Microsoft gives Windows Phone 7 a makeover

[3GScottishUser]

Microsoft has offered a glimpse into an update to its Windows smartphone that it hopes will allow it to gain some ground on market leaders Apple and Google.

The software update, code named Mango, will offer 500 new features, including Internet Explorer 9 as the browser.

The new version will feature in the phones Microsoft is making with Nokia and will be available later this year.

Currently Microsoft only holds a 4% share of the smartphone market.

"Seven months ago we started our mission to make smartphones smarter and easier for people to do more," said Andy Lees, president of Microsoft's mobile communications.

"With Mango, Windows Phone take a major step forward in redefining how people communicate and use apps and the internet," he added.

Mango will integrate SMS, Facebook chat and Windows Live Messenger into the same window.

Other features of the updated Windows phone will include a single inbox for all e-mail accounts and deeper social network integration with the addition of Twitter and LinkedIn to contact information.

It also promises to "challenge the way people think about apps", offering to integrate them more directly into the core functions of the phone.

So, for instance, apps will be more closely linked to the music, video and picture hubs on the phone, allowing them to surface "when and where they make sense".

Users will also be able to get real-time information from apps without having to open them.

The update will be available free to all Windows Phone 7 owners in the autumn.

Ovum analyst Tony Cripps said it would be a "worthwhile upgrade".

"However, Microsoft needs to do better if it is to persuade the market that it has the most user friendly - and desirable - mobile platform in the market today," he said.

"New features...look set to deliver a deeper level of integration between different communication apps (and other apps on the device) than users are so far accustomed to. But integration is a tough concept to sell to consumers even if they may benefit enormously once they've adopted it," he added.

Microsoft may find it an uphill struggle to catch its rivals

According to figures from analyst firm Gartner, Google's Android system accounts for 36% globally, followed by Apple with 17%.

But with Nokia's support, Gartner predicts that Microsoft could turn this around and increase its share to 19.5% by 2015.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13525442

[miffed]

OK , I've put up with the stupid name thing for long enough - You expect it from a company that chose to call itself "Google" .... but this "nodo" "mango" is getting silly - Lets have numbers please , so that an "out of clique" punter can look and see at a glance how the hierachy of a particular OS runs at a glance ! The whole thing reminds me of when the retards on "The Apprentice" spend the best part of the day trying to thing of a "cool" name ....

Anyway - Back to WP7

I sold my HD7 as it didn't really hold my attention. it was a pleasure at first and seemed like a nice fresh OS , but the most annoying thing for me was OVER integration ! I try to look at my contacts list , and I find it is totally integrated with my Facebook friends list - I open my Photos app and find that all my Facebook friends photos are integrated with mine ! Of course you can choose not to be logged into Facebook , but then you are faced with a "gap" page , prompting you to add a Facebook account !
I go to the "app store" only to find I am also in the music store (all lumped together) little quirks like this are found throughout the OS and it is really annoying after a while , you get the impression that the Phone is struggling to understand what you want from it.
I watched the promo video for mango yesterday , and I have to say it looked like they are going even further down this route , with one "thread" the covers email , Facebook messages , SMS , twitter etc rather than separate ones.

Not for me thanks !

[Ben]

I'm not sure whether I'd like what you describe or not, miffed. I'd certainly like to see it in action once this update comes out.

I suppose me picking up the first Windows Phone 7 Nokia is a real possibility... I do try and pick up the groundbreaking stuff!

[hecatae]

wp7.1 not wp7.5 according to most news sites.

along with microsoft stating nokia are joining at wp7.5, will all original devices be able to upgrade to wp7.5, I have my doubts.

[hecatae]

Just to reply to my post, all current wp7 devices will get Mango.

new devices have been given a lower cpu requirement of 800mhz, so expect some cheaper MSM7230 devices from ZTE etc

Read that the HTC Mazaa is developer device only, and will not be for sale to customers.

[Hands0n]

If it looks like a duck, waddles like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck!

I tried WP7 on its first outing. It was not entirely pleasant. Watching MS in action recently, on its own and with Nokia, I am of the firm opinion that the above applies.

It takes quite a while to cook duck, so maybe 2015 is a realistic proposition.