming versions of WM devices.” “Forthcoming versions,” eh? Sound like WM6.1 to you? Because it does to us.

They also mentioned a couple of devices that would--for sure--be compatible with the device-management software:

• The Treo 750
• The BlackJack II

So either the Treo 750 (recently upgraded to Windows Mobile 6) and the BlackJack II have secret settings for MSCMDM or - more likely - they'll require an upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1. Those were the only two devices named by, er, name; but we also know that HTC, Palm, Motorola, Sprint, and i-mate all announced they'd be on board with MSCMDM at or around launch in the 2nd Quarter of 2008. Nothing shocking there, but good to file away.

So WM6.1 is probably coming. But when? Make a couple (wildly optimistic) assumptions: that both Microsoft and these device managers will be on time; then you should see WM6.1 before Q3 of next year, say by the end of the summer. Why “wildly optimistic?” Maybe you haven't noticed, but Palm got their WM6.0 update for the 750 in just under the wire and Samsung has yet to release the long-promised upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.0 for the original BlackJack. So we aren't going to be placing any bets that Palm and Samsung will get their upgrades out on time.

At least we know WM6.1 running on at least one Q9h somewhere, somehow. Hope, as it tends to do, springs eternal.

Read: CTIA: Liveblogging the Steve Ballmer Keynote - WMExperts

We'd like to say that this Samsung i325 (Codename: “Ace”) is more exciting than the last time it popped up. Sadly, we cannot. What we can say is that it's exactly what we expected, a BlackJack-alike for Sprint's network - right on down to the original scroll wheel on the side instead of the BlackJack II's newer, trendier, and better 5-way/scroll wheel combo.

The info on Samsung i325 camera, QWERTY keyboard and OS was spot-on. And Samsung SPH-i325 also has microSD memory card slot, non-touchscreen display, thumb-wheel navigation, Bluetooth and EvDO data support

Read: Sprint Samsung Ace i325 phone. Live pics and more details - Unwired View

Phone Scoop reported that it's already passed the FCC, too, so get prepared by, um... taking a nap or something. We're guessing (read: hoping) that it will debut at a low price point, though we won't hazard a guess at when.

As was foretold at this site in October, so it has come to pass. The surprise Motorola Q9 with WiFi that the Boy Genius recently got his hands on has turned out to be more surprising than anybody expected: it's loaded with Windows Mobile 6.1.

BGR is down for the count at the moment, but when they return this page should give you a 100 picture gallery of WM6.1. Engadget managed to snag the above screenshot before the traffic laid waste to everybody's favorite spoiler. BGR's RSS feed provides some additional info:

• Copy / Paste (finally!)
• Domain Enroll in Settings (Enrolling in a domain will connect your device with company resources.)
• New home screen (pan left and right to check out missed calls, notifications like email, sms, etc.)
• Change Master Security Code
• Added text input settings
• Recent Programs when pressing Start menu
• Threaded SMS!
• When you compose an email, or SMS, and start typing the name of the contact in the “To:” field, the contact names finally pop up like Windows Mobile Professional!

via Engadget

Update: BGR's Gallery is up

As has been previously discussed on WMExperts, all modern CDMA phones on Sprint and Verizon have Qualcomm’s gpsOne chipset in them for e911 purposes and they have also been used for 3rd party services like TeleNav, offering GPS services directly to the consumer via the carrier. Part of the reason why the carriers want to charge for these services, besides the obvious, is to recoup the cost of being forced to implement the e911 initiative, something that we all help pay every month (e911 tax). This may also be the motivation for why Sprint legally threatened the developer of Mobile Gmaps, who offered a free aGPS mapping solution to Sprint customers.

Read on as Malatatesta collects the evidence that gpsOne (though not full gps) for the Mogul, Sprint Touch, and even the 800w!

However, to much dismay of a lot of device owners, Windows Mobile (and Palm OS) devices are not included as having user accessible aGPS on Sprint, despite some of their cheap flip phones and high end BlackBerries having the feature available. Speculation as to why this is the case has ranged from the function being blocked by the carriers to the unavailability of an API (application programming interface) for gpsOne and Windows Mobile. In order to solve this problem, it presumably involves the clumsy cooperation of Sprint, Microsoft, Qualcomm and the device OEMs to implement and flash the firmware (side note: perhaps a reason to be skeptical of Android?). No small feat, yet one that has been lingering now for well over 2 years since WM5 was introduced.

To add to the confusion, Sprint itself has unintentionally misled some of its own customers, initially listing “GPS” as one of the features on the Mogul and continuing to list all WM and Palm OS devices as GPS-enabled (not just e911 capable). No wonder why everyone is confused!

So will we ever get aGPS and Location Based Services (LBS) on our Windows Mobile devices? Rumors have been floating that indeed the HTC Mogul will be getting access to aGPS when it gets it long touted EvDO Revision A firmware upgrade (now pushed back to January 2008). These rumors have come from various places including the Site Administrator and Sprint Master Agent at EVDOinfo.com, who goes on to say that it “...will allow GoogleMaps, GPS Directions and Sprint Locator Service to all work.”.

But now we have this bit of information which nicely corroborates the idea that indeed Sprint is finally preparing to roll out aGPS/LBS on Windows Mobile devices. It turns out that listed on Sprint’s own HTC Touch specifications page, they have added this gem:

GPS Enabled: View your approximate location and use available applications to navigate roadways throughout the country. (will not be available until Q1 2008 upgrade)

So assuming this is not more misinformation or technological confusion, this appears to be the first (some-what) official acknowledgement by Sprint, which is quite significant and it jives well with other information.

What does this mean in the long run? It seems safe to assume that if this is information is accurate, the HTC Mogul, HTC Touch and presumably every forthcoming WM device will have this feature enabled sometime in 2008, including the Palm Treo 800w. To what extent will the end-user have access to the feature? That is not known. It may be that customers will have to subscribe to a pay service like TeleNav or, due to increased competition from other carriers and flashy feature-phones, maybe Sprint will actually allow open access by 3rd party developers to take advantage of the technology.

Here’s looking to 2008. Let’s hope Sprint comes through on this one ;-)

Further Information

For those interested, you can read about aGPS HERE. It's actually preferential to traditional GPS as the cell towers/servers do the work of pulling data, decreasing your "cold start" times dramatically, as well as increasing accuracy when in valleys or urban environments. It can be a combo of just satellite, satellite + server, server and variants there in.

To see a demonstration of how gpsOne actually works, go HERE.

(Hat tip to j10376 at ppcgeeks.com for the Sprint Touch link)

Update: Yep, it's for real, Engadget has some deets.

Update 2: Yowza, this is looking like a really, really big deal. I am a little worried for Microsoft, but I am very worried for Palm. More details on that particular issue at TreoCentral.

Them's the rumors over the weekend. As we reported a month ago, it looks like Google intends to compete directly with Windows Mobile - offering not hardware but a full smartphone OS. They appear to have more than 30 partners on board - basically everybody you'd think that might be interested - and their OS should be full-featured:

Google will announce an open-source development system for mobile applications that will contain a full set of components, including an operating system, a set of common application programming interfaces, a middleware layer, a customizable user interface and even a mobile browser, according to sources. Instant messaging standard protocols will also be supported.

Read: Google to unveil mobile platform; target: iPhone?

Further rumors - Wind River is apparently going to be applying their embedded Linux know-how to the project. That particular bit should be interesting to those who followed the Foleo debacle, as Wind River was also on board for that project. Although many will see this as a shot at Microsoft, I'm willing to bet that it has Palm, planning their own Linux-based Smartphone OS, shaking in their boots.

The real challenge to Microsoft is that “Android,” as it is supposed to be called, is likely going to be offered for a license fee of approximately $0 to manufacturers. Some of the costs may be offset by some sort of mobile ad structure. I'm very skeptical phone-based could work - screen real estate is just too precious to waste pixels on ads.

The announcement is supposed to come at 11 Eastern.