(Left) Original Windows Mobile 6.5 look and feel. (Center) Customized Windows Mobile 6.5 theme.
(Right) Custom Windows Mobile 6.5 Titanium plugin.
Windows Mobile 6.5 may still be a month away from release-to-manufacturing (RTM), but that hasn’t stopped the thriving Windows Mobile modding community from already working on and releasing some promising customizations to take advantage of the new themes and Titanium plugins engines. Here’s a couple examples where WM6.5 allows for more powerful customizations for its new look and feel without any third-party software.
Up to and including WM6.1, “themes” were nothing more than simple a color scheme and a background picture. In WM6.5, themes can be much more varied with greater control over the fine details of the UI, not just colors. For example, here’s three themes created by user “rpereira” which shows off what can now be done with themes. However bear in mind his themes are quite conservative and more can be done (for example the scrollbar can be styled too).
WM6.5 Ubuntu theme by rpereira
WM6.5 Pyro theme by rpereira
WM6.5 Heineken theme by rpereira
Besides look and feel, WM6.5 also allows for developers to tap into the new panel-based home screen functionality dubbed “Titanium” (based on the “CHome” functionality in WM6.1 Standard edition). These panels are interesting because they can display useful information in a single line at-a-glance, but can also be selected and scrolled horizontally to display more detail. Two self-explanatory examples of developers taking advantage of this is the “Favorite people” plugin and “TitaniumWeather” plugin.
Bear in mind that everything done so far has been without the help of any formal documentation or developer guides, much of the knowledge the result of trial and error. Needless to say when WM6.5 is finally released it’ll be very interesting to see what designers and developers can do with this platform.
14 Comments
Garion
Windows Mobile looks very very nice, is it possible to port it over to s60 based phones (cough *N97*)?
Jason Cartwright
Windows Mobile 6.5 is looking really good, these themes look pretty sweet.
I just wonder how many levels deep they go.
dovella
I use WM 6.5 with my Samsung Omnia , and work AMAZING, is very very COOL
This release of WM is like WIndows XP with Longhorn style
Fowl
@Garion: I’m sure it is /possible/… You’d need detailed hardware docs, and a lot of time on your hands…
–
Wow, they are finally getting up the visual appeal of 3 year old Sony Ericson not-so-smart-phones.
Imran Hussain
Awesome! this reminds of the great words of Steve Ballmer, “Developers!! developers!! developers!!”
Kevin O
Anyone know if WinMo 6.5 will be coming to the Palm Treo Pro? I believe it meets the hardware requirements.
Avatar X
Wow.truly great stuff.
Mike T
Long, how dare you even leave this out!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=504716
One of the better attempts at being different and good
GRiNSER
@Fowl: Heh, I was thinking quite the same
Sony Ericsson was – I think – the first mobile phone vendor that allowed themeing to a great extent. I remember making my own themes in times when I had the glorious T610. My currently, though aging but still working K750i can be themed even greater, not to speak about the current line up of phones from different vendors, although I like the UI of SE phones at most (I’m talking about normal phones, not smartphones – the iPhone has a nice looking UI too!).
MS has way to go for a really usable User Interface on Windows Phones but Win Mobile 6.5 is a great step in this direction. Well still years too late!
Quikboy
Awesome! Windows Mobile doesn’t look so bad with these new type theme. The icons and I guess a new color palette makes Windows Mobile look even more appealing.
Hopefully, Windows Mobile Marketplace will have a section where people can sell or share themes.
Kevin
I’d love to see this go more than skin deep, and extend this interface to the point where it can supplant the old Win32 GDI interfaces. I’d love to write apps and games without poorly designed and slow performing API’s.
ppp
Hi Long,
I just saw your post was pirated in
http://news.mydrivers.com/1/132/132760.htm
(in Chinese)
In their article, they have their logo stamped onto pictures, without mentioning your website at all…
Tim Layton
One of the things that I like most about Windows Mobile is the ability to change the skins. It is just fun and keeps things interesting. It isnt always about the latest techno “thing” because many people are drawn to things that are visually appealing. So, I am glad to see these skins and hope there are tons more!
Tim Layton
And one other thing about Windows Mobile themes/skins. I think it would be a really good idea to have some available for free in the new Windows Mobile Marketplace. I am very hopeful that Microsoft and the various carriers have a plan that is in sync to get all of the Windows Mobile 6.1 users up and running on the new Marketplace. It will be a huge buzz kill if all the 6.1 users out here can’t use the store… Come’n guys… get this right!
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