Just a few days ago, we learned a number of new details about the upcoming Internet Explorer 6 Mobile. If you have been eagerly looking forward to getting your hands on it since then, Microsoft has some bad news for you. In the comments about the original story is one that Internet Explorer 6 Mobile will only be available on new devices. The comment was posted by a member of the Windows Mobile team:
Regarding making IE Mobile available as a separate download or update, the rich media experiences that IE Mobile 6 enables require more powerful, advanced devices. That is why it will not be available as an upgrade or direct download for current phones, but rather will be made available on new phones.
A few questions come to mind immediately:
- What kind of device will be needed to run Internet Explorer 6 Mobile?
- How is it that other browsers can deliver comparable functionality without restricting use to the latest devices?
If Microsoft does not reverse this decision, it may find itself driving its users to other browsers or worse to other mobile operating systems. Meanwhile, the new IE Mobile version is expected to start to show up in new devices by the end of the year or early in 2009.
Source: Brighthand