Microsoft today inadvertently previewed its next mobile OS through a preview of Office Mobile 2010. Point 5 in a description of the beta shows a screenshot of the productivity suite running in an environment clearly unrelated to Windows Mobile 6.5 and which is consistent with earlier shots that point to a more touchscreen-friendly interface. At the same time, it retains the familiar two-button options at the bottom of the screen and generates touch lists not unlike the current platform.
The company hasn't commented on the nature of the shot.
Office Mobile's update itself adds a new touch-ready UI as well as a browser for documents on SharePoint servers, a presentation mode in PowerPoint, consistency between mobile and desktop edits, access to Excel formulas and cross-app copy and paste data.
The 2010 update is available as a free beta for Windows Mobile 6.5 users and should be available by May or June. Windows Mobile 7 isn't expected until the second half of 2010 but is likely to include Office Mobile 2010 for free on touchscreen phones. Its key features should involve multi-touch input and a Zune-like media interface.
Source: electronista
