Owners of Windows Phone 7 devices have probably been awaiting Windows Phone 7.5, commonly known as ‘Mango’, for months. According to a new report, Microsoft might be planning to make the new operating system available to the public as early as next month, on September 1st.
‘Mango’, which was first thoroughly demoed at a Microsoft event in May, has been known to be in the works for several months now and has allegedly been finalized as early as last month. Windows Phone 7.5 includes long-awaited features such as deeper social integration along with Facebook Places check-in support, the ability to sync documents with SkyDrive and several other enhancements, allegedly over 500 of them. Guide for installing Mango Build 7712 can be found here.
According to this report, Microsoft’s plan to launch the system to the public has been motivated by IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin), Europe’s largest consumer electronics show, where several mobile device manufacturers such as Samsung, Acer and LG are expected to show off new devices. Since this year’s IFA will begin on September 2nd, it would make sense for ‘Mango’ to be available around that time to allow manufacturers to show off new devices powered by the new operating system.
While Windows Phone 7.5’s availability date might actually be set for September 1st, current owners of Windows Phone 7 devices shouldn’t expect to see their devices updated just yet, since Microsoft is opting for a "phased" upgrade, for better or for worse. Not making the software available for all phones at the same time will allow Microsoft to more easily troubleshoot issues that might arise with new software before it actually reaches a large number of users. Yet, experienced users will likely be able to flash their phones beforehand in order to get their hands on ‘Mango’ immediately.
Windows Phone 7 is Microsoft’s new mobile strategy that brought the company essentially in line with its largest competitors, Google and Apple. Unlike previous versions of Windows Mobile that relied on a ‘stylus’ as its main input method, Windows Phone 7 introduces a new touch-friendly user interface designed to bring meaningful information regarding events and social networks to the main screen through its ‘Live Tiles’. For the first time ever, there’s also Xbox LIVE support built right in. While both Android and iOS still hold the largest market share, Windows Phone 7 is now a meaningful competitor in the smartphone world.
(source Pocket-Lint)
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