OK – I’ve now had almost 2 weeks with my Android powered phone, and several years with Windows Mobile.

It is no secret that I’m convinced Windows Mobile is badly broken and in need of a major overhaul, but how well does it do when up against Android?

I’ll be comparing the newest (and only) Android phone, with the newest Windows Mobile device; the Sprint Touch Pro.

Let me start with the basics – Look and feel/usability

Windows Mobile is not very well adapted for touch use, especially if it involves the bog standard OS as delivered by Microsoft.

Companies like HTC and Samsung have invested millions in developing their own shells for Windows Mobile that help make things a little better. However, at the end of the day however, it’s still not enough.

Even with the most recent touch interfaces (HTC TouchFlo 3D),  as soon as you leave the warm and cozy touch enabled shell, you are back in the non-touch enabled WinMo apps. There are also some silly interface flaws; in the newest phones from HTC, you’ll find a touch sensitive scroll wheel, but you won’t be able to use the wheel in most apps (without some manual hacking). For most applications in Windows Mobile, you will still need to use a stylus to control things.

Android on the other hand has touch/gesture based controls built into every app; from the music player to the email client, everything responds very well, and is even on par with the de-facto touch standard on phones; the iPhone. The Android interface is not perfect; every now and then you still run into some inconsistencies in the controls, but for a first generation phone, it’s close to perfect.

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Microsoft seems to have suddenly realized that people like to be able to back up their mobile devices, even if they aren’t part of a corporate managed environment.  To that end they’ve released Microsoft Phone Data Manager (Beta).  The tool allows for contacts, music, pictures and video to be backed up off the device into your Windows Live account in their cloud computing efforts.

The tool depends on linking the mobile device to a computer for connecting to the Cloud, so it isn’t all that great.  But at least they’ve come up with something that passes for a legitimate use of the “cloud computing” moniker that they’ve been touting recently.

They support a number of devices beyond just Windows Mobile-powered options, which is nice.  Ironically the WinMo devices are only supported via a USB cable, while non-WinMo devices also have BlueTooth support.  A full list of known supported (and some unsupported ones) are contained here.

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Despite the slick ad’s from Apple, not everything in the iPhone is brand new. There are however some parts of the device that are new, and have helped make the device the success it is today. One of the more impressive features is the App store.

Being able to load applications onto your smartphone is nothing new, but getting access to those apps through a single store-front is. There have been some attempts in the past (Handango has been trying to do this for years with their InHand application), but Apple decided from day one that the only official source for programs would be the App store.

The App store is not perfect; there are no trial versions of apps, and the browsability of the site is pretty weak, but there is no denying that it makes getting apps on your iPhone much easier than other brands of smartphones. With Windows Mobile you usually have to install each application separately, which also leaves a mess on your desktop PC. Other apps are only delivered in a .CAB format, which requires you to manually install it, something many amateur users simply can’t do.

Microsoft has clearly been paying attention, because a source has discovered that they are working behind the scenes on their own app store called “Skymarket”.

Not much is known about the service yet, and if history repeats itself, it won’t be a big success, but it does show that they understand the hassles of application installs on their devices, and that they plan to do something about it.

(Source: WMPowerUser.com)

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No, that title is not something I came up with, it’s how Vito describes their newest touch enabled interface for Windows Mobile devices. Needless to say they got some inspiration from the iPhone (with a little Blackberry Bold thrown in).

The application combines a home screen,a contact manager, a task manager and a program launcher. You even get the same "slide to unlock" screen as on the iPhone.

You can download Winterface here. It costs $19.95, and a trial version is available.

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Arne Hess at the:unwired is a lucky guy; he has 3 of the best Windows Mobile smartphones in his possession, and isn’t afraid to use them.

In a totally non scientific test, he took photos with the HTC Diamond, the SonyEricsson Xperia X1 and the Samsung Omnia and compared their photo qualities.

His conclusion? None of them will be replacing your normal camera any time soon.

Source: The:unwired Windows Mobile camera comparison

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First of all, I’ll have to apologize for not actually testing this application. But the description sounds so interesting that I figured I’ll share it now and test it later.

Trippr is about as simple as it gets; it takes your GPS location, sends that to Flickr, and displays photos with "geotagged" coordinates of the area you are in.

Essentially, it shows photos of interesting things around you. The photos could be something cool, but they could also just be of the local sewage treatment plant, so don’t hold me responsible for a wasted afternoon.

The (free) application is part of a challenge to develop 30 different programs in 30 days and can be found here.

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AOL just released a beta version of their AIM client for Windows Mobile. The previous version was almost 5 years old and never worked right on current devices, so this new version is a welcome update. When I took it for a spin it seemed to work fine, but on my device the enter key did not act as a "send message" button, so I had to tap my screen to send the IM.

The AIM client for Windows Mobile is free, and is a great way to stay in touch with folks back home using limited data. Just keep in mind that is is a beta release, so don’t blame me if something bad happens to your device.

You can find the client here: AOL beta central

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It’s just 2 months since HTC formally announced their newest smartphone, and it’s already available from a US vendor.

CompUSA has the phone in stock for just $779.99, which may sound insane compared to a $199 3G iPhone, but the Diamond ships without any commitment or contract on a mobile operator. It’s also lower than most launch prices of previous HTC phones (Touch, TyTn, TyTNII).

But before you click "purchase", be aware that it is only the tri-band version of the Diamond, so no support at all for AT&T Wireless (voice or data) and no support for T-mobile 3G data. It’s essentially a "look what I have" phone.

And last but not least: If HTC can get a phone released this fast, why is it taking so long for SonyEricsson to release the Xperia X1?

Product page: CompUSA HTC Touch Diamond

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Windows Mobile 7 was originally slated for release by the end of 2009, but thankfully it looks like Microsoft may have it ready by Q1 of 2009.

Of course, with the upcoming 3G iPhone and a whole assortment of Google Android phones, they don’t really have a choice.

At the launch party for the new HTC Diamond, someone managed to get some one on one time with an HTC executive who spilled the beans:

When I asked Chen about details on the device carrying Google Android, he refused to speak about it, but the only thing he would tell me about the Windows Mobile 7 device is that it should be released in Q1 next year.

Source: Phonereport.info

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This summer is slowly turning into the hottest mobile season ever. All major manufacturers have at least one "super phone" in the pipeline. Here are some of the upcoming devices side by side:

(1) EVDO Rev.A.

(2) Initial release will be on Quadband GSM, a CDMA release is planned for later this year.

(3) The OS on the Sprint Instinct is "closed", no system currently exists to develop or add applications.

(4) The iPhone, HTC Diamond and SonyErcisson Xperia X1 all support Microsoft Activesync email, which requires a third party service. The iPhone will support the upcoming Apple MobileMe service which includes push email ($99/year).

(5) No US operator has openly committed to releasing this phone on their network.

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