Bill Gates unveiled Windows Mobile 5.0, Microsoft's latest platform for mobile devices, including next generation phones, PDAs and media players. Key improvements include:
- Improved device efficiency, yielding as much as 30% more battery life.
- Persistent storage has been added to Windows Mobile 5.0-based Pocket PCs, which will help ensure that users don't lose important data when devices run out of battery power.
- Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, which adds support for technologies such as hard drives and USB 2.0. File formats supported include Windows Media Audio, Windows Media Video and MP3. The updated player also enables synchronization of users' playlists, album art and song ratings. Partners can plug in additional digital rights management (DRM) technologies
- 3G and WiFi, including features for enabling partners to build devices for Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) networks with simultaneous voice and data transfer. Wi-Fi support in Smartphones will allow for a new generation of small, connected devices.
- Greater flexibility for device-makers and mobile operators to customize branded device experiences with extensible menus and new soft keys to build new features, such as push-to-talk (PTT), right into the phone dialer
- Faster access to e-mail. Windows Mobile 5.0 users will have faster access to e-mail and information and an improved experience with MSN Messenger. MSN Messenger now offers seamless instant messaging (IM); and faster, one-key access to Hotmail and MSN inboxes within Outlook.
- ActiveSync 4.0 support, which provides the ability to sync pictures in contacts and wirelessly sync over Bluetooth
- For Windows Mobile 5.0-based Pocket PCs, Word Mobile now supports tables, lists and embedded images
- Security compliant with the FIPS 140-2 standard.
