Microsoft just released Windows Mobile 6.5 last month, but already, there’s talk of testing Windows Mobile 7. That might explain why 6.5 is more of a minor bump after all the time between it and the prior version. WMPowerUser caught wind of the “Maldives” WinMo 7 tester program, allegedly slated for the first quarter of 2010. Now by “tester program” I mean testing by handset manufacturers, not for average Joes and Janes. And there’s no indication that Windows Mobile 7 will hit any earlier than the third quarter of 2010. But it’s a positive sign as other mobile operating systems have caught up to, and in many ways passed, Windows Mobile over the last two years alone.

The big question in my mind isn’t where Windows Mobile 7 will be when it arrives, but rather, where will all of its competitors be at that time. Apple appears to be on a major release schedule each June or July with updated handsets and new operating system features. Google is proving that it can press the gas pedal with Android updates, too — not long after version 1.6 hit the air, we saw a flashier version 2.0 arrive. Nokia’s first Maemo phone is now shipping, but updates for that platform have no history to form a basis. BlackBerry also continues to move forward and, of course, some of us are still waiting for more great things from Palm.

Three quarters of a year can be a lifetime for mobile devices, so my hope is that Microsoft debuts something that’s ahead of its time with Windows Mobile 7.

Say what you will about Palm Pre owners, they are by and large an innovative lot. An enterprising (and electrically savvy) Pre owner has extended the homebrew scene from apps to the physical and built a car mount for his Pre using the Touchstone charger.

The enterprising individual has detailed the process and explained the whys and wherefores of the components chosen for the project. The Pre sits on the Touchstone charger by magnetic connection, and according to the hobbyist, the phone sits firmly on the mount. If you decide to tackle such a project yourself, bear in mind that tinkering with the car’s electrical system can be dangerous, and you could have horrific consequences if proper care is not exercised. Pretty cool, though.

The folks behind Firefox are still hard at work on Fennec, the mobile version of the popular browser. A new beta version 1.0b5, known officially as Firefox for Maemo, is out for the Nokia N810 and N900, and our buddy Matt Miller is taking it for a test spin. It sounds like the most significant change with this beta is it now has official Firefox branding, hinting that the full version can’t be far behind.

Matt found the browser to be a little “slow and buggy,” but that’s to be expected from a beta version. The Mozilla Fennec team has added lots of tweaks as development progresses, including:

• Enabled official branding, with Firefox name and logo
• Support for localizations, currently including Spanish, German, French, Italian, Dutch and Russian
• Enabled plugins
• Viewport meta tag support
• Fixed a number of sites that resize their content after the page is loaded
• Added a form assistant to make filling forms easier
• Improved panning performance and behavior
• Zooming doesn’t jump around anymore
• Numerous other bugs and polish issues addressed

What is better than free Wi-Fi for the holidays? Unlocking your iPhone from the O2 network in the UK for free. That’s exactly what O2 in the UK is allowing iPhone customers to do after Nov. 10. Unlockers will still have to honor the remainder of any O2 contract, but can use any SIM in the iPhone at no charge. Pay and Go customers can unlock the iPhone 12 months after paying off the phone for a £14.69 one-time fee.

Here’s all you need to do to unlock your iPhone according to the O2 site:

“Firstly, complete the unlocking form – it will take up to 14 days for the iPhone to be unlocked and we’ll text you to confirm the unlock request. Then place a non-O2 sim into the iPhone and connect to iTunes via a USB cable. iTunes will confirm that the iPhone has been successfully unlocked.”

Thanks to Gavin Miller for sending this in!

It’s Tuesday and that can only mean it’s time for our weekly feature, BlackBerry Buzz. The Buzz is where you’ll find out what’s been going on in the BlackBerry brambles. You’ll hear about everything that’s worth knowing in the awesome world of the BlackBerry. RIM released new developer tools this week to help in both the creation and the monetization of apps for the BlackBerry. The tools include new services for handling ads and payments on the phone, along with making it easier to use push services and location-based services.

Adobe and RIM announced a partnership to help create richer Flash-based apps for the BlackBerry. This joint venture goes beyond video consumption, it is intended to merge Flash technology into the BlackBerry developer tools to make it easier to create enabled apps.

Google has released a new version of Google Maps for the BlackBerry. It is not clear what is new in version 3.2.1, although I can tell you for certain it doesn’t add that cool Navigation capability. To get the update just visit m.google.com/maps from your ‘Berry. Version 3.2 was only added a short while ago, and that version added the useful Layers function to Maps. This new update is probably just an incremental batch of fixes, but better get it just in case.

I am still knee-deep in my evaluation of the Droid, a phone that I’m pretty happy using. One of the coolest features of the Droid that I have only just touched on is the ability to shoot DVD quality video with the 5 MP camera. Our buds at NewTeeVee have taken time out of their busy prep for the NewTeeVee Live conference this week to test out a new beta version of Qik for the Droid. This Droid Qik app handles the high quality video and they’ve got an example of the high quality shot using the new app.

The REDFLY from Celio is a product like no other, and can be a good fit for road warriors. The REDFLY is built to do only one thing, extend the screen and add a full keyboard to supported smartphones. The little laptop has no memory, no storage and no processor; it uses those on the connected smartphone. All it does is display the phone screen on the 8-inch display of the REDFLY, and makes the keyboard and trackpad available to interact with the phone.

I was impressed with the original REDFLY when I tested it over a year ago. That model worked with Windows Mobile phones, and I found it worked very well. That is important, as a special device like the REDFLY built to do one thing has to do it well. I was excited to hear a new version was available to work with the BlackBerry, as that would be the perfect target audience for the REDFLY. An evaluation unit arrived late yesterday, and in just a short time I must say this is not a solution I would recommend to BlackBerry owners.

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Did you pre-order a Nokia N900? You’ll want to check your mail for a tracking number today because Nokia confirmed that the first shipments of its Maemo phone are on the way. SlashGear got the official word at a Nokia event earlier today and also got a sneak peek at the latest new features and functions. Check out the video presentation they captured, which is actually most impressive — the on-screen presentation is done with a Nokia N900 using the included video-out cable.

In the demo, you’ll see how the N900 pulls down contact pics from Twitter and Facebook so that your Address Book has a nice photo of your fave friends. There’s also a quick look at the podcatching application, although all of the examples were YouTube video feeds. I suspect that the app will grab audio-only podcasts as well. All in all, the N900 hardware is looking pretty polished and offers a unique user interface. But is that enough for widespread success? In some cases, it’s close, but not guaranteed.

One thing iPhones do well is play video, and a way to prop up the phone while doing so would be handy. That’s where a new case for the iPhone 3G/3GS comes in, the BackFlip. The case is a traditional protective case but has a little kickstand on the back for propping your precious up at a good viewing angle. The innovative technique used by the BackFlip lets the user prop up the iPhone in either portrait or landscape orientation. The case is expensive at $29.95, but if you need it you likely really need it.

Windows Mobile gets no respect from smartphone makers, with a number of them already deserting the phone OS for alternatives. An investment note claims that consumer electronics giant Samsung is also scaling back the phones it will produce using WinMo. HMC Investment Securities analyst Greg Noh says that Samsung’s phone line will drop from 80 percent WinMo currently, to 50 percent next year and down to 20 percent in 2012.

Samsung is expected to increase its use of Android to 30 percent of its product line next year, and keep its usage at that level. The usage of Symbian on Samsung phones will drop to just a few percent, with dropping it entirely planned for 2011.

The analyst goes on to claim that Samsung is developing its own smartphone OS, and it will start appearing on its phones next year. The new proprietary OS usage will expand to gradually encompass half of Samsung’s product line.

“If accurate, the switch in strategy may reflect a combined larger exodus away from Windows Mobile for those major firms that still use the platform. HTC, the largest single Windows Mobile device maker, has already been rumored as switching more than half of its 2010 phones to Android. LG has signed a pact with Microsoft to make Windows Mobile phones but even now has introduced its first Android phone and is said by HMC to be extending its use significantly more.”