Microsoft had a Windows Phone blog post on September 21, to notify its competitors and consumers, that they are ready to roll out their Windows Phone “Mango” operating system release to existing customers. The notifying time frame is deemed to be a week or two. This release would be a big one as Mango would include an HTML5-compliant IE 9 Mobile browser; third-party application multitasking; Twitter integration; and Windows Live Messenger integration, new Bing search capabilities and other new features.
Late July, the software giant had RTM (release to manufacturing) bits of Windows Phone OS 7.1 delivered to handset makers and carriers, with a main purpose to test and customize them.
For the Windows Phone customers, Microsoft plans to push in the phone update, once they get a ‘go ahead’ from the carriers. The Softies have displayed their excitement for the update as it was noted that they would be refreshing the “Where’s My Phone Update” site, to check for the status on the said rollout of Mango OS, which would be for all phones and carriers globally.
A few more details were available from another post, which had Customer Experience Engineering Eric Hautala, Windows Phone General Manager briefing on the official update. He said:
“During the official Windows Phone 7.5 update process, every Windows Phone will also receive software from the handset manufacturer. This matched and paired firmware has been painstakingly tuned so your phone—and apps—work with all the new features of Windows Phone 7.5. Since your phone requires the proper firmware to function as designed, my advice is simple: steer clear of bootleg updates and homebrew tools.”
Recently, there were new versions released from Microsoft of the Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac users. Along with it, there was even an update to the Zune software client (version 4.8) for Windows Pcs. These updates were more linked to their Mango OS as its essential for a user to update phones to Mango.
The Windows Phone devices which would be coming up soon preloaded with Mango, will be rolling out from various providers, which even includes Fujitsu Toshiba. There was even news earlier that Nokia would wrap itself with its first Windows Phone, code-named “SeaRay” in the coming future. Nokia has been quite discreet about this collaboration, but one might hear that news at the Nokia World conference, which is to be held in late October in London.
Speaking about the collaboration seems to be a deep one as at the upcoming Nokia World show, there would be a number of Microsoft execs speaking. Microsoft’s is working hard on attracting the Nokia developers, so that they make a shift over to the Windows Phone platform as it would even launch a packet of information, along with a mapping tool for Symbian Qt app developers. This tool would be for those Nokia developers who look forward to not only build apps, but even port them to Windows Phone. The concerted effort from Microsoft might just get the needed attraction as Nokia, in the real business terms is not at all its best. A boost from Microsoft would help the cause for Nokia, Microsoft and the Symbian developers who have struggled to fill the OVI store with the ‘most wanted’ apps.