This morning during a press conference held in Manhattan, Microsoft has unveiled the consumer side of the forthcoming update to the Windows Phone platform codenamed Mango. The update is so extensive as to be considered a completely separate release with over 500 new features along with the confirmation of new hardware partners. Read more for the extensive breakdown.
First, Acer, ZTE and Fujitsu have been confirmed as new OEMs for the platform which will expand international availability of Windows Phone 7 further in Asia and Europe. Second, the geographical footprint for Windows Phone 7 will be expanded this Fall with the launch of Mango as more languages will be added in Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Swedish with the the availability of the Windows Phone Marketplace also similarly expanded.
Third, Microsoft has confirmed that Nokia’s forthcoming Windows Phone hardware will be released with Mango as its first software version while confirming that devices are currently undergoing testing ahead of their release between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. The following key features have been added to Mango:
Threads. Switch between text, Facebook chat and Windows Live Messenger within the same conversation.
Groups. Group contacts into personalized Live Tiles to see the latest status updates right from the Start Screen and quickly send a text, email or IM to the whole group.
Deeper social network integration. Twitter and LinkedIn feeds are now integrated into contact cards, and “Mango†includes built-in Facebook check-ins and new face detection software that makes it easier to quickly tag photos and post to the Web.
Linked inbox. See multiple email accounts in one linked inbox. Conversations are organized to make it easy to stay on top of the latest mail.
Hands-free messaging. Built-in voice-to-text and text-to-voice support enables hands-free texting or chatting.
App Connect. By connecting apps to search results and deepening their integration with Windows Phone Hubs, including Music and Video and Pictures, “Mango†allows apps to be surfaced when and where they make sense.
Improved Live Tiles. Get real-time information from apps without having to open them. Live Tiles can be more dynamic and hold more information.
Multitasking. Quickly switch between apps in use and allow apps to run in the background, helping to preserve battery life and performance.
Internet Explorer 9. A browser based on the powerful Internet Explorer 9 and including support for HTML5 and full hardware acceleration.
Local Scout. Provides “hyperlocal†search results and recommends nearby restaurants, shopping and activities in an easy-to-use guide.
Bing on Windows Phone. More ways to search the Web, including Bing Vision, Music Search and Voice.
Quick Cards. When searching for a product, movie, event or place, see a quick summary of relevant information, including related apps.
The update will be released this Fall with Qualcomm confirming its continued involvement in the platform as the chipset of choice for all Windows Phone hardware.
Voice text…maybe it’s time to ride the new pony!
Google, oh Google, where are you?
most haters say they’re playing catchup… but I totally disagree, microsoft is going on a different route compared to iOS and Android… They should have realized that
@vic
What are you talking about? Google has voice to text and has had it for a while.
But anyway, I just tried the arrive at sprint and it is a really nice phone. Windows 7 is very smooth and very neat looking, not to mention the screen on the arrive looks better than the one on my evo. After this update I will seriously take a look at windows. Can’t wait to try it.
Don’t you just love Microsoft?
How old is “Windows Phone 7”?
First of why the term “Phone 7”?
Is it because, it is naturally a follow up to WINDOWS MOBILE “6.1” or “6.5”?
In the real world, something “NEW”, which is not build as a supported evolutionary product to the past, ie. “Windows Mobile 6.5″…should be called, say “One or Alpha or A” and not simply skip the evolution, and pretend it is a continuation of the past product, which as most of the readers know, it clearly is not!
That said, “7.1” is a valid update to “7”, keep in mind that “7.5” is just arround the corner, according to MICROSOFT C.E.O. Balmer, “with over 500 changes!!
500 changes, to a relatively speaking, a brand new OS! Why 500 changes??
That in it self, speaks volumes regarding MICROSOFT’s confidence to a barely introduced product, what does it say about “7”?
As reported in the industry NEWS outlets, some “1.5 million MICROSOFT PHONE 7 devices have been shipped to MICROSOFT “Partners”, of which only some 600.000 have sold”!
Think about that, for a minute, to put that little fact into perspective, for comparison, according to well documented data, ANDROID alone, sells that many in under one week, at a rate of 100.000 units a day!
Just consider the above disclosure, as a friendly reminder of the facts on the ground.
By the way, keep in mind that,
“Phone 7.5” is going to be the prelude to “Phone 8”, which is the next major evolutionary stop, to merge platforms, which would mean time for another well established MICROSOFT tradition, as in the past, to once again, “start fresh”, and nix the “7/7.1/7.5” support altogether, as MICROSOFT has done with “WINDOWS MOBILE …6.1/6.5”, and countless other products in it’s history.
Oh yes, MICROSOFT a company that once was 3 times the value of IBM, it is now once again less valuable than IBM, that is, for the first time since 1996, as reported just yesterday.
While MICROSOFT, has far less financial value today, than over the last decade, it clearly has significantly more funds to waste, than most consumers today, eitherway enjoy your choices!
Thank You
“You are only as strong as your weakest link”
Looks like nothing has changed at MICROSOFT, they are still clueless, you can take your pick of who would be the weakest link, here is further evidence on that, regarding the simple task of commenting on the upcoming WINDOWS 8.
Enjoy
http://www.bgr.com/2011/05/25/microsoft-says-ballmers-windows-8-comment-was-a-misstatement/
Thank You
Weakest Link (Update)
in case you think my posts are bias, here is someone elses opinion.
Enjoy;
May 26 (Bloomberg ) —
“Greenlight Capital Inc . President David Einhorn called for Microsoft Corp . ’s board to replace Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer , saying the software maker suffers from “Charlie Brown management. †Ballmer is weighing on the company ’s share price, Einhorn said yesterday at the Ira Sohn Investment Conference in New York. Even so, he recommended Microsoft shares because the stock trades at a “remarkable discount †to the Standard & Poor’ s 500 Index while the business outperforms the average S & P company . Microsoft is Greenlight ’ s eighth-biggest U. S . stock holding . “It ’ s time for Microsoft’ s board to tell Steve Ballmer , ‘All right, we see what you can do , let ’ s give so-and – so a chance ,’†Einhorn said . “His continued presence is the biggest overhang on Microsoft ’ s stock . †Ballmer , 55 , has come under increased scrutiny from shareholders as the company loses market share to Apple Inc. and Google Inc. in mobile phones and Apple ’ s iPad takes sales from personal computers running Microsoft ’ s Windows . Last year , the board docked Ballmer some of his potential bonus for falling short in the mobile industry and new forms of computers . Greenlight , a New York-based hedge fund , added 1 . 39 million Microsoft shares last quarter, for a total of 9 . 07 million , according to a filing . The stake is worth $ 230 .2 million. Microsoft ’ s shares have underperformed the S &P 500 in four of the past five quarters. Frank Shaw, a spokesman for Redmond , Washington -based Microsoft , declined to comment . Top Shareholder Ballmer is the company’ s second – biggest shareholder — with more than 333 million shares, or almost 4 percent . Co-founder and Chairman Bill Gates owns more than 561 million shares, or a 6 .7 percent stake , according to Bloomberg data . Microsoft climbed 30 cents , or 1 .2 percent , to $ 24 .49 at 9 : 37 a .m . New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading . The shares declined 13 percent this year before today . Einhorn, best known for profiting from bets against Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. four months before the firm collapsed in 2008 , is a frequent speaker at the annual Ira Sohn conference”.
For more read on the above article, feel free to check out today’s BUSINESSWEEK website post.
Thank You