Microsoft is planning to sell Windows Mobile 6.5 devices alongside Windows Mobile 7 devices and the new planned date for Windows 7 is 4th quarter 2010. This makes sense, but the planned date for 7 seems a long time away in a market like this.

From DigiTimes- “Microsoft plans to adopt a dual platform strategy to promote its Windows Mobile OS (operating system) so as to take aims at both Android- and iPhone-based platforms, according to sources at Taiwan handset makers.

Microsoft is expected to officially launch Windows Mobile 6.5 on October 1, 2009 and add an upgrade version with a touch interface in February 2010, the sources indicated citing Microsoft roadmap.

Microsoft will not phase out Windows Mobile 6.5 from the market but will lower the OS price, when it launches Windows Mobile 7 scheduled in the fourth quarter of 2010, the sources added.”