Pocket PC Paradise was quick to publish some screenshots from the new Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition OS. According to the French web site the Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition to be announced by Bill Gates during the Microsoft Mobile Developers Conference in San Fransisco will include the following features:

improved control of screen orientation, allowing for changes between landscape and portrait orientation without requiring a soft reset

pixel doubling allowing for software that do not conform to VGA resolution to run in this mode

Transcriber now includes a shortcut functionality

Character size management for some applications

Improved Start button, with a most used applications area

Pocket Internet Explorer option to allow for single column web page view, with automatic reflow of text and content

Integrated Voice Recognition APIs allowing developers to implement new services

SMS can be sent to fixed landlines now, allowing for new enhanced SMS services being deployed by landline operators

NET Compact Framework Service Pack 2 built into ROM in all new Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition devices.

New Windows Mobile 2003 devices running this version should be expected by September 2004. Manufacturers should be receiving the software soon and updates for current devices will be announced by each company in separate. Pocket PC Paradise reports that Toshiba is already planning a release of this software for its VGA handheld, the e800 and later for the e400.