***NOTE: This article refers only to Windows Mobile devices with touchscreens.
From Pocket PC 2000 to Windows Mobile 2003 SE to Windows Mobile "Crossbow," Microsoft has created a maze of mobile Windows operating system versions. Many third-party software titles require that you know precisely what version of the Windows Mobile OS is running on your handheld (or the Pocket PC OS if your handheld was released around 2001 or 2002) in order to download and install the right application.
Microsoft has released several different mobile operating systems over the last decade, but this article focuses on two: the Pocket PC OS and the Windows Mobile OS for Pocket PCs and Pocket PC Phones. Here you can find information you can use to easily identify the operating system installed on your 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 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:
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Pocket PC 2000 OS |
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Pocket PC 2002 OS |
(2000-2001) |
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(2001-2003) |
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Windows Mobile 2003 OS |
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Windows Mobile 2003 SE OS |
(2003-2004) |
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(2004-2005) |
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Windows Mobile 5 OS |
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Windows Mobile 6 OS |
(2005-2007) |
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(2007-2008) |
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 caual 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 |
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3.0.9348 |
Pocket PC 2000 |
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3.0.11171 |
Pocket PC 2002 |
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4.20.xxxx |
Windows Mobile 2003 |
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4.21.xxxx |
Windows Mobile 2003 SE |
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5.1.xxxx |
Windows Mobile 5 |
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5.2.xxxx |
Windows Mobile 6 |
To find the number associated with the version of Windows Mobile running on your Pocket PC or Pocket PC Phone, 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 Pocket PC Phones (PDA Phones) with touchscreens. Windows Mobile Smartphones, or Windows Mobile powered phones without touchscreens, use a slightly different version scheme.
