Early this year, Microsoft announced Windows Phone 7 (WP7), a complete revamp of its mobile operating system. Unfortunately, WP7 devices will debut only at the end of the year. In the meantime, smartphones using Windows Mobile 6.5 (WM6.5) will still be made and sold by manufacturers that license WM.

Now, we’ve mentioned time and again that the current iteration of WM feels outdated compared with new operating systems such as iPhone OS and Android. In general, if someone were to ask us for advice on whether to buy a WM or Android phone, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the latter. But that’s in general. There are still specific needs that can be fulfilled by WM6.5. Here are five reasons someone may still find a WM6.5 smartphone useful.

Native Outlook integration

For the longest time, WM has been using Microsoft Outlook to sync a phone with the desktop. Whether you do it through a USB connection or over the air using an Exchange server, what you get on your phone is what you see on your computer, too.

While support for Exchange is also available on other mobile platforms, the integration is usually not as tight. So, if Outlook is all you use for personal information management, WM is still a viable option.

Many form factors

Because it has been around for such a long time, there are many phones that make use of WM. Those looking for a specific design will probably find one that utilizes Microsoft mobile OS. For example, if you want a smartphone with a touchscreen and exposed QWERTY keypad, the Sony Ericsson Aspen or an old Samsung SGH-i780 will fit the bill. Whether it’s a numeric keypad, no keypad or slideout landscape-style QWERTY, there’s probably a WM phone out there already made to your liking.

Library of applications

This may seem surprising given iPhone OS and Android appear to command the bulk of mobile developer attention these days, but hear us out. Though WM does not have the wealth of apps and games available to Apple App Store and Google’s Android Marketplace, it still has many programs that users may find familiar.

Given the long history of WM, the large number of third-party apps available includes many that users will find useful or even indispensable. For example, someone who utilizes a remote access app on WM to access his computer workstation may find that continuing with a WM phone is best for his needs.

Inexpensive

The imminent arrival of WP7 also means manufacturers will not expect users to pay a premium for current WM6.5 devices. If you are looking for a smartphone and are being very pragmatic about it, a WM phone might best fit the value-for-money equation.

Bugs are less likely for basic functions

With new software come teething problems. Take the Nexus One. For quite some time, users complained about poor 3G reception. As of now, it seems Google has ceased investigating the claims. We are not saying WM is free from problems. But when it comes to basic functions such as call quality and optimizing data connectivity, manufacturers should have fewer problems with WM. It isn’t that the OS is inherently better, but simply because years of experience with WM would have given these phone makers the experience to make things work with fewer hiccups.

Jphn Chan /em>