Konklusion: WM7 on skedule for phones in April 2010

Nothing here we're too shocked to see. This purportedly is a slide form a Danish conference last month in which we see a timetable for Windows Mobile 6.5 and Windows Mobile 7. [via UX Evangelist]

The 6.5 timing's close — it was announced at Mobile World Congress in February and reportedly is done and ready for manufacturers now. And if the slide is to be believed, Windows Mobile 7 would see a software release in November 2009 and be on phones in April 2010. It's worth noting that that timeline matches exactly what ZDNet's Mary-Jo Foley reported just before MWC.

But let's break this down like Dr. Seuss:

Thing 1: We previously reported that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer all but admitted they had hoped to get Windows Mobile 7 out this year and that it just wasn't going to happen. And announcing Windows Mobile 7 just after WM6.5 hits phones is a sure way to make sure the 6.5 devices sit on shelves for a long while — especially if you take into account the rumored WM7 required hardware specs. That's a big leap forward.

Thing 2: We've seen several job postings for developers for Windows Mobile 7 (and one as recent as yesterday). We don't pretend to know much about Microsoft's development process, or how many people are tasked to getting Windows Mobile 7 out the door. But we do know these things take time. Let's hope they're beefing up the ranks and not scrambling to get the job done. 'Cause if they're starting from the beginning ...

So will we see Windows Mobile 7 announced before the end of the year? We're not betting the farm on it. But we wouldn't kick it out of bed in the middle of the night, either.