Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a discontinued mobile operating system developed by Microsoft for smartphones and personal digital assistants.[1]
This article is about the mobile phone platform from 2000 to 2013. Not to be confused with Windows 10 Mobile, Windows Phone, or Microsoft Mobile.Developer
Succeeded by Windows Phone
April 19, 2000 – January 8, 2013
(12 years, 8 months, 2 weeks and 6 days)
6.5.3 / February 2, 2010
6.5.5
Proprietary software licensed to OEMs
Its origins can be traced to Windows CE in 1996, though it first appeared in 2000 as Pocket PC 2000 which ran on Pocket PC PDAs. It was renamed "Windows Mobile" in 2003, in several versions (similar to the desktop versions of Windows) aimed at business and enterprise customers. It was to be the portable equivalent of the Windows desktop OS and a major force in the emerging mobile/portable area.
After the rise of newer smartphone OSs (iOS and Android) Windows Mobile never equaled their success and faded rapidly. By February 2010, Microsoft announced the more modern and consumer-focused Windows Phone, and Windows Mobile has been deprecated since existing devices and software are incompatible with Windows Phone.[2][3][4] The last version of Windows Mobile, released after the announcement of Windows Phone, was 6.5.5. After this, Microsoft ceased development on Windows Mobile in order to concentrate on Windows Phone.
Microsoft released a similarly-named Windows 10 Mobile in 2015 which was part of the Windows Phone series; it is unrelated to the retired Windows Mobile operating systems.
