For all the delays it's apparently suffered, Windows Mobile 7 has suddenly become quite rife across the mobile industry. Early impressions have appeared, and rumours of its first appearance on a handset are now filtering out.

Perhaps more important is that Microsoft appears to be taking a lead from Google and working with an OEM to produce its own branded smartphone. According to analyst Katherine Egbert of Jeffries, this handset is likely to appear in the next two months, announced either at the Mobile World Congress or at CTIA.

It's rumoured to be the fruition of the secretive Project Pink, which promises a Zune-like experience in a device built around the likes of the Nvidia Tegra or Snapdragon type of portable power processors.

This is indicated by talk of it delivering HD video capability and a camera CCD of greater than 5 megapixels.

Windows Mobile 7 also promises access to a host of premium video, music, and gaming services, so it'll be interesting to see how Microsoft brings the long-awaited operating system to market.