My Phone and Marketplace launch for Windows Mobile


6 Oct 2009

The new lineup of phones running on Windows’ latest operating system, 6.5, was announced today, complete with the availability of Microsoft’s My Phone and mobile apps store.

Four flagship smart phones, unveiled today, that run on Windows 6.5, are the HTC Pure, HTC Tilt 2, HTC Imagio and Samsung Intrepid.

All use the free My Phone web service that allows users to sync and backup information on their phones, including their contacts, messages, photos, videos and calendar appointments.

This all goes to a password-protected website where it can be accessed, and provides a complete backup for lost or stolen phones.

My phone

Windows My Phone – mobile backup in the cloud

There is also the My Phone premium service that rings the phone, even if it’s set to vibrate, and displays on a map where the phone was last synchronised with My Phone, while giving the owner the option to remotely wipe info – similar to the iPhone’s MobileMe services.

Windows Marketplace for Mobile was also launched, and like the My Phone service, it appears it is not yet available in Ireland.

This is essentially an app store for all Windows Mobile smart phones with paid-for wallpaper, widgets and apps for the social web, including Facebook and Twitter, amongst others.

Windows Mobile 6.5 comes with improved services, including a new Internet Explorer mobile browser with Adobe Flash Lite.

“We all want to connect quickly to the people and information that’s important to us from across our lives at work and at home,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

“A Windows phone lets people take their entire world of digital information, communications, applications and entertainment with them wherever they go.”

By Marie Boran