At a press conference with Steve Ballmer at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this afternoon (videos), Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 6.5, the operating software previously known as Windows Mobile. This has a new "lock screen" start page and a honeycomb-themed touch-based front end designed to make it simpler to access your stuff.
Along with the new software, there's the My Phone (beta) web site, which will automatically back up and sync what's on your phone, and a forthcoming iPhone-style app store.
Alex Reeve, who runs the mobile bit of Microsoft UK, tells me that "Windows is the owning brand: Windows Live, Windows 7, Windows Phone."
Otherwise, it's still a horizontal platform strategy. Microsoft does the software and hardware manufacturers such as HTC innovate on top.
Windows Phone software also includes an updated browser, says Reeve, "enhanced for finger-based navigation. It's a big step forward." It will include Flash support. However, "it doesn't have Silverlight support at this time."
Reeve says My Phone doesn't use Microsoft's Active Sync (licensed to Apple, Google, Palm, Nokia etc) or Windows Live Mesh. It's a dedicated consumer-oriented solution.
He expects new phones to appear running Windows Phone in Q4 this year.
Our Richard Wray is in Barcelona and wrote something in advance of the press conference: Microsoft takes on Apple with new moves in mobile phone market
