Windows Phone 7.5 Mango rollout begins in 'a week or two'

Jos

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The wait is almost over for Windows Phone 7 users. Microsoft has announced that version 7.5 of its mobile operating system, aka Mango, will begin rolling out in the next week or two. The software has reportedly been 'painstakingly tuned' for every device from every manufacturer so that the update and all the new features work as planned once it's pushed to the masses.

Microsoft did not pin an exact date as to when users can expect to have Mango on their phones, though if the NoDo update serves any indication, the rollout will span several weeks rather than being available on every phone and carrier at once. The company says they'll refresh the 'Where’s My Phone Update?' page to reflect the worldwide rollout status.

Keep in mind that Windows Phone 7.5 won't be pushed to your phone over-the-air, so be sure to download the latest version of Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac or the Zune software for PCs, which you’ll need to install the update. Since each phone requires the proper firmware to function as designed, Microsoft also took the opportunity to warn users against installing unofficial or leaked copies of Windows Phone software.

Mango is the Windows Phone platform's first major overhaul since the mobile operating system launched in December 2010 and it comes with hundreds of new features, including an HTML5-compliant IE 9 Mobile browser, third-party application multitasking, Twitter integration, new Bing search capabilities, and more.

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I just want to see the new update and some upcoming phones running it! I'll be sure to watch more than a few YouTube reviews.
 
It's sad, because I know how little this actually means. AT&T, the flagship Windows Phone carrier in the US, has made a commitment to be the first carrier to deliver the update this fall. But Microsoft "releasing" (whatever that's supposed to mean) Mango doesn't exactly mean AT&T will release it.

I might be wrong, and maybe AT&T has already sprinkled its "magic" onto the software (I'm particularly excited for Visual Voicemail, which is present in Mango RTM but cannot be used without carrier permission). But at the end of the day, whatever the case may be, AT&T has the last say regarding the software deployment, and that is, irrevocably, the truth.

So, I sometimes find myself lost at how much people seem to be waiting for Microsoft to say when it is going to be released; they don't know because carriers don't know when they're going to be done. In case most of you've forgotten, the RTM was finished and sent to carriers a month or so ago.
 
Just debrand your phone lawfer, it's a very simple reg edit. It doesn't even require installing anything on your phone to do it. In my updates I didn't get a single ATT software, even though they didn't seem that bad.
 
@lawfer
Indeed it is one frustrating fact, which not only affect WP, but also Android as well. I think it will be prudent that MS/Google come up with such model where they can impose certain time restrictions with regard to update roll outs, in the interest of consumers.
 
Archean said:
@lawfer
Indeed it is one frustrating fact, which not only affect WP, but also Android as well. I think it will be prudent that MS/Google come up with such model where they can impose certain time restrictions with regard to update roll outs, in the interest of consumers.

Let's hope they have the muscle to do so.

But what interest does the phone company have to upgrade your OS? You already bought the phone and signed a contract. What are you going to do? Break your contract and go to another company which does the same thing anyway? They can take their time, or just not do it. Consumers have few options these days. Pretty frustrating.
 
One way of forcing this upon these OEMs could be is 'standardizing' hardware pool which goes into these smartphones, whereby, allowing OEMs only to come up with whatever fancy packaging they want to. This will in turn allow software providers to roll out up-dates without having any dependency on the OEMs. However, one stumbling block in this is the 'carrier' locked phones, as almost all carriers put many stupid things on these devices just for the sake of ........ well their brand. I must admit this has been one reason I never buy a carrier locked smartphone, yes it cost me more, but I have the freedom to do stuff at my own will.
 
Whats a windows phone???...who knows because I'm on the we only carry exclusion garbage Verizon. Ya I know they have one windows phone..But I want the flagship not crap.....And I can't get the Galaxy S2 either. Lets hope they at least get the Iphone 5...my last resort....
 
Chazz said:
Just debrand your phone lawfer, it's a very simple reg edit. It doesn't even require installing anything on your phone to do it. In my updates I didn't get a single ATT software, even though they didn't seem that bad.

I think you misunderstood my point. It's not that AT&T adds its software I don't like, it's that Microsoft has no say--that is, after they release the RTM-- when Mango will actually rollout to consumers. Most people think that as soon as Microsoft says "Mango will be released tomorrow y'all!", that it will in fact be released tomorrow. And that's a misconception.

In actuality, Mango is done (as I have it right now), but not with carrier modifications, such as Wi-Fi hotspot, or the Visual Voicemail I mentioned. These features and other hidden features (which can also be created by carrier or OEM programmers, such as HTC Titan's camera enhancements), can only be unlocked and/or used after carriers/OEMs have finished their specific firmware. And only until then, is when carriers will tell Microsoft when it will be released--eventually, that is--to consumers.

Not everything is bad though. For instance, their current update mechanism is far superior to Android's; although I prefer how Google is more informative (or at least to me) about release dates, and possible availability. Microsoft simply has no clue how to talk to its community.
 
Considering the small number of handsets running win7, this time round, making the Mango update should be relatively easy, hopefully MS can better manage and learn from Androids and carriers pathetic attempts to apply Android updates. Though like what has been said, there's nothing really in it for the carriers they already have you hooked, why give you a free update when its going to cost them to apply it, particularly when its only a small number who actually want the update
 
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