According to the reports coming in from Digitimes, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile (more info) is planning to take in dual platform strategy to go head to head with Android (more info) and iPhone (more info). Windows Mobile 7 which is going to be launched in fourth quarter of 2010 will not replace 6.5 and two versions will in fact co-exist in the market. The company’s strategy is to make Windows Mobile 7 to compete with iPhone and 6.5 is up against Android. Om Malik of Giga Om has some satirical way to explain the late arrival of Windows Mobile 7 in fourth quarter of 2010.

The fourth quarter of 2010? I mean, does Redmond expect Google and Apple to go on a yearlong vacation? No wonder Microsoft is becoming irrelevant on the mobile platform.

Microsoft is being around in mobile software business for decade but still they do things like a naivete. I have few basic questions to raise. Why Windows mobile has taken so much time to come into the game? Why Microsoft has to keep two platforms alive at the same time to compete against two different players rather than to kill the previous one?  Why can’t they put their resources at one place rather than to channel it in different platforms? Why they are always behind the time and make their product look antiquated before release? This is happening with Zune which is competing against iPod and now the new victim which will suffer from it is Windows Mobile.

Follow-Up

GigaOm: Microsoft’s Mobile Strategy: Irrelevance  by Om Malik

Technologizer: What’s the Future of Windows Mobile?  by Harry McCracken

Softpedia: Windows Mobile 6.5 and 7 to Co-Exist in 2010  by Marius Oiaga

Edible Apple: Why Microsoft’s dual platform strategy to compete with iPhone and Android is destined to fail

FastCompany: To Combat iPhone, Microsoft Unleashes Slowness, Confusion  by Chris Dannen