Announcement of Windows Mobile 7 is too late

I've just read rumours that Microsoft is thinking of announcing Windows Mobile 7. Personally, I think it's just a waste of time because lesser and lesser handset makers will support Windows Mobile.

The reason is very simple. Let's say you're a handset maker and you wish to have an operating system to power your handset. You will only have 3 choices for your operating system:

1. Create your own operating system
   
2. Licence it from someone
3. Use open-source

These are the current big players in the handset market:

1. Symbian (open-source)
2. Android (open-source)
   
3. iPhone OS (proprietary - create their own handsets)
4. BlackBerry OS (proprietary - create their own handsets)
5. Windows Mobile (proprietary - no handsets)

If you're a handset maker and you choose not to create your own operating system, will you choose to spend money to licence it from Microsoft, or will you use Symbian or Android? I believe the answer is very obvious.

Microsoft... You're caught sleeping once again and you're the last in the starting line. Note that the increase in Android market share seems to be at the expense of Windows Mobile.