Last year, Microsoft announced "6 on 6" which means Internet Explorer 6 on Windows Mobile 6.x but so far it wasn't available as a public upgrade. Now Microsoft has released further information how a possible upgrade path look like. According the latest confirmed information, Internet Explorer Mobile 6 will not become available to Windows Mobile 6.5 but also - as expected - to Windows Mobile 6.1. However, due to the application requirements it will not become available as a stand-alone update file (aka CAB installation) only but it will become part of Windows Mobile 6.1 AKU 1.4 and above.

As a matter of fact this means that devices coming to market between now and Windows Mobile 6.5 or Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphones already available can get the Internet Explorer Mobile 6 as long as the Windows Phone fulfills the minimum hardware requirements to run the new browser which are 128 MB RAM and a 400 MHz CPU.
Bottom-line: End users will not be able to download and upgrade to Internet Explorer Mobile 6 but ODMs have to if they release Windows Phone updates which contains AKU 1.4 or later.

Cheers ~ Arne