SOFTWARE HOUSE Microsoft has handed over the final build of its Windows Phone 7 (WP7) Mango operating system (OS) to smartphone vendors and mobile operators.
The first phones to feature the next version of Microsoft's mobile OS were unveiled in Tokyo, and apparently Mango handsets will be out in the next few months with 'hundreds of new features'.
The Windows Phone Blog said, adding, "Earlier this morning, the Windows Phone development team officially signed off on the release to manufacturing (RTM) build of 'Mango'."
It's now over to the handset makers and mobile operators to work with the WP7 Mango build for their specific devices and networks. The Windows Phone team can't put their feet up just yet, though, as work turns to the update process for existing phones that run WP7.
There's nothing more specific than Autumn as a projection for updates of existing WP7 handsets to Mango.
Two weeks ago we saw Microsoft unveil a Samsung handset running Mango alongside other devices from Fujitsu, Acer and ZTE. We now know the Fujitsu phone is called the IS12T and will come with a 3.7in screen and a 13.2MP camera. The phone is apparently water proof and will be available in Japan in September.
Of course, there is also Nokia, which will be hoping to be claw back some success with the Mango release of the WP7 OS. We recently saw it 'leak' the 'Sea Ray', its first Mango handset.
Some of the new features that will come with WP7 Mango include a 'conversation view' for emails, 'Threads' that combine text messages, instant messages and Facebook chat, as well as application multi-tasking.
Microsoft isn't one of the biggest players in the mobile phone market and the release of WP7 last year didn't have the impact it had hoped for. If we are to believe IDC's forecast, however, the Vole's WP7 market share will grow significantly between 2012 and 2015. So much so that it thinks that WP7 Mango will be second place in market share to Android come 2015. µ
Read more: http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2097126/microsoft-releases-wp7-mango-smartphone-vendors#ixzz1TJDj1Pm8
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