Manufacturers receive Windows Phone 7 Mango, consumers next

That wait is over. Well, almost. Now that Microsoft has released the Windows Phone 7.5 operating system to manufactures, it won’t be long before smartphones loaded with Mango hit the markets. In fact, consumers might be able to get their hands on the newbies as soon as autumn.
   
With the new operating system, Microsoft is hoping to compete at par with competitors like Android and iOS. In fact, the company has promised more than 500 improvements in the existing OS. Some bugs will be fixed and Internet Explorer 9 will be introduced onto Windows smartphones. Threaded messaging across texts, emails, IM and social networks will be possible. Third party app multitasking will also be a boon. Users are looking forward to integrations like the ones for Twitter and SkyDrive.

Phone manufacturers themselves have a lot of expectations from Mango. Nokia, HTC, Samsung, LG, Fujitsu, Dell, Acer and ZTE are all lined up to start using the new and improved OS.

Samsung is planning to release two phones, the GT i8350 and the SGH i937 using Mango. The former will be an entry level device but the latter is slated to be both Microsoft and Samsung’s flagship Mango smartphone. What’s more, it will be based on the Galaxy S III platform!

Nokia is set to release its first phones with Mango as well, in fact the company might just release one new device every three months. It may well make Windows the primary platform for its high end smartphones. The two phones expected in the near future are the W6, a mid-range device, and the W7, which will be equipped with the camera the N8 sports.

While we wait for the new Mango smartphones, there’s something else to look forward to. Speaking of Mango’s RTM on his official Windows Phone blog Terry Myerson revealed the Windows Phone team’s future plans. The team is now shifting its attention to preparing the update for the current Windows Phone handsets that is set to release this fall. Let’s hope that with all these new developments Microsoft, which currently ranks 5th among mobile operating systems globally, enters the premier league enjoyed by iOS and Android!