NOTE: This article refers only to Windows Mobile devices with touchscreens.
From Pocket PC 2000 to Windows Mobile 2003 SE to the upcoming Windows Phone 7, Microsoft has created a maze of mobile Windows operating system versions and names. Many third-party software titles require users to know precisely what version of the Windows Mobile OS is running on their handheld (or the Pocket PC OS if your handheld was released around 2001 or 2002) to ensure that the right version of the software is chosen.
Here you can find information you can use to easily identify the operating system installed on your touchscreen handheld.
Method 1: Visual Identification
Don't like numbers or version builds? Don't sweat it. One of the easiest ways to identify the mobile operating system running on your touchscreen Windows Mobile handheld is to take a look at the Today Screen (the main screen that appears when you first power on your device). The background wallpaper does vary from device to device, but the overall features of the Today Screen remain the same between devices running the same version:
|
|
|
Pocket PC 2000 OS |
|
Pocket PC 2002 OS |
(2000-2001) |
|
(2001-2003) |
|
|
|
|
Windows Mobile 2003 OS |
|
Windows Mobile 2003 SE OS |
(2003-2004) |
|
(2004-2005) |
|
|
|
|
Windows Mobile 5 OS |
|
Windows Mobile 6 & 6.1 OS |
(2005-2007) |
|
(2007-2009) |
|
|
|
|
Windows Mobile 6.5 OS |
|
Windows Phone 7 OS |
(late 2009-2010) |
|
(late 2010 -2012) |
Method 2: Version Number Translation
The version number listed in the Pocket PC and Windows Mobile operating systems' About utility aren't as straightforward as "Windows Mobile 5" or "Pocket PC 2002" - they're long version numbers which are confusing to casual and seasoned users alike. The chart below will help you translate the version numbers into the different versions of the software:
Version Number |
OS Version |
| |
|
3.0.9348 |
Pocket PC 2000 |
|
|
3.0.11171 |
Pocket PC 2002 |
|
|
4.20.xxxx |
Windows Mobile 2003 |
|
|
4.21.xxxx |
Windows Mobile 2003 SE |
|
|
5.1.xxxx |
Windows Mobile 5 |
|
|
5.2.xxxx |
Windows Mobile 6 |
To find the number associated with the version of Windows Mobile running on your Pocket PC or touchscreen Smartphone, tap Start > Settings > System (Tab) > About. The screen you see in the About utility will look generally the same regardless of the version you're running, but the Version line of data is most important:
Using the chart above, you can see that the software version shown, 4.20.1081, is Windows Mobile 2003.
Final Thoughts
The information provided above is for Windows Mobile Pocket PCs (PDAs) and Windows Mobile Smartphones with touchscreens. Non-touchscreen Windows Mobile Smartphones use a different version scheme.
