Redmond making mobile moves

Microsoft’s mobile efforts are dominating headlines this week as Redmond attacks the mobile internet from multiple all fronts: browser, operating system and search.

First up, Redmond confirmed that a reworked version of Internet Explorer 6 will soon be coming to mobile phones. While the company promised to upgrade the mobile browser some time ago, it just released an emulator of IE6 for mobiles yesterday. While early reviews give the updated browser kudos on improved usability, the early-stage emulator version of the browser is not without hiccups. Check out this post from Arstechnica for more.

While Windows Mobile remains Microsoft’s most visible contribution to the mobile internet movement, reviewers have panned most of the devices running on the OS–until now. GigaOm gives SonyEricsson’s new Xperia handset a glowing review and ends with this advice: “If your company insists that you need a Windows Mobile phone, then Xperia X1 is an obvious (and perhaps the only) choice.” Ha. Read on for the entire review here.

Finally, Microsoft is grabbing headlines for nearing a deal with Verizon Wireless to handle the carrier’s mobile search offering. According to a Wall Street Journal report that cited unnamed sources, Verizon Wireless is close to accepting Redmond’s terms because the company will pay the carrier between $550 million and $650 million over five years as part of the deal. Reportedly, the figure is twice what Google was willing to pay Verizon Wireless. Read this week’s Mobile Internet Watch for more on this development.

More Industry News:

• Nielsen: 98% of iPhone subs use mobile data
• Sony’s Xperia gets good marks
• iSuppli determines T-Mobile USA’s G1 BOM is $150
• Japan’s DoCoMo buys $2.7B piece of Tata
• 3UK’s dirt cheap Facebook phone by INQ
• Twitter finally looks to monetize
• Loopt looking to cash in or cash out?
• Obama to put his “own stamp” on the FCC
• VZW releases BlackBerry Storm data prices
• iPhone over-the-air downloads on the way?