Microsoft announced today that its latest mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango,” is now available for download for select customers. Nearly all existing Windows Phone users will be able to download the OS update soon, though the company says it plans to roll out the software update “gradually” over the next few weeks, so some customers will have to wait a significant period of time for the upgrade.
As you might have noticed, Microsoft is somewhat vague about which customers will receive the update when. According to the Windows Phone blog, the roll-out is a “simultaneous, coordinated, global update that cuts across carriers, phone models and countries.” Then, about two sentences down, they say that they’re “not making Mango available to everyone at once. So it could be a few weeks before an update message for Windows Phone 7.5 appears on your phone.” Uh, okay…. we’re totally confused.
Guessing as much, Microsoft has set up a “Where’s My Phone Update?” website, which is supposed to tell users approximately when their update is coming. But a quick look at the website has a message telling users to wait for an alert on their phone to appear. Great, thanks for that.
Regardless of the nonsensical gibberish about the roll-out timing, a gradual software release makes perfect sense, as it lowers the risk of things going awry. Besides, it worked for Android, so it must be good.
The wait for Mango, whatever that may be, should be worth it. Included in the features updates are visual voicemail, Twitter integration and an impressive IE9-based mobile browser. Microsoft will also launch a web-based Marketplace for app downloads, with a current total of about 30,000 apps to choose from. And we’ll see some third-party apps for Mango, as well.
All-in-all, the Mango update is a highly-anticipated one. As soon as we get an update notice, we’ll have an in-depth hand-on for you to chew on. Until then, we wait.
That’s all I gotta say.
If you never use WP7 device, you never get the real information. I really tell you all that WP7.5 mango is ready to serve and only operator will set the schedule to launch it. I already get mango update yesterday without problem and very smooth update. WP7.5 is more fast and smooth than android (1.2 GHz cpu) and even iPhone4.
This is a pretty tight kb
Feel sorry for this desperate author waiting for his mango update.. LOL
Kinda reminds one of those masses of desperate Apple zombies waiting in line overnight for the latest overpriced Apple gadget, maybe?
Waiting overnight?!?!?! NO WAY!!! I’m already in line for the iPad3!
:)
slow? this update is way faster than the last one that took months to go to every carrier. within 2 days every carrier except spain’s telefonica is distributing the update and only a few handsets on each carrier (all of which are noted) are except such as the dell venu pro.
this is in huge contrast to how slow android updates where you never know when your phone will get an update, if ever, from the carrier or oem.
this is leaps and bounds over android and considering the vast majority of hardware configurations, it really is on par with apple’s updates.