Beta version of Windows Mobile 6.0 leaked?

The new mobile OS from Microsoft, codenamed "Crossbow", has not been officially announced yet. But a link to a supposedly beta version of the new Windows Mobile platform is already being posted on MobileWhack. According to our sister site CNET.com, the software is "said to build out compatibility with Office 2007 and Exchange 12".

The Windows Mobile 6.0 platform is expected to be introduced in handhelds and smart phones later this year, replacing the current Windows Mobile 5.0. Check out more screenshots of the new operating system here. To see more of the user interface, you can also view a short video clip here.

Vendors launch onslaught of new phones

The 3GSM World Congress may be two weeks away, but things are heating up already.

The past week alone, we've seen Samsung, Motorola, LG, Dopod and O2 announce new handsets for their 2007 product lineup. LG started the ball rolling with its Prada Phone which sports a full touchscreen display just like the Apple iPhone. This was followed by O2 unveiling four upcoming handhelds with 3G support, its biggest launch to date.

Mid-week, Samsung made headlines with its new slimmer-than-ever Ultra Edition successors, while Motorola offered a sneak of its upcoming lineup which will include new RIZR, KRZR and Q upgrades. Finally, Dopod overturned market expectations by announcing the launch of its U1000 (HTC Athena) UMPC in Taiwan this week. More handsets are expected over the next couple of weeks. As usual, we'll be updating you with the latest news and pictures.

Dopod U1000 (HTC Athena) to debut in Taiwan next week

Handheld maker Dopod has announced plans to introduce HTC's first ultra-mobile PC (UMPC), the Athena, in the Taiwan market next week. According to a DigiTimes report, the launch of the new Windows Mobile device has come earlier than expected as market sources were anticipating it to be released only at the end of Q1 2007.

It will be marketed as the Dopod U1000 and is also slated to roll out in other parts of Asia outside of Taiwan.

The QWERTY-enabled U1000 sports an impressive specs list, comprising top-of-the-line features like a Intel PXA270 624MHz processor, HSDPA, GPS, 5-inch touchscreen VGA display, 3-megapixel camera and 8GB hard drive. Equally impressive is the device's sticker price: NT$39,900 (US$1,211) to own the U1000. Stay tuned for more updates.

Via PhoneDaily and DigiTimes.

Motorola unveils new KRZR, RIZR and Q2

The world's number two mobile phone maker has offered a sneak peak of its latest handsets to be announced at the upcoming 3GSM World Congress held in Spain. In the lineup will be 3G variants of the KRZR and RIZR as well as EDGE and HSDPA versions of the Q.

The 3G-enabled KRZR K3 sports a similar design and feature set as the original KRZR K1, except that it comes with a second VGA camera for video calls. The RIZR Z8 appears to be a 3G upgrade to the earlier RIZRs, with a slight cosmetic change in colors.

Motorola will also be introducing new additions in its Q smart phone lineup, namely the much-anticipated GSM version Moto Q EDGE, as well as Q2, which will come in HSDPA and EV-DO flavors. Expect also to find a handful of new W-series handsets and new additions to the SCPL lineup at 3GSM.

Click here for larger images of the KRZR K3, RIZR Z8 and Moto Q EDGE.

Samsung's Ultra Editions just got slimmer

If you thought the Ultra Edition 6.9 was flimsily anorexic, you ain't seen nothing yet. The Korean giant has shaved off yet another 1mm, producing a candy bar that's 5.9mm thin. Not good enough? Well, there's its Ultra Edition 12.9 slider which, according to various reports on the Web, will emerge 2mm trimmer after a nip-and-tuck.

The Ultra Edition 5.9 may well be the slimmest candy-bar phone in the world, but it doesn't skim on the feature set. It will apparently come with a 3.2-megapixel camera, onboard music and video player, Bluetooth connectivity and 80MB of internal memory. From the images posted on the Internet, the 5.9 does not have a camera on the screen side. Thus, it's unlikely to have 3G or HSDPA onboard.

The Ultra Edition 10.9, on the other hand, takes the crown for being one of the slimmest sliders out there. Again, small doesn’t mean less here. It packs a 3.2-megapixel camera, 80MB internal memory, a music and video player, and a microSD memory card slot. Like the 5.9, the 10.9 seems to be a non-3G/HSDPA unit.

While Samsung Asia was unable to respond to our query on availability of the new phones in Asia, we do know the Ultra Edition 5.9, at least, will launch in Europe come March. Going by Samsung's usual practice of rolling out its Ultra Editions in a trio, we can expect to see a clamshell model announced before 3GSM next month, to complete the new series. An Ultra Edition 8.9 clamshell perhaps?

Note: The image shown on the left is the Ultra Edition 6.9, not the new Ultra Editions, as official images have not been released.

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