Microsoft said on Tuesday that it will offer full browsers for mobile phone still this year. The ad follows the line of what Apple's iPhone already offers, where websites are displayed on the device in the same way they appear on the computer screen.

During CTIA, an annual mobile show held in the United States, Microsoft stated that it will turn the Internet Explorer Mobile available to cell phone manufacturers in the third quarter, with the first devices reaching the market at the end of the year.

The company has gained ground with its smartphone operating system with attributes that resemble computers, such as email, but faces strong competition from similar Apple, Research In Motion and Palm Inc.

The company also announced a new version of its mobile operating system, Windows Mobile 6.1, which will make it easier for users to browse the mobile resource menus.

Microsoft expects license sales from its mobile operating system to take the lead in the growth of the smartphone market in the coming years.

The company's expectation is that the market quadruples in size in three to four years, to about 400 million appliances.

[..Via Leaf Online..]