Microsoft Launches Smartphones

Microsoft officially launched its smartphone software last night, although the technology won't be available in the U.S. until next year.

As with its PocketPC-based PDAs, the software giant is attempting to tie its PIM client, Outlook, to the cellular handset platform. In the U.K., Microsoft will have to unseat Symbian, the smartphone client UI which has received investments from major players such as Nokia and Ericsson.

Orange, a U.K. telecom provider, has launched the first Windows tri-band smartphone, the Orange Smartphone SPV. The phone features a 132-MHz OMAP 710 DSP by Texas Instruments, coupled with a 176 x 220 reflective TFT capable of displaying 65,000 colors. The 11 x 4.5 x 2 cm handset weighs 95 grams, which Microsoft executives said will be lighter and smaller than its competitors. IHV's Sendo and Compal have also committed to manufacturing Microsoft smartphones.

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