Windows Mobile 6 Review

So I have been using WM 6 for about two weeks now. I have to say that I LOVE it! I have both good and some areas in which we could improve on. I have read some articles stating that WM 6 is nothing more than a point release. Even though there is no earth shattering new features I would still strongly disagree that this is a point release.

Below are a review of some of the enhancements in WM 6.

The Good

  • The User Interface has been cleaned up. My device is much easier to use now, especially inĀ  my car or situations where I need to perform actions quickly. A great example of this is e-mail. Mobile Outlook has replaced the left bottom option from "New" to "Delete". For someone like me who lives in Outlook on my mobile phone it's great because I very rarely compose a new message, however I delete messages all the time.
  • Performance has significantly improved. I have noticed that my T-Mobile MDA has more zip to it. With WM 5 moving from application to application didn't perform the best. With WM 6 applications open very quickly.
  • Integrated Live Services. All I have to say about this is that it is AWESOME! This version builds on top of previous versions and has really put together a great product. To add to this download "Live Search" for your WM 6 device. It is great, this is the new killer application for Windows Mobile. If you don't have a data plan you will not find that is all that great since it depends on the Live Services in the Cloud.
  • Integrated Windows Update. This is long over due! Now I do not need a PC to get my updates. I can be on the road or on the couch.
  • Voice Command Included. Voice command works great for me. I do not have to go into my phone and record names of people for voice recoginision, it works out of the box with Voice Command. As a bonus I can run applications as well!
  • Photo Management. I use my phone as a device to share pictures with friends and family when I see them. Before I would have to press OK to go through each picture. This was a pain! Now al I have to do is click the right or left arrow. Small enhancement but a big deal when navigating through many photos on your phone.
  • Storage Card Encryption. This is great for me because I store sensitive information on my storage card. I like to keep certain personal data with me at all times for emergencies and backup purposes.

The Not So Good

  • Stability has been an issue for me. Outlook and a few other applications has locked up more than a few times. I am hoping that with the Windows Update Services will fix this over time.
  • Bluetooth connectivity has been flaky. I used my same MDA for GPRS Internet connectivity with WM 5 connected to my laptop all the time in places I couldn't get WiFi. I use it most often in Airports that do not have T-Mobile Hotspots. Now I am having tons of issues connecting to my phone. Additionally, my Bluetooth GPS connectivity drops to my phones a lot but not my laptop.