The latest version of Windows Mobile will be available on mobile phones next month, Microsoft has confirmed.

The software giant has hyped up Windows Mobile 6.5 for some time now, but today finally announced that the first handsets to support the redesigned OS will start appearing in retail stores on 6 October.

Despite insisting that Windows Mobile 6.5 devices are referred to as “Windows phones”, Microsoft hasn’t actually made any handsets itself – in spite of claims to the contrary.

In Europe, version 6.5 devices will be available from the likes of Orange, Vodafone, HTC, LG, Samsung and Toshiba, Microsoft said.

Windows Mobile 6.5 provides an “improved, easy-to-use user interface”, Microsoft said. The latest OS also supposedly boasts “better browsing capabilities” and access to the likes of Marketplace for mobiles and My Phone – a cloud-based service where you can back-up your handset’s data to a password protected website. ®

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