First we saw screenshots of what is apparently the next Windows Mobile version. Now a few details have emerged. According to Pocket PC Mauritius, the next version of Windows Mobile will come with a Language Pack feature which will let you switch languages (but requiring a hard reset), support for Smartphone external displays, Internet Sharing, a new set up wizard that will help users configure their device the first time they turn it on, improvements to the text messaging capabilities and Windows Media Player will include Video Scaling and a simple equalizer.
Brighthand’s Ed Hardy was also given a preview of both Crossbow and Photon. While thin on details (Ed is under NDA), he has published his impressions (The Latest Glimpse Into the Future of Windows Mobile) and does indicate that Crossbow will not come with any radical changes but will pack quite a few improvements to the current Windows Mobile 5. This suggests that the changes described above are slated for Photon which could come out as late as 2008.
If devices running Crossbow don’t come out until the second half of 2007, we have plenty of time to see if these rumours hold up or not.