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Microsoft eyes up Apple in latest round of mobile wars
Mark Prigg16 Feb 2009
A high street battle for the mobile phone market erupted today as Microsoft and dozens of other phone makers showed off the phones they hope will topple Apple's iPhone.
Microsoft revealed a new version of its phone software, called Microsoft Phone, designed to be operated with one finger, putting it in direct competition with Apple's touchscreen phone.
The software in expected to be used on dozens of handsets when it is released this year, and Microsoft added that it would offer a "software store" allowing users to download add-on software for their phone.
Manufacturers such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson also unveiled their "iPhone killers".
Sony Ericsson's Idou phone features a 12.1 megapixel camera, putting it on a par with dedicated digital cameras, while Nokia's N97 has a slide-out keyboard, turning it into a mini laptop.
Two of the biggest handset launches are from Taiwanese manufacturer HTC, one of the world's biggest phone makers.
The HTC Touch Diamond 2 and Touch Pro 2 both feature new Microsoft software and look similar to Apple's handset, although one has a slide-out keyboard.
HTC declared war on Apple. "If people want an iPhone, they should definitely buy one," said John Wang.
"People have a choice, but we think some will want to do more than just play music or watch movies, and we believe our latest handsets will allow them to do this."
The handsets let users select websites and automatically download them during the day.
