Our expert judges weigh in on the 2005 trends and what they'd like to see in the next generation of Windows Mobile devices.
If the past is any indication, Windows Mobile will continue to evolve rapidly in the coming year, supporting more features and becoming a lot more useful to consumer and enterprise customers. We asked the Pocket PC magazine Best Software Awards expert judges to look into their collective crystal balls and tell us what's in store for Windows Mobile in the coming year. Below are some of their comments. (Note: This material has been edited for clarity and brevity.)
Q: What do you think will be the most important Windows Mobile trends in 2005?
Convergence between mobile phones and PDAs is going to continue, and the line between the two devices is going to blur.
As the variety of Smartphones available worldwide increases, the platform will grow as a whole. The more users there are, the larger the customer base developers have to aim their work at. This in turn will generate more revenue for developers. This is already being seen with such advances as GPS satellite navigation for the Smartphone and the ever-increasing software library.
Hopefully, HP will release fewer models in the future. There are too many versions of the iPAQ right now, and it is confusing potential buyers.
Pocket PC Phone Edition devices should become more prevalent in the marketplace and take on a slimmer form factor. Media (video, photos, and MP3) is going to play a big role in this year's product launches.
I think we'll see easier wireless connectivity for Pocket PCs, either through cell phones or through integrated wireless features. I think we'll see the costs of these devices continue to drop.
The Pocket PC and Smartphone platforms will continue to move closer to each other. Mobile devices will become sexier. Until recently, the lifestyle aspect has been widely ignored by developers. This will change, producing a greater variety of attractively designed devices.
I expect to see more street navigation applications based on GPS—this is a big thing in Europe. I also expect to see more done with mobile blogging and the ability to edit a Web site from your Smartphone. Hopefully, we'll also see some ringtone/midi composer programs and enhancements to the PIM functionality.
I see continued convergence with Media Center devices. A one gigabyte CompactFlash card costs less than $100 now. Why not include that same storage capability inside the Pocket PC?
From a developer's perspective I see the following trends:
- More connected applications.
- Greater use of remote services (e.g. XML Web Services).
- More applications with more developer controls.
- More Smartphone enterprise applications (.NET CF).
- More location-based services (GPS/GMS).
I expect to see hardware and software enhancements lead to faster boot-up times. I also expect to see enhanced Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support on the Smartphone. I hope to see Microsoft and device developers stay current with enhancements in the mobile phone industry.
The big direction for 2005 will have to be the continuing integration of Windows Mobile into the digital lifestyle. We'll see continued integration of Media Center components into other Windows Mobile devices. Hopefully, we'll also see enhancements to Pocket Office applications, making Windows Mobile devices more useful for data manipulation.
I hope we'll see enhanced connectivity and better basic phone performance. A great PIM manager is fine, but Windows Mobile devices with phones need to be able to do what the cheapest cell phone can do.
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