Mango

As of this morning, Microsoft and its partner carriers have begun pushing the 7.5 Mango OS update (review) to the first wave of Windows Phones.

The question on everyone's lips isn't so much if the more than 500 changes to Windows Phone OS will satisfy current Mango users; they will. It's a good release, on one that proves Windows Phone is maturing, however gradually. With it, Microsoft will continue to keep its current customers. After all, that set is already committed to the platform, at least for another year or so until their contracts expire.

The more crucial point is whether Microsoft's new and improved OS has charm enough to draw new takers, especially those from the legions of Android who may be curiously casting sidelong looks at Windows Phone. In that we're much less certain.

Operating System We said it in our hands-on review: Mango is a good update. It adds many new, useful features and expands upon others that are already there. Besides that, Windows Phone itself has a certain elan. The Metro UI, as the brightly colored, pleasantly blocky interface is known, is clean and straightforward. The way information is organized liberates us from the clone-y sameness of tiny icons in grid formation.

Microsoft thought out of the box when creating a few new features and did a good job integrating others directly into the OS, like barcode scanning, song ID, and automated playlist creation in the music library. Not all of these are of Microsoft's own invention, but not all of them need to be. Most importantly, they need to make the Windows Phone experience satisfying and full.… Read more

Earlier today, Microsoft set Windows Phone 7.5 Mango free, and the updates are starting to roll out to handsets around the world, including here in the U.S. The company has done a good job of making the software available to most of the current devices, but a couple of the models are still in the testing or scheduling phase. If you own a Windows Phone device, you can check the chart below to see when you'll get the Mango update.

We should note that even if your phone is listed as getting Mango now, be aware that … Read more

This morning, Microsoft relaunched its online catalog for Windows Phone Marketplace, a move that gives Microsoft's nearly year-old OS a little more life, even as it turns our attention to the spotty state of Windows Phone apps.

Like it or not, the number and quality of apps in a platform's on-device marketplace can just as easily defend an operating system's existence or strike a lasting blow. (Just ask HP, and Palm before it, how the well-received WebOS withered, in part because of its anemic app catalog.)

Today, the Windows Phone Marketplace has around 30,000 titles, compared with more than 250,000 Android apps and iOS' more than 500,000 speculated programs. It's a paltry comparison, until you consider that in four months, Windows Phone Marketplace ballooned 12,000 apps, up from 18,000 apps last May. Even then, its app count was arguably ahead of RIM's BlackBerry App World.

Already behind In truth, Windows Phone's growth is commendable, at least by the numbers. The platform's debut immediately put Microsoft at a disadvantage. Based on an all-new software backbone, Redmond's new mobile OS wiped the app catalog clean. Programs that worked with Windows Mobile 6.5 and before were instantly part of Microsoft's embarrassing mobile past. Windows Phone 7 was a fresh start.… Read more

The Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update is rolling out today, but if you're looking to get your hands on a new smartphone, T-Mobile will be launching its first "4G" Windows Phone device, the HTC Radar 4G, just in time for the holiday season.

Previously announced for Europe and Asia, the Radar 4G is compatible with T-Mobile's HSPA+ (14.4Mbps) network and features an aluminum unibody design, a 3.8-inch WVGA touch screen, and a 1GHz Snapdragon processor. In addition, the Mango handset has a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera, a front-facing VGA camera for video calls, and 8GB of internal memory.

Pricing and specific release date were not announced at this time, but you can read our hands-on impressions of the HTC Radar here.

In addition to the Radar, T-Mobile also announced that it has begun rolling out Mango to HTC HD7 owners. The update is being sent out in batches, and users will receive an alert when the software is ready for download. … Read more

After a long wait, Windows Phone owners on all carriers will begin receiving the Mango OS update, or Windows Phone 7.5. The over-the-air roll-outs begin as soon as today. (Keep tabs with Microsoft's update schedule.)

Ever since we first heard about it in May, Microsoft's intention with Mango has been clear: polish three key areas--communications, apps, and Internet--until they shine. Of course, Microsoft didn't stop with just those three topics, and not every addition or correction offers something special. Even as Microsoft homed in on some parts, it missed a spot or two.

We won't … Read more

In advance of its anticipated "Mango" software update, Microsoft is throwing open the doors to its newly renovated online Windows Phone Marketplace.

The initial Marketplace was little more than a placeholder for things to come, a mostly static repository for maybe a thousand apps total. (Microsoft is now up to 30,000 titles compatible with Windows Phone.) In contrast, the new online Marketplace storefront is a sharper-looking app catalog complete with purchasing power and over-the-air downloads.… Read more

Taking rumors and speculation about the timing of Windows Phone 7.5 Mango in its own hands, Microsoft announced today that the update to the bold new mobile operating system will hit "in the next week or two."

The word comes from Eric Hautala, general manager for customer experience engineering, in a post on Microsoft's official Windows Phone blog.

Windows Phone Mango won't update all at once, though. Instead, Microsoft plans to roll it out across its various carriers.

Back in June, CNET went hands-on with a preview version of Mango on a Samsung Focus. Among other things, the version 7.5 OS update brings threaded messaging, a unified message in-box, and clever app integration in strategic spots throughout the system. There's also an app-switching function, a neat built-in bar-code scanner, and a browser refresh with IE 9.… Read more

HP launches the TopShot LaserJet Pro printer that can scan 3D objects, Netflix finally arrives on most Android phones, and Amazon.com is rumored to be in talks with major publishers to launch a Netflix-like service for books.

Links from Monday's episode of Loaded:

Today, AT&T announced plans to bring three new Windows Phone 7.5 Mango devices to its lineup this fall, the HTC Titan, Samsung Focus S, and Samsung Focus Flash. The carrier did not reveal specific release dates and pricing for the smartphones at this time, but here's a preview of each device.

First introduced in Europe, the HTC Titan offers a 1.5GHz processor, 16GB of internal memory, an 8-megapixel camera, and a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera. It also features a 4.7-inch WVGA touch screen and will support AT&T's U-Verse Mobile service.

Meanwhile, … Read more