Redmond, Wash. – The
availability of smartphones based on the
version of the Windows Phone OS came a step closer to reality with the
finalization of Mango’s release-to-manufacturing (RTM) build, the company
announced.
RTM is the code that handset makers and
carriers get to optimize Mango for specific phones and networks.
Microsoft is now working on Mango updates for
current Windows Phone smartphones, and those will be ready in the fall, said
Terry Myerson, corporate VP for Windows Phone engineering. On new phones, Mango
will be preinstalled, he added. The new phones will be available in the fall,
the company previously announced.
Companies
committed to offering Mango include Acer, Fujitsu, Nokia and ZTE. They’ll join
current Windows Phone suppliers Dell, HTC, LG and Samsung.
Microsoft unveiled
Mango in May and promoted the update as offering hundreds of new features while
improving the web browsing experience. The improvements include Internet
Explorer 9, support for HTML5 websites, and app multitasking, enabling users to
work on email while listening to music and popping into Words By Post games
when it’s their turn to play, Myerson said. Mango also connects apps to search
results and integrates more deeply within such OS Hubs as music, video and
pictures. Mango’s threads feature brings together text, instant messaging and
Facebook chats into one conversation, he added.
