Microsoft provides more Windows Phone 'Mango' detail

Microsoft has provided more information about its upcoming Mango update to Windows Phone 7, promising it will be rolled out to users of the platform in the autumn.

A major update, Mango will enhance what Microsoft calls the "social conversation", making it possible to continue threaded conversations that span email, Facebook, text messaging, Twitter and other means. The company also revealed new manufacturers for Windows Phones, including not only Nokia but also Acer, Fujitsu and ZTE. Microsoft marketing representative Achim Berg promised "new price points" at a London Mango launch event.

Greater integration between apps is promised in Mango, as are features such as facial recognition in photos stored on the phone. Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) will be included in the free update. It will be possible to group email accounts according to their personal or professional nature, and support for rights-protected emails — which, for example, cannot be forwarded — will also be added.

At the event, Microsoft also showed off a British Airways app that will come out next week. It will allow the management of bookings and Executive Club accounts, as well as seat upgrades. The app will also make it possible to pin a digital boarding pass to the phone's homescreen.