AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless have become the first two North American cellular carriers to offer phones running Microsoft’s Windows Mobile Software for Smartphones. This move gives Microsoft’s Smartphone efforts a major boost, especially since the phones come from cell phone manufacturing heavyweights Motorola and Samsung, the second and third largest cell phone vendors, behind Nokia.

AT&T is offering the new Motorola MPx200, which runs on the company’s GSM digital network and GMRS data services. Verizon is offering the Samsung SCH-i600, which runs on Verizon’s CDMA digital network and 1xRTT data services. Although the Windows Mobile 2003 platform is now available to manufacturers, both phones are based on the older Windows Mobile 2002 Smartphone software. In theory, the carriers could make software upgrades available for these devices in 2004 once they have undergone testing, but neither has announced plans to do so.

Motorola and Samsung follow Taiwan-based HTC, Mitac, and Compal as early Smartphone vendors. Prior to the North American launch, France-based Orange was the largest carrier to offer Windows Smartphones.

In related news, Juha Christensen, the vice president of Microsoft's Mobile Devices Division and the executive responsible for the Microsoft Smartphone program, announced that he plans to leave the company on Dec. 1, 2003. Christensen, who worked for Symbian before joining Microsoft, plans to launch an unnamed Silicon Valley start-up on Jan. 1, 2004, and disclosed that the firm will provide Web services for smart mobile devices. His manager, Pieter Knook (vice president of the Mobile and Embedded Devices Group), will take over management of Christensen’s team for the time being.

Resources

For details on AT&T’s Motorola MPx200 phone and plans, see www.attwireless.com/personal/products/phonedetails.jhtml?id=8200030&titleNumber=1.

For more details on Verizon’s Samsung SCH-i600 phone and plans, see www.verizonwireless.com/ics/plsql/pf_category.intro?p_hdr_id=177514486&p_equip_id=376608.

For more information on Windows Smartphone, see www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/products/smartphone.

For more details on new Windows Mobile 2003 features, see "Smartphone 2003 SDK and Platform Details Available" on page 28 of the Oct. 2003 Update.

For more background on Microsoft’s strategy for PPC-Phone Edition and Smartphone devices, see "Wireless WAN Strategy Takes Shape" on page 14 of the Nov. 2002 Update.