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Microsoft recently delivered an updated Windows Mobile 6.5 Software Development Kit and then apparently pulled it not long after.
On Jan. 22, Microsoft made the Windows Mobile 6.5 SDK available for download, but the company later ended access to the download. According to some reports, this may have been because the SDK included Windows Mobile 6.5.3 bits.
According to Softpedia:
““This is one nice surprise for Windows Mobile enthusiasts out there. After a long list of rumors, scattered appearances and leaked builds, the Windows Mobile 6.5.3 flavor of Microsoft’s mobile operating system has been released into the wild. The Redmond-based company has made available for download the Windows Mobile 6.5 Software Development Kit a few days ago, which actually brought around emulator images of Windows Mobile 6.5.3, it seems.”“
Microsoft issued a statement on its pulling the SDK, confirming that it had been for an updated version of the Windows Mobile operating system:
““On Friday, January 22nd, Microsoft prematurely posted a version of an upcoming Windows Mobile 6.5 SDK to a public facing Web page. While the SDK was not announced or promoted, it was discovered and generated questions from the community. The beta SDK has since been removed and will be reposted once final testing has been conducted. We apologize for any inconvenience.”“
Microsoft released Windows Mobile 6.5 to manufacturing in summer 2009 and the first phones running the operating system appeared in October.
In July, Microsoft released a Windows Mobile Developer Toolkit that included “Emulator Images, Gesture APIs and Samples for Windows Mobile 6.5.”
According to an overview of the Windows Mobile 6.5 tool kit on Microsoft’s Website, “The Windows Mobile 6.5 Developer Tool Kit adds documentation, sample code, header and library files, [and] emulator images and tools to Visual Studio that let you build applications for Windows Mobile 6.5.”
Moreover, “A new set of APIs is being introduced that will enable application developers to take advantage of the new Windows Mobile 6.5 touch gesture framework,” the Microsoft documentation said. “The gesture APIs allow an application to handle touch gesture input and provide a visually consistent experience with the rest of the device UI [user interface]. Note that the gesture APIs are only available on the Windows Mobile Classic and Professional SKUs.”
At the upcoming Mobile World Congress event, scheduled for Feb. 15 to 18 in Barcelona, Spain, Microsoft is expected to introduce a new version of Windows Mobile, perhaps Windows Mobile 6.5.3. Microsoft also is expected to deliver some information about Windows Mobile 7, a much-anticipated major revision of the operating system that is expected to boost Microsoft’s presence in the mobile space.