Windows 6.5 phones to launch Oct. 6

Microsoft announced it will release Windows Mobile 6.5 on Oct. 6th, officially launching the company's latest attempt to stay relevant in the mobile market.

The Redmond-based company said mobile phone providers "worldwide" will update or expand their portfolios to include Windows Mobile 6.5, as there is growing competition from Google Android, Research In Motion, Apple, LiMo, and other companies working in the mobile sector.

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Microsoft said AT&T, Sprint Nextel, Bell, Telus and Verizon Wireless are all carriers who will support Windows Mobile 6.5, with Hewlett-Packard, LG, Samsung, Toshiba and HTC manufacturing phones that will utilize the new OS.  Furthermore, some phones that are currently running Windows Mobile 6.1 may be eligible for a Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrade -- the Samsung Omnia 2, for example, runs Windows Mobile 6.1, but will be upgradeable.

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The actual demand and level of interest in Windows Mobile 6.5 varies, with some analysts already saying Microsoft isn't doing enough to stay relevant.

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"Windows Mobile devices, despite some really good hardware and some good brands behind them, just don't move," Avian Securities analyst Matt Thornton told the Wall Street Journal.

It wasn't long ago when it looked like Windows Mobile could get a solid hold of the market -- making moves from the workplace into the consumer mobile market -- but both Apple and RIM were able to get there first.  Now, the free and popular Google Android OS poses the biggest threat to Microsoft, as Microsoft forces handset manufacturers to pay licensing fees to use the OS.

Android, which still has its own issues to work out, continues to impress consumers and analysts, who note the growing number of options in the mobile sector.

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Are you looking forward to trying out Windows Mobile 6.5 next month, or will you avoid it to stick with Android, iPhone, Blackberry, or another mobile platform?

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