Setup on a Windows Mobile 6.1 phone (AT&T Tilt) was easy. Just download and install the package from the phone and you can pretty much start syncing from there.

The good news is, sync fairly well for the most part. Contacts, calendar and tasks are synced fine, but so are your text messages, your photos, your videos, music and documents—provided they're all under the 200MB cap. Contacts, calendar, and tasks are two-way, meaning you can create entries right on the web page. Photos, videos, music and docs are upload-able too, which makes this an easy way to transfer files onto your device OTA. Any inconsistencies (a calendar entry created on the phone went to the web fine, but one made on the web wouldn't sync to the phone) can most likely be attributed to this being a beta.

The downside is that this is (by default) only really useful for backing up your phone once a day. You can only schedule your phone to back up once a day or once a week or manually. It's definitely not push and it's definitely not meant to be. This is used for making sure your contacts and other phone data are always backed up, so you won't lose everything in case someone swipes your com.

One good use for this would be to sync multiple phones to the same data. You can attach more than one device to an account, so if you switch between work and home devices—or if you lose a phone—you can just sync up your data again. It's not live-updating push synchronization into the cloud, but it is a fairly good backup solution. [My Phone]

The most exciting part of WinMo 6.5, aside from the new, finger-safe interface, is the Windows Marketplace—a feature which was teased at, but not fully integrated into, the various leaked ROMs that are floating around places like XDA developers. As it turns out, it's pretty much a straightforward app store, like Apple's or Google's, which will be accessible from your handset or your PC with nothing more than your Windows Live ID.

It doesn't sound like store prohibitions will be too strict, either, though the required "simple security and compatibility check" could turn out to be as stringent or lenient as Microsoft desires. Some crucial details are missing though, like whether or not paid apps will be immediately available, if MS will host the store contents, and if there will be any cost associated. Anyway, the app store is happening, and should be open for business when WinMo 6.5 handsets start shipping.

The rest of the news doesn't break so hard: My Phone, as we knew, is part of the release, as are the new interface tweaks. Microsoft's screens show some minor UI differences between the leaked ROMs and the final product, but our impression remain good—the honeycomb app launcher looks usable, the finger-oriented navigation improvements are sensible, and the new menu and widgets have a significant modernizing effect on the whole OS. Microsoft says to expect 6.5-based phones by the "the second half of 2009". Sadly, there's no indication that 6.5 will be available as an upgrade, paid or otherwise, to 6.1 users. Boooo!, etc. Full presser below. [Giz at MWC]

BARCELONA, Spain - Feb. 16, 2009 - Today at Mobile World Congress 2009, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer along with key mobile partners unveiled new Windows® phones featuring new user-friendly software and services. The next generation of Windows® phones will be based on Windows Mobile 6.5 and feature a new user interface and a richer browsing experience. In addition, Windows® phones will feature two new services: My Phone, to sync text messages, photos, video and contacts to the Web; and Windows® Marketplace for Mobile, a new marketplace that will provide direct-to-phone mobile applications that can be controlled from both the phone and the Web.
"Windows® phones bring together the best of the Web, the PC and the phone so you can connect instantly to the experiences you care about, no matter where you are," Ballmer said. "We're working with partners across the industry to deliver a new generation of Windows® phones that break down the barriers between people, information, and applications and provide great end-to-end experiences that span your entire life, at work and at home."

Windows Mobile 6.5 Delivers New User Experience
Windows Mobile 6.5 includes a new home screen with customizable widgets that display glanceable updates from users' favorite Web services and let users tap into them quickly, along with faster, more efficient access to personal e-mail, work e-mail, phone messages and instant messaging. It also includes an improved touch-screen interface, making it easy to take action with a finger, and an updated version of the latest Internet Explorer Mobile browser, which in a third party research study by sponsored by Microsoft, supported execution of up to 48 percent more assigned tasks than the other browsers and phones studied.
My Phone Service Connects the Phone to the Web
The free My Phone service will enable people to access, manage and back up their personal information on their device to a password-protected Web-based service, making it easier to upgrade phones without the worry of losing important information. With automatic syncing and backup, users can count on their contacts, appointments, text messages and other information being kept up to date and easily restored should they lose or upgrade their phone. Consumers also will be able to wirelessly update photos and video from their Windows® phone directly to the My Phone service, making it simple to share content that, in the past, would have lived and died on the phone. The My Phone service is currently available in a limited invitation-only beta.
Rich and Integrated Marketplace Service Will Offer Easy Access to Mobile Applications
The new operating system features Windows® Marketplace for Mobile, a rich and integrated marketplace for searching, browsing and purchasing mobile applications from Windows® phones or from a PC by simply using a Windows Live ID. The new marketplace will ship inside all Windows phones based on Windows Mobile 6.5, which will allow consumers to easily find, install and experience those applications that fit their needs and make the phone truly personal. Developers, who have already built more than 20,000 applications for Windows® phones, will be able to offer applications to customers through the marketplace via a simple security and compatibility check from Microsoft.
The new Windows® phones are expected to be available at the beginning of the second half of 2009. Additional information about Microsoft at Mobile World Congress 2009 is available on the Microsoft MWC Web page at http://www.windowsmobile.com/mobileworldcongress.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

We've already assumed that much of the next step for Windows Mobile will be to sync personal data—not just contacts, calendar entries and tasks, but text messages, photos and even video—to a secure website. The three purposes are:
• Backup and restore stuff if your phone is lost or smashed all to bits, and use the same to migrate to a new phone.
• Add data and media to your phone via a web interface.
• Use your phone to share stuff over the web to people you like.

Microsoft says it won't be charging a fee for the service, and they'll be sharing details of a limited invite-only beta at the Mobile World Congress this month.

Some more interesting details:

• It has a 200MB cap, so it won't sync anything after you fill that up.
• If you sync contacts and calendar to Exchange Server, it won't sync that data to My Phone, but can still do the rest. Ditto for Windows Live—non-Live contacts will be saved on My Phone.
• It will only run on Windows Mobile 6.x (which should be obvious).
• Syncing occurs between 11pm and 5am, unless you force a manual sync.

There's no mention yet of syncing ringtones and apps, apparently something on track for the v2 of My Phone, formerly known as SkyBox. [My Phone Beta]