Windows Mobile 6.5.3 Gets Official

[Jason Dunn]

<p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/wpt/auto/1265135798.usr1.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>With the announcement of the <a href="http://www.windowsphonethoughts.com/news/show/96829/sony-ericsson-announces-the-aspen.html" target="_blank">Sony Ericsson Aspen</a>, Windows Mobile 6.5.3 gets its official unveiling - because it's a dotdot release, Microsoft isn't making any big announcements about it. It does bring a few important updates to the table, though the cynical among you (and some days I count myself among you) will no doubt say they're about two years too late. Regardless, 6.5.3 is more touch friendly than 6.5, and that's a good step forward. 6.5.3 adds official capacitive touchscreen support, which is fantastic - hopefully this means well see more capacitive touchscreen Windows phones in the future. I initially wasn't a believer in the superiority of capacitive over resistive when it came to touch input, but after using the HTC HD2, there's no going back. It's just that much better. <MORE /></p><p>Also added is code to enable multi-touch, so we might see some developers start to take advantage of this - assuming there are enough multi-touch Windows phones out there to matter to developers. Actually, that brings up an interesting question: is multi-touch a hardware + software feature, or purely software? As in, do you need to have multi-touch screens in order to implement multi-touch? Someone smarter than me please answer that question.</p><p>They've added touch controls throughout the system - but when I look at the screen shot above, the buttons on the bottom look a bit...un-balanced. What do you think? It looks a bit tacked-on to me, which is pretty much exactly what it is. It's hard to incrementally change a UI element, and radically changing it can break application compatibility. A simplified out-of-box experience is also part of 6.5.3, though I didn't think that the current device setup was very difficult. A built-in magnifier also brings touch support to "legacy applications".</p><p>Things in the browser have gotten better as well - Internet Explorer Mobile 6 has decreased page load times, improved memory management, pan and flick gestures have been "smoothed out" somehow, and the zoom and rotation speed has been increased.</p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/wpt/auto/1265135827.usr1.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p><em>Figure 2: Looks like they've enhanced the status bar as well - those icons are much easier to tap on.</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/wpt/auto/1265135837.usr1.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p><em>Figure 3: </em><em>Want to move a program icon? Press and hold on it...</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/wpt/auto/1265135848.usr1.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p><em>Figure 4: </em><em>...then drag it upward...</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/wpt/auto/1265135857.usr1.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p><em>Figure 5: </em><em>...and let it go. Finally! Exactly what we should have had in 6.5.</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/wpt/auto/1265135866.usr1.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p><em>Figure 6: </em><em>Notice the left/right pivot function above. Easier to use!</em></p><p>The real travesty in all this is that the odds are pretty good that regardless of what device you own, the OEM you bought it from probably isn't going to release a 6.5.3 update. The more things change, the more they stay the same...</p>

[ucfgrad93]

The real travesty in all this is that the odds are pretty good that regardless of what device you own, the OEM you bought it from probably isn't going to release a 6.5.3 update. The more things change, the more they stay the same...

Agreed, it is a huge negative for the Windows Mobile ecosystem.

[paschott]

From what I've read about multi-touch, you need to have hardware that can work with it. With our current touch screens, if you touch multiple places, it registers as the difference between the points. Capacitive screens can register each point. Of course, they don't tend to work well with non-capacitive sylii. HTC has developed a stylus that can be used w/ a capacitive screen so you could potentially get the best of both worlds - multi-touch/finger ops, but more precision when desired.

Of course, I'm waiting to see what happens in the near future with the rumors flying around of WM 7 and Zune integration w/ phones.

And yes, it's really sad that carriers just won't support giving an upgrade to people who want it. I still have no idea how Apple managed that deal to start with, but now that it's been done, I'm hoping MS is smart enough to do the same. It's pathetic that we have to depend on sites such as XDA to get upgrades that our devices are more than capable of using. I've been hit by that 3 times now.

I've tried out 6.5.3 and it's not too bad. I've also played around with Android some on my device and it's got a lot going for it as well. If MS can't get it right w/ WM7, I think they'll pretty much lose the last holdouts, even if they do have Zune integration.

[Deslock]

6.5.3 adds official capacitive touchscreen supportAt the risk of being called a troublemaker for bringing this up on a Windows-centric board, I'll just say this: better late than never (I swore off resistive touchscreens over two-and-a-half years ago after 60 seconds with an iPhone).

[Pdaholic]

At the risk of being called a troublemaker for bringing this up on a Windows-centric board, I'll just say this: better late than never (I swore off resistive touchscreens over two-and-a-half years ago after 60 seconds with an iPhone).

I am starting to agree here. I have been completely against touchscreens, but I got my first taste of an iPhone 3gs a few days ago. Played with it for a few minutes, and now I want one! Amazing how the iPhone corrects your mistakes so accurately. Probably gonna jump ship soon.

[Darius Wey]

Actually, that brings up an interesting question: is multi-touch a hardware + software feature, or purely software? As in, do you need to have multi-touch screens in order to implement multi-touch? Someone smarter than me please answer that question.

It's both a hardware and software requirement.

They've added touch controls throughout the system - but when I look at the screen shot above, the buttons on the bottom look a bit...un-balanced. What do you think? It looks a bit tacked-on to me, which is pretty much exactly what it is.

Couldn't agree more. And many other designers I've spoken to are in the same boat. Sadly, v6.5, in general, still reeks of its predecessors. From a design perspective, the shade effects do little to mask the fact that the tap-and-hold menus, notification bubbles, and clunky navigation paths still are what they were a few years ago. While v6.5.3 is certainly a step in the right direction, with the efforts that Apple, Google, and Palm are making in the mobile OS space, v7 honestly can't come soon enough.

[V-iPAQ]

I have the HD2 and sorry guys, apart from multitouch it makes no diff.
I can use my fingers now, I could with old WM stuff too.
But I can't write anymore w/o a stylus. And clicking is way inaccurate.

Just cuz apple did it doesn't make it good.


those 6.5.3 buttons on the bottom look so retro and ugly. Surely they could have done better than that? I prefer the 6.5 look.

[Djblois]

If Microsoft is smart then they will push for all OEMs and Carriers to get the 6.5.3 update on all devices that either started with 6.5 or was updated to 6.5.

This update will put them on much more of an even playing field then 6.5 did. However, they still need to wow us with WM 7 in 2 weeks.

[CeluGeek]

Windows Mobile 6.5.x is the Vista of the mobile world. I'd still take WM 6.1 any day because I'd rather:

- not have kinetic scrolling and keep the ability to drag for selecting text in Word, selecting contiguous files in File Explorer and to move those "Are you sure you want to delete?"dialogs out of the way so I can make sure I'm about to delete the correct item.
- not have a honeycomb Start menu and keep the one where I could press a letter to jump to that item (such as S for Settings). I'd also keep the Start menu where pressing Up arrow on the first item wrapped to the bottom, and pressing Down arrow at the bottom, wrapped to the top. I'd also rather have back the Start menu that alphabetized items instead of the newer alll-over-the-place approach.
- Also, the traditional Today screen is way more efficient in displaying a lot of useful information without having to scroll. Not so with Titanuium. Fortunately, it is still possible to revert to the oldie-but-goodie Today screen though.

There's stuff that just worked efficiently on WinMo 6.1 and now is lost in 6.5 as part of Microsoft's [FAILED] attempt to make their OS look as cool as the iPhone.

[Richard76]

Actually, I think these changes warrant a 6.6 or 6.7 even. I would have to "play" with PIE to make my final call though.

[Rob Alexander]

My take on it is the exact opposite of CelluGeek's. My Imagio uses 6.5, not 6.5.3, but it is far and away the most useable handheld device I've ever had... and that's going back to the Philips Velo 1 with WinCE 1.0 and running up through WM 6.1. The kenetic scrolling is a much easier way to move around a document or web page than trying to tap a tiny scroll bar on the right hand side. I use SPB Mobile Shell as my shell and, for me, it beats every other interface out there, including the media darling iPhone. In fact, I would go so far as to say that, with 6.5.3 as described, MS has taken all of the best bits of the iPhone and combined them with all the things that make WM better. This is an excellent mobile OS.