X
Tech

Microsoft to begin pushing Mango phone update to users in 'a week or two'

Microsoft will begin pushing the Windows Phone Mango operating system update to existing Windows Phone users in another week or two, officials said on September 21.
Written by Mary Jo Foley, Senior Contributing Editor

Microsoft is ready to begin rolling out the Windows Phone "Mango" operating system release to existing customers "in the next week or two," according to a September 21 post on the Windows Phone blog.

Mango includes 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. Microsoft delivered the RTM (release to manufacturing) bits of Windows Phone OS 7.1 to handset makers and carriers for testing and customization back in late July.

Microsoft is the one that pushes the phone update to its Windows Phone customers (once the carriers give their OK). The Softies said they will be refreshing -- starting in the coming week-plus --the "Where's My Phone Update" site to reflect the rollout status of Mango for all phones and carriers globally.

More details from today's post from Windows Phone General Manager, Customer Experience Engineering Eric Hautala:

"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."

Microsoft recently released new versions of the Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac users, as well as an update to the Zune software client (version 4.8) for Windows PCs, which are necessary for updating phones to Mango.

New Windows Phone devices preloaded with Mango have been rolling out gradually from various providers, including Fujitsu Toshiba. Nokia is expected to take the wraps off its first Windows Phone, code-named "SeaRay" in the not-too-distant future (possibly at the Nokia World conference in late October in London).

Speaking of Nokia, there are a number of Microsoft execs speaking at the upcoming Nokia World show. Microsoft is making a concerted effort to attract Nokia developers to the Windows Phone platform, launching a packet of information, along with a mapping tool for Symbian Qt app developers looking to build apps and port their apps to Windows Phone.

As a Windows Phone user, I'm hoping -- along with everyone else who is -- that Microsoft has gotten its update act together since its mishaps with NoDo. I'm also hoping the U.S. phone users, especially those of us on Verizon, aren't the last ones to get the coming update (but am expecting the worst).

Editorial standards