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Microsoft launches several new 'Mango' phones but still no word on Verizon's next moves

Microsoft and its partners launched new Windows Phone Mango optimized phones on AT&T and T-Mobile at an event in New York City. There's still no new word on any new WPs on Verizon.
Written by Mary Jo Foley, Senior Contributing Editor

Microsoft, Samsung and HTC oficially launched three new Windows Phones optimized for the Mango operating system on November 7.

The three:

  • Samsung Focus S -- a slim, $200 (estimated retail price) phone with an impressive screen. On AT&T
  • Samsung Focus Flash -- a $50 phone with a nice feel and decent, smallish screen. On AT&T
  • HTC Radar 4G -- A $100 phone with a front-facing camera, nice silver-metal body. On T-Mobile

At its Big Windows Phone event in New York City's Herald Square, Microsoft officials were on hand to raise visibility of the Windows Phone platform, which is much-needed, given the low penetration of Microsoft's year-old smartphone platform. At a separate Backstage event for press, bloggers and analysts, Microsoft execs distributed to attendees the three aforementioned phones. (I got the HTC Radar to try out for a while.) Spotify also announced availability of its streaming-music app on the Windows Phone platform today.

As I've blogged before, I am a Windows Phone fan and I want to see the phones succeed. The new Mango-centric Windows Phone 7.5 form factors are nicer than the original crop of largely-similar Windows Phones that debuted in the past year.

That said, there were a few things not part of today's launch event that left me wanting.

  • Still no update on when Verizon will start offering more Windows Phones. The only Verizon option remains the HTC Trophy 7.
  • No update on any new phones for Sprint users, either, as my Twitter buddy Ryan Hoffman noted.
  • Still no word on when the HTC Titan will be available for purchase -- beyond "coming soon." The Titan is the "big ass" Windows Phone (4.7-inch display) that will be on AT&T.
  • No more detailed information on Nokia's planned launch date or phones for the U.S. beyond what's already been said ("early 2012")
  • No update on when Microsoft will bring to market a Skype app for Windows Phone and/or integrated Skype support as part of the Windows Phone OS base platform. There also was no new information on when Microsoft's Lync unified communications client will be out. (The Softies previously have said before the end of this calendar year.)

Here are a couple of Windows-Phone-related tidbits from the past couple of days worth calling out:

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