Windows Phone ‘Mango’ released to manufacturers

Microsoft has RTMed the new “bet the farm” version of its Windows Mobile platform to manufacturers, with device shipments expected in stores Spetmber earliest. According to Microsoft, it features over 500 new features and faster browsing with Internet Explorer 9.

It’s novel interface design has attracted a mixed, but generally favourable response, and the Mango release is expected to improve integration with cloud services such as Bing and Facebook. There is still little detail on SDKs for software developers.

“This marks the point in the development process where we hand code to our handset and mobile operator partners to optimize Mango for their specific phone and network configurations,” Windows Phone corporate vice president Terry Myerson said in a blog post.

The move came as Microsoft Japan, mobile carrier KDDI and cellphone maker Fujitsu Toshiba Mobile Communications unveiled in Tokyo the IS12T, which according to Microsoft president Yasuyuki Higuchi will be the world’s first Mango handset.

The device which will also be Japan’s first to carry the Windows Phone operating system, will feature a 13.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, 32 gigabytes of flash storage and will be launched in September at the earliest.

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