Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) & 8 (Apollo)

B

Blk02

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 19, 2008
Messages
183
Well, I think it is about time for me to switch back to a Windows based Smartphone. I have enjoyed my time with Android, but I have been frustrated as well. I mainly dislike Android's Bluetooth connectivity & voice dialing functionality; as well as, the lack luster exchange server & push email support. I admit that I am a business oriented user, but Windows phones have always had great exchange server & push email support. With the release of WP7.5 (Mango) I think Microsoft will be in the game again for both the regular user and the enterprise user (see list of features below). I am tired of trying to use exchange email on Android and not being able to open .eml attachments (forwarded emails), not being able to save Vcards (sent from computer), email not syncing until I open the email app (sometimes I need to press sync), calendar not syncing properly with Outlook, contacts not syncing properly (phone to computer), and there are several others but I cant think of them right now. I think it is an obvious fact that the Windows Computer OS works best with a Windows Phone and the Apple Computer OS works best with an Apple Phone. Android is kind of left out in the cold in this scenario because they cant seem to perfectly integrate with either computer OS, which is probably due to licensing or proprietary code. I think Android will remain a decent phone OS for the regular user, but enterprise users will be migrating back to the Windows phone OS shortly.

Furthermore, I think Windows Phone 8 (Apollo) will strengthen the bond between Computer OS and Phone OS even more by using "AppX" which is a new type of packaged application model. This will let app developers use the same app across platforms (tablet, phone, computer). I think Microsoft's goal is to squeeze out Android by tightly integrating the Windows Phone OS with the Windows Computer OS and developing a seamless experience with your data across platforms.



Windows Phone 7.1 (Released Features List "Not Complete - Some Still Unreleased Until May 24th")
Outlook Conversation View – Emails combined together in threads
Lync Messaging Client – Enterprise messaging client
Twitter integration – Tweets integration into people hub
Office 365 integration – Office 365 features built-in
Bing Vision – Scan QR, Microsoft Tags, books, CDs and DVDs
Bing Audio – Similar to Shazam, will identify songs
Windows Live Messenger integration – Integrated into the people hub and messaging hub
Facebook Chat integration – Integrated into the people hub and messaging hub
AOL Messenger integration – Integrated into the people hub and messaging hub
Contacts grouping – Create groups of contacts to send messages to
Xbox LIVE sync function – Sync function to likely sync settings/games across devices
Now playing artist information on lock screen – album art on the lock screen
Visual Voicemail support - Visual voicemail using same method as iOS/Android
Network awareness NCSI support – improvements for switching between networks/optimization
Internet Explorer 9 mobile – HTML5 support and hardware acceleration
Multitasking support – switch quickly between apps
Fast application resume – quickly resume recently used apps
Podcast support – download podcasts via the Marketplace
Turn-by-turn navigation in Bing Maps - voice guided directions and turn-by-turn
SMS dictation – Microsoft tellme dictates messages
East Asian Language keyboard support – additional language support
Handwriting and dictionary support – support for writing Chinese characters
Pin Outlook Folders – Pin folders as favorites inside Outlook
SkyDrive integration – Access SkyDrive documents from Office Hub
Kinect support for games - interact with Kinect and Xbox games from Windows Phone
Outlook email server search – search Exchange servers from Outlook client
Complex (alpha-numeric) password support – strong number and character password support
Information Rights Management – support for protecting e-mails and Office documents
Ringtone support – third party ringtone support
App list – automatically detect list, implemented jump list and search for apps
Marketplace search improvements – apps, podcasts, music separated for easy search
App install improvements – progress bar install UI
Search extras – User search actions can be connected to third-party apps
Motion Sensor – apps to use new gyroscope hardware
Background audio – apps can run audio in the background
File download service – third-party apps can download files from the web
Alarms – alarm notifications for third-party apps
Pin app features – Users can pin live tiles of deep app features in third-party apps
Zune Smart DJ mix – allows users to discover new music and save/create playlists
Camera sound toggle – users can now disable the camera shutter sound
WiFi improvements – support for hidden SSID networks
 
Last edited:
I totally love my Zune. That is a great selling point for me. I'm going to wait a bit longer, maybe version 2 or 3 of the "newer" windows phone before I buy one.

I know Windows mobile has been around a long time, but I am specifically referring to this latest generation of devices.

I had a chance to interact with a Windows phone at the Microsoft store and it was solid experience. I believe with the next update and next hardware update I may get one.
 
I think Microsoft did the right thing starting from scratch with the operating system even though it is costing them right now. Microsoft has been in the smartphone biz longer than Google or Apple. I think they will have an excellent product after the next two releases. I will get a Windows phone after they release the Mango update. There is supposed to be a hardware update with the Mango release, so I think all Mango phones will be able to support Apollo. In addition, I think Mango and Apollo will be released relatively close to each other. Probably Mango & new hardware released before Christmas 2011 to capture the crowds and then update to Apollo in Spring 2012.

I just wish Microsoft would maintain a separate dedicated hardware Mp3 player like the ZuneHD or something a bit smaller. I dont want to stick my heavy ass smartphone in my pocket or on an armband to listen to music while working out.
 
Blk02 said:
I think Microsoft did the right thing starting from scratch with the operating system even though it is costing them right now. Microsoft has been in the smartphone biz longer than Google or Apple. I think they will have an excellent product after the next two releases. I will get a Windows phone after they release the Mango update. There is supposed to be a hardware update with the Mango release, so I think all Mango phones will be able to support Apollo. In addition, I think Mango and Apollo will be released relatively close to each other. Probably Mango & new hardware released before Christmas 2011 to capture the crowds and then update to Apollo in Spring 2012.

I just wish Microsoft would maintain a separate dedicated hardware Mp3 player like the ZuneHD or something a bit smaller. I dont want to stick my heavy ass smartphone in my pocket or on an armband to listen to music while working out.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately the ZuneHD flopped which is why they're not continuing production on it anymore. The studio (Pioneer & J Allard) that came out with it has been shut down by Microsoft. Other than that, it's a fantastic MP3 player & TV Output and I still use it for my own personal use (64GB ZuneHD). It's hard to compete with the iPod Touch which has the entire Apple Store's list of apps vs Microsoft-only apps. I do agree that I wish Microsoft would continue supporting their own MP3 player however there are other MP3 players that are available like Cowon which they design fantastic MP3 players.
 
I think that to a certain extent a walled garden is needed to maintain the performance of the device. If you let app developer's run free without restrictions and boundaries then battery life suffers, apps lockup/force close, and the quality of the apps will not be consistent. Microsoft is trying to ensure a quality end user experience by tightly controlling hardware specs, updating, third party bloat ware (HTC), and app development capabilities. I think their implementation of multitasking will be the best yet. And they are slowly but surely developing a very robust set of app development tools that should make writing quality apps for WP7 easier than Apple or Android.
 
Yeah it's basically the Pro part of the closed Apple model (complete control), minus the asshole nature of Apple meaning they'll be more open. Microsoft can be perceived as the evil satan, but the truth is they can't touch Apple when it comes to that.
 
i personally liked some sort of walled garden as opposed to an open desert
 
lol ive stated it as walled garden as opposed to an open wasteland also but please credit haha :)
 
I watched the WP7.1 "Mango" announcement live over the internet and my mind is made up. It is time for me to switch back to a Windows phone after the Mango release. The Windows phone OS seems smoother and more original than Android or iPhone. The amount of data linking and customization they demonstrated is incredible. Its freaking great. I know Microsoft has the muscle to put a significant dent in the smartphone market and I think they will take the first step with the Mango release. Just look at what they did to the video game market (dominated in short order).
 
Not a lot of love around here for anything other than Android phones but this release is impressive and at least from an OS perspective puts Windows Phones pretty much in line with Android and iPhone. Next comes the hardware and the fruits of the Nokia deal.

Been loving my HTC Arrive and the wife will be getting the HTC Trophy on Verizon when it becomes available. Can't wait for the release, just grabbed the developer tools and they've added some nice touches to the emulator to mimic support for phone sensors. I wonder how much of this UI becomes part of Windows 8 for slates and tablets.
 
Microsoft is definitely bringing some great features to their phones. At least, compared to my current Samsung Instinct.

Was messing around with one at the Sprint store and was pretty impressed. Especially considering the last Windows Mobile OS I used was 5. If I didn't already have the Nexus S 4G on the way, I'd definitely consider one of these.
 
I have to admit, not been following the Windows Phone scene at all, but this Mango update will make me think about changing from Android. Microsoft looks to be taking a fresh approach to smartphones, it looks exciting, where as Android has become rather stale to me lately, and the iPhone is now from the stone age, outdated.

Will Samsung release a Mango phone using their Super AMOLED + screen tech ? Hopefully Sprint gets one :)
 
I'm probably going to go for the best of both worlds, WP7 phone and 7" android tablet. :)
 
Blk02 said:
I think Microsoft did the right thing starting from scratch with the operating system even though it is costing them right now. Microsoft has been in the smartphone biz longer than Google or Apple. I think they will have an excellent product after the next two releases. I will get a Windows phone after they release the Mango update. There is supposed to be a hardware update with the Mango release, so I think all Mango phones will be able to support Apollo. In addition, I think Mango and Apollo will be released relatively close to each other. Probably Mango & new hardware released before Christmas 2011 to capture the crowds and then update to Apollo in Spring 2012.

I just wish Microsoft would maintain a separate dedicated hardware Mp3 player like the ZuneHD or something a bit smaller. I dont want to stick my heavy ass smartphone in my pocket or on an armband to listen to music while working out.
Click to expand...

Saying that they will have an excellent product in the next few releases is not acceptable. In this market, you need to come out the door with guns blazin' or you're going to be swept under the rug and forgotten rather quickly. MS failed to deliver out the door, and it really hurt them. Even if they do have a very solid product in the near future, it might not be enough for them to come back. With devices out there that already run the way that they are supposed to, releasing a device that is missing a good deal of the planned functions is just not going to work.
 
The argument could be made that they way they did it PREVENTED a failure right out of the gate since they played it safe. This is a better way, they already had a lot of bad data against them with WinMo so they absolutely could not risk having something bad happen immediately. No copy/paste immediately? That's peanuts and here they are shortly after with it running great. I think they chose the right path and here not long after people are starting to turn their heads and see the value.
 
simonizor said:
Saying that they will have an excellent product in the next few releases is not acceptable. In this market, you need to come out the door with guns blazin' or you're going to be swept under the rug and forgotten rather quickly. MS failed to deliver out the door, and it really hurt them. Even if they do have a very solid product in the near future, it might not be enough for them to come back. With devices out there that already run the way that they are supposed to, releasing a device that is missing a good deal of the planned functions is just not going to work.
Click to expand...

Every Windows Phone had Netflix now, Android is just getting it and not all right now. My friends with Evos need to charge their phone as much as I need to my EP121 practically. Yeah it's easy to say that Windows Phone didn't launch with this feature or that feature and if all you want is features then Windows Phone may not be for you. If you want a nice, slick and easier to use phone that'll do what 90% of end users what on a phone, Windows Phone is a solid choice even now.

This stuff isn't set in stone. Microsoft had sold MILLIONS of Windows Mobile phones before Apple or Google had launched even one. These devices are disposable and change to rapidly for this to be a game that Microsoft can't do well in again given it's technical and fiscal resources.

And one thing that really makes this phone sweet from a technical perspective are the development tools, they are VERY good, there's already over 18000 apps in the store and it's growing very rapidaly and tomorrow Verizon FINALLY launches its first Windows Phone. I'm going to stick with my Arrive on Sprint and the wife well be using a Trophy, she likes her Zune.

The one thing that you can count on is that Microsoft will keep working and working and working on this till they get it right. They've been in the smartphone business from almost day one, they aren't going anywhere.
 
So what's the approx launch month we can expect these new Mango phones released ? I sure hope Sprint gets a good one.

I have to admit this Mango update has me more excited than even the iPhone5 and Nexus-3.0, would love to see Samsung hardware with their Super AMOLED+ tech. I have never even owned a Windows phone, but always open to something fresh and new. Got sick if the iPhone years ago, now getting tired of Android.
 
I've been running WP7 on my HTC HD2 for a while and the experience is _awesome_. One of the things that blew me away most is the keyboard typing experience. It's fabulous.

In the interest of full disclosure, though.... there is currently _no_ way to export/import call logs or SMS either as a backup from a WP7 device or from Android/Blackberry/iOS. It's a major complaint because a lot of folks are coming to WP7 from Android and want to carry their SMS history with them.
 
i have the focus, coming from both android and ios, and i like iphone 4 for design but the windows phone 7 os is AMAZING, the focus's screen is brilliant, not as high res but colors are very nice
 
Zorachus said:
So what's the approx launch month we can expect these new Mango phones released ? I sure hope Sprint gets a good one.

I have to admit this Mango update has me more excited than even the iPhone5 and Nexus-3.0, would love to see Samsung hardware with their Super AMOLED+ tech. I have never even owned a Windows phone, but always open to something fresh and new. Got sick if the iPhone years ago, now getting tired of Android.
Click to expand...

I found an approximate release date of early summer, so hopefully no later than the end of June.:cool:

http://www.takesontech.com/windows-phone-7-mango-update-release-date-moved-up-to-summer

"Microsoft ahead of its live event on Tuesday gave word that it was moving up the launch of its planned Mango update for Windows Phone 7. Once penned in for the fall, the update should show up in early summer. The upgrade will also come with some partners completely new to WP7, such as Acer, Fujitsu, and ZTE, as well as new models from existing phone makers.

The update will be free for all existing WP7 device owners. A beta developer kit for Mango should be available within the next 24 hours."
 
simonizor said:
Saying that they will have an excellent product in the next few releases is not acceptable. In this market, you need to come out the door with guns blazin' or you're going to be swept under the rug and forgotten rather quickly. MS failed to deliver out the door, and it really hurt them. Even if they do have a very solid product in the near future, it might not be enough for them to come back. With devices out there that already run the way that they are supposed to, releasing a device that is missing a good deal of the planned functions is just not going to work.
Click to expand...

Microsoft is not saying they will have a great product in the next few releases it is happening with "Mango", which will be released in early summer per their event notes. Typically if you come out the door with guns blazin' you end up with epic fail. Playing it safe out the door negates bad press and keeps consumer confidence in the company high because the device will work and have minimal issues. People would have been complaining alot more if half the features in the initial WP7 release were half baked. Neither Apple or Android came out with guns blazin' on their first release. Lets not forget that WP7 has only been on the market since October 2010 (7 months) and they are now releasing an update that will outshine Android and IPhone. Also, dont forget that they pulled a rabbit out of the hat with the "late to the game" release of the original Xbox and they dominated the market in short order.
 
I know it's a Windows phone, but is possible to switch the Xbox Live tile to something else? PSN? Steam? Something? Mango REALLY interests me (not as much as Android, but up there) but I don't have a 360 (and I never will).
 
It's nice to see the browser's getting some much-needed HTML5 support. 7.5 looks to be altogether fairly competitive with iOS 4, which I suppose is no small accomplishment.
 
SolidSnakeUS said:
I know it's a Windows phone, but is possible to switch the Xbox Live tile to something else? PSN? Steam? Something? Mango REALLY interests me (not as much as Android, but up there) but I don't have a 360 (and I never will).
Click to expand...

I dont think they will allow you to change the Xbox Live tile to something else. However, that does not mean that you cant remove the tile from the home screen and use a third party app when available. I use an app called Halo Reach Stats on my Android EVO. I think the Xbox Live tile will be more than just a connection to your paid Live account. It will be a portal for all users to download games for their mobile phone with the additional capability to link to your Live account if you have one setup. It does not make sense to leave out everyone who does not pay for Xbox Live with a primary stock app like this. The app will have a purpose for non-paid users and add enhanced linking features for paid users.
 
Blk02 said:
I dont think they will allow you to change the Xbox Live tile to something else. However, that does not mean that you cant remove the tile from the home screen and use a third party app when available. I use an app called Halo Reach Stats on my Android EVO. I think the Xbox Live tile will be more than just a connection to your paid Live account. It will be a portal for all users to download games for their mobile phone with the additional capability to link to your Live account if you have one setup. It does not make sense to leave out everyone who does not pay for Xbox Live with a primary stock app like this. The app will have a purpose for non-paid users and add enhanced linking features for paid users.
Click to expand...

Weak...
 
SolidSnakeUS said:
Weak...
Click to expand...

It's not perfect for non-Live users, but you need to remember who you are dealing with. Microsoft is a company that sells software and hardware not advertising. Microsoft's motives are different than Google's. Google will support anything that increases advertising revenue (attracts more people). This is partly why their system is so open compared to Apple and Microsoft. Microsoft on the other hand wants to push their products (i.e. Xbox Live, Office 360, Outlook, Bing, etc.) so they will tightly integrate them with Windows Phone 7.1 from the factory. It's no different than Apple tightly integrating iTunes and other proprietary software with the iPhone. Apple and Microsoft want to integrate their software so tightly together that you will be more likely to stay with one sphere of influence instead of having a mix of Apple and Microsoft products. They want to capture the customer. Now this does not mean there won't be a third party app, but I would not expect Microsoft to give competing game companies any love.
 
Well it looks like the Trophy that just went on sale on Verizon is selling well, I and a couple of family members tried to order it but it was coming up out of stock though others were reporting that they could order it after I tried. This is going to be my wife's phone on Verizon, I'll probably stick with the Arrive on Sprint as I need the Simply Everything Plan which for the price is tough to beat.
 
If WP7(or 8) also update the hardware, then I'm sold.

1.2GHz dual core
1GB of RAM
SGX543 or equivalent GPU
qHD or above resolution
front facing camera
NFC

Until then, I'll just keep dreaming :p
 
gwu168 said:
If WP7(or 8) also update the hardware, then I'm sold.

1.2GHz dual core
1GB of RAM
SGX543 or equivalent GPU
qHD or above resolution
front facing camera
NFC

Until then, I'll just keep dreaming :p
Click to expand...

I found this info about the new hardware. See below for quote and link. I think Windows Phone 7.1 will have a dual core 1.2Ghz snapdragon processor. I mean Qualcomm said it would use their second generation snapdragon processor for Windows Phone 7.1 in the quote below. Both the Qualcomm MSM8260 and MSM8660 1.2Ghz dual core second generation processors are specified for high-end smartphones per this link http://www.qualcomm.com/documents/files/linley-report-dual-core-snapdragon.pdf.


"Qualcomm has announced that, just as with the first generation of WP7 handsets, its chips will be exclusively found inside the incoming range of Windows Phone 7.1 Mango devices. According to a statement Qualcomm gave SlashGear, “In close coordination with Microsoft, Qualcomm are excited to bring a new generation of Windows Phone handsets exclusively featuring Qualcomm’s second generation Snapdragon mobile processors to market.”"http://www.slashgear.com/qualcomm-exclusive-windows-phone-7-1-mango-chip-supplier-24153974/
 
Last edited:
On another note, I wish I could change the thread title to 7.1 not 7.5. Mods any help?
 
SolidSnakeUS said:
Weak...
Click to expand...

That's like complaining that you can't run every PC game on a Mac, when you should just get a PC. The xbox integration is one of the best features of the phone. Or better yet just ignore the xbox part of the phone and never use it. Or subscribe to xbox live without an xbox just so you can game on your phone. You have options.

gwu168 said:
If WP7(or 8) also update the hardware, then I'm sold.

1.2GHz dual core
1GB of RAM
SGX543 or equivalent GPU
qHD or above resolution
front facing camera
NFC

Until then, I'll just keep dreaming :p
Click to expand...

I'm of the crowd that specs are irrelevant if it does what it's supposed to. The phones are so damn smooth right now that why ask for more powerful hardware at the likely sacrifice of battery life if it's already great? Maybe down the line, but so close to it just having launched?
 
"Spec wars" are really the domain of Android phone manufacturers. In my limited time playing with WP7, I found it smooth and responsive, as much so if not more so than iOS in some cases, though web browsing performance was exceptionally poor. I would suspect 7.5 will 'fix' this to some degree.
 
phide said:
"Spec wars" are really the domain of Android phone manufacturers. In my limited time playing with WP7, I found it smooth and responsive, as much so if not more so than iOS in some cases, though web browsing performance was exceptionally poor. I would suspect 7.5 will 'fix' this to some degree.
Click to expand...

I would agree that IE is a weak link in Windows Phone currently being based on IE 6, no hardware acceleration for one. But it works pretty well for a number of sites, including this one.

And IE 9 does look to be substantially faster as you note. I'm running the Mango developer tools and web browsing is MUCH faster in the new emulator. I understand that an emulator isn't a phone, I'm simply noting the difference I saw in the emulator.

Posted from my HTC Arrive Windows Phone
 
If only it were easy to tether...I'd probably give WP7 a shot.
 
heatlesssun said:
I would agree that IE is a weak link in Windows Phone currently being based on IE 6, no hardware acceleration for one. But it works pretty well for a number of sites, including this one.

And IE 9 does look to be substantially faster as you note. I'm running the Mango developer tools and web browsing is MUCH faster in the new emulator. I understand that an emulator isn't a phone, I'm simply noting the difference I saw in the emulator.
Click to expand...
The web browser on Windows Phone 7 is not based on IE6, it's a hybrid version of IE7 and IE8.

And yeah, Mango adds IE9 with full GPU acceleration, which makes it worlds faster and more standards compliant than the current IE7/8 browser.

kirbyrj said:
If only it were easy to tether...I'd probably give WP7 a shot.
Click to expand...
Get a Samsung Focus or Samsung Omnia 7, they're easy to tether.
 
Last edited:
Unknown-One said:
Get a Samsung Focus or Samsung Omnia 7, they're easy to tether.
Click to expand...

I saw that. I just don't know why someone can't write a program to do it. It can't be that hard and people would probably pay $5-10 for it. Even the old Nokia's have Joikuspot which is $20.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top