From desktop to mobile, Microsoft and Apple will be taking each other on this summer as Windows Mobile 6.5 will be battling iPhone Firmware 3.0, or iPhone 3.0 for short. Windows Mobile 6.5 builds upon the flexibility, openness, and and robustness of the Windows Mobile platform, adding a nicer consumer-oriented GUI on top. iPhone 3.0, on the other hand, already has a pretty decent consumer-grade user interface, but instead builds on that more features to add robustness and flexibility.

Many of those features announced for the iPhone 3.0 platform already exist on Windows Mobile, including stereo Bluetooth support, copy and paste, search, landscape keyboard support, turn-by-turn spoken GPS driving directions, and MMS. However, Apple did have some aces up their sleeves in attempting to drive the iPhone to be the all-in-one, everything to everyone device. The iPhone’s unique position in the market place is its dock connector, allowing accessories like a blood glucose monitor and blood pressure cuff to be attached to monitor health at home, among other accessories. In the accessories and applications department, developers are captivated by the iPhone ecosystem, something that Microsoft must do to propel Windows Phone into greater acceptance.

I’ve been following the Gizmodo Live Blog on the announcement of iPhone 3.0 today. The positive: The iPhone will be on par with other smartphones, including Windows Mobile. The negative: The iPhone is finally on par with other smartphones, including Windows Mobile. Really, other than the medical accessories that can be attached to the iPhone, what is the buzz surrounding something that pushes the iPhone into common existence with others? At least Windows Mobile can truly do multi-tasking, has a true file system directory, and is extensible.