Windows Phone Mango update bears fruit
Summary: The keenly-awaited Windows Phone 7.5 update is now rolling out to users around the world, bringing with it a host of new and revamped features designed to bring it in line with its competitors such as iOS and Android
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Windows Phone 7.5 home screen
Microsoft has begun rolling out a long-awaited update to its Windows Phone operating system that combines new features with deeper integration of social-networking services, the ability for home page tiles to show live updates, and multitasking.
The new software version, Windows Phone 7.5, internally codenamed Mango, started being sent out to Windows Phone users on Tuesday. It is expected to have reached all users by the end of October, Microsoft said. Handset owners will be informed of the update via an over-the-air (OTA) notification, but will need to connect their devices to a PC in order to upgrade.
Microsoft has focused on improving three core areas — people, internet and apps — of the OS in a bid to encourage growth of the developer and customer ecosystem, a key disadvantage Microsoft faces in comparison to the likes of Apple iOS and Google Android.
"Mango is finally coming out for existing devices. The number of new features and capabilities compared to the devices that came out barely a year ago is stunning. Windows Phone developers and indeed those from other ecosystems like Symbian will feel like kids in a candy store with this release," Al Hilwa, mobile analyst at IDC, said.
Photo credit: Ben Woods
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