Russian mobile reporter Eldar Murtazin has apparently got his hands on Windows Mobile 7, and spoken about it in some detail via Twitter.

From what Murtazin says, the new and long-awaited version of Windows Mobile is a huge divergence from previous operating systems, and is more akin to latest releases of the iPhone and Android systems.

It also appears to tie more closely into the Zune model than WinMo, having apparently been built from scratch. It does include the use of soft-keys alongside the touchscreen, though it was an early build that was handled and is likely to not include all intended features at this point.

Perhaps the biggest revelation is the apparent lack of backward compatibility. Due to its huge divergence in the user interface (supposedly taking a more gesture-based control approach) Windows Mobile 6.x software won't be compatible with Windows Mobile 7.

The operating system and its first devices are expected to be revealed shortly at the World Mobile Congress, so stay tuned.

WMPowerUser