Windows Phone 'Mango' update

Today Microsoft have for the first time publicly shared indepth information of the large scale update to Windows Phone 7 expected to be available globally in the September-November timeframe. News features cover just about every area of the platform.

Highlights include:

• New App Hub features and designs
• Multitasking
• Speed improvements
• Many new apps coming - including Skype, Kik messaging, Spotify, Qantas
• Internet Explorer 9 - with hardware acceleration and HTML5
• Marketplace to expand from 16 countries to 35 (and another 3 coming incl China)
• Support for 16 more languages
• Improvements for developers include:
• Direct Camera access enabling augmented reality apps
• API Access to sensors such Gyroscope, Compass, etc
• Network sockets support for features such as VOIP
• Silverlight and XNA in the same app
• 1500 new APIs
• Streamlined App Hub submission
• Search Extras
• Silverlight 4
• Generational garbage collection

It appears this is the release which takes Windows Phone from being a really nice mobile platform with a ground breaking user interface to one is truly competitive from all directions when compared with Apple's iPhone (iOS) and Google's Android platform.

The MIX 2011 conference is still in progress and I will update this article with more information as it comes to hand. You can also find more about Windows Phone at WindowsPhoneNZ.com. And there will also be extensive coverage on the NZ Tech Podcast.

Other related posts:
NZ Tech Podcast: Spotify, Galaxy SIII, Windows 8, new MacBooks, facebook IPO
NZ Tech Podcast: Fyx no longer provides a fix, Telecom 4G trial, HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy SIII
NZ Tech Podcast: Fyx internet, SmallWorlds, 2degrees shared data plans and Mac security