Archive for Tango

Nokia Lumia 900 to receive Tango features with Windows Phone 7.8?

Nokia Lumia 800 Nokia Lumia 900 to receive Tango features with Windows Phone 7.8?

Many Windows Phone enthusiasts had hoped for a Windows Phone 7.8 Mango-like simultaneous roll-out for the much smaller Tango (8773) update. Microsoft, of course, went a completely different route with the Windows Phone Summit, announcing the new Windows Phone 7.8 update for current handsets. Some devices, like the Nokia Lumia 710 and 800, will receive Tango in the very near future (possibly as early as this week), but it looks like the Lumia 900 won’t get it at all, thanks to its notable absence from the update chart. Furthermore, Nokia has publically stated that the update will only be released for the Lumia 710 and 800.

The Lumia 900, of course, already has a few Tango features like tethering. In fact, there’s a good chance you already have Tango installed, provided you’re not on AT&T or Rogers. The Lumia 710 and 800, on the other hand, have none of these features. Wireless carriers aren’t required to deliver updates right away, but they are required to include them in future updates. So while you might have to wait a few extra months, your shiny new Lumia 900 will receive Tango features like the messaging improvements. It’ll just be delivered in a bundle with the Windows Phone 7.8 update, rather than as a standalone one.

Microsoft hasn’t specified when the Windows Phone 7.8 update will be released. It could be in the very near future, as some have speculated, or it could be as far off as the release of Windows Phone 8 later this fall. Thankfully, waiting for Tango’s features and bug fixes shouldn’t be too difficult. Especially when we have a new Start screen experience to look forward to.

Thanks for the heads up, Patrick Hefner!

[Nokia]

Tango update appears on Windows Phone website, rollout expected to begin on June 20

Windows Phone Tango Tango update appears on Windows Phone website, rollout expected to begin on June 20

Most people have turned their attention toward Windows Phone 8 codenamed “Apollo,” but Microsoft still has another update up its sleeve for Windows Phone 7.5 handsets. This update, which is known as “Tango,” was initially shown off at Mobile World Congress back in February. Now, after a few months of silence, it appears Tango might finally be ready for public consumption.

The change log for the Tango update (v7.10.8773.98) has appeared on the Windows Phone website’s update history page. It doesn’t reveal any additional information–far from it, it has actually been simplified quite a bit–but it does seem to imply that the update will soon be available for download on existing handsets.

This theory is backed up by an internal T-Mobile memo, announcing the delivery of the Tango update for the Nokia Lumia 710 on June 20. As with previous Windows Phone updates, Tango will roll out to users over a period of six weeks (until July 31). Microsoft is actually rumored to be preparing for a simultaneous rollout, just like what the company did with the Mango update. Not coincidentally, the Windows Phone Summit is also scheduled for June 20. Could Tango be released on the same day as the Apollo announcement? It certainly seems likely.

[Windows Phone via LiveSide | WPCentral]

Chinese Windows Phone launch officially set for March 21st

Windows Phone China Launch Invite 560x444 Chinese Windows Phone launch officially set for March 21st

Microsoft China’s official Windows Phone launch event will take place on March 21 in Beijing, according to an invite from the software giant. The company plans to use this opportunity to officially introduce Windows Phone to China, despite the fact that Windows Phone hardware is currently on the market. Nokia plans to follow up with its own event one week later.

The Nokia Lumia 800C, Lumia 719C, and Lumia 610C–with the “C” standing for China–will reportedly be released on China Telecom, joining the HTC Triumph–more commonly known as the HTC TITAN–which went on sale just over a week ago. All of these handsets will run the Windows Phone 7.5 Refresh, a minor update to “Mango” which allows the OS to perform well on less powerful devices.

The Chinese Windows Phone Marketplace is expected to go online on or around the time of the launch event, giving Windows Phone owners in China access to more than just the default selection of pre-installed apps.

[LiveSide]

More Windows Phone update details outed by Microsoft

Windows Phone Location Icon More Windows Phone update details outed by MicrosoftLast week at Mobile World Congress, Microsoft announced its plans to deliver a new Windows Phone update to manufactures in April. This minor, incremental update was designed to allow manufacturers to put the OS on cheaper hardware, perfect for low-cost devices and emerging markets. But for existing users, it isn’t really much to write home about. In fact, Microsoft is letting its partners decide if and when the new features in the unnamed update will be delivered to current handsets.

Those that receive the update, however, will get a few nice–if relatively small–improvements. Namely, the previously discussed improvements to messaging (SMS and IM) like voice notes, videos, ringtones, and multiple attachments. Users will also be able to import and manage contacts on a SIM card, as well as see when the phone is accessing their location with an icon next to the battery status indicator.

Some people have been concerned that the lower system requirements–allowing for Qualcomm 7x27a processors and as low as 256 MB of RAM–might fragment the market or limit the functionality of existing devices. Thankfully, this is not the case. Microsoft has updated the Windows Phone website with information (buried in various pages) about the limitations imposed on low-end hardware.

Continue reading…

Next Windows Phone update detailed by Microsoft’s Greg Sullivan

Microsoft is readying a new Windows Phone update for release next month. The update is, for the most part, focused on lowering the system requirements and making Windows Phone cheaper and more accessible worldwide. That does not, however, mean that the unnamed update won’t include a few nice improvements for SMS on Windows Phone.

First of all, it’s important to understand that, unlike NoDo and Mango, this update is completely optional and up to the carriers and manufacturers to deploy. Greg Sullivan, a Group Program Manager at Microsoft, showed off some of the new features at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Voice messages can now be sent via SMS, and multiple pictures, videos, and audio clips can be sent in a single MMS.

The ability to attach multiple forms of media to a single MMS isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s a welcome change, as is the inclusion of voice messages. We’d like to think that carriers and manufacturers will be cooperative and deliver the update to as many devices as possible, but we wouldn’t hold our breath. We might have to wait until Apollo to receive these minor changes.

[LaptopMag via WPSauce]

Microsoft lowers Windows Phone system requirements

Windows Phone 7 Logo Microsoft lowers Windows Phone system requirementsDuring the Nokia keynote at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Microsoft announced that it is lowering the system requirements for Windows Phone. The new minimum requirements will allow Microsoft and its partners, like Nokia, to expand to emerging markets with low-cost devices.

So what, exactly, are the new system requirements? Windows Phones can now have as low as 256MB of memory and run on much cheaper system-on-a-chip (SOC) processors from Qualcomm and others. Windows Phone will continue to perform as well as ever on this low-end hardware, but a few select apps may not be compatible. Thankfully, memory-intensive apps only comprise a small segment of the Windows Phone Marketplace, and the devices will most likely be limited to emerging markets.

Microsoft is bringing the Windows Phone Marketplace to 23 new countries in the coming week, specifically Bahrain, Bulgaria, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Estonia, Iceland, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Vietnam. As a result, Windows Phone’s total addressable market has expanded 60%.

Windows Phone manufacturers are expected to receive these features in a Windows Phone update this April. Many enthusiasts might find this update to be a bit unexciting, but bringing a high-end experience to customers at a low cost is key to expanding the Windows Phone market.

[Microsoft PressPass]

Windows Phone Tango rumors abound: live tile folders and UI changes?

Mango Media Controls Windows Phone Tango rumors abound: live tile folders and UI changes?Ah, Windows Phone ”Tango,” the oft-rumored but unconfirmed incremental update for Windows Phone. Nobody actually knows if it exists, much less what it will entail. Some claim it will be for emerging markets. Others think it will add LTE support to the Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC Titan II. Still others believe that it will be more akin to last spring’s “NoDo” update.

Windows Live MVP Michael Gillett claims to have obtained information about two new features included in Tango: start screen “folders” and a more slimmed down media control interface.

The latter is a fairly simple change. The “Mango” update brought with it a significantly redesigned drop-down media control UI, but it was also much bigger than before. Tango might shrink this to a slightly more manageable size. (We’d like to thank Pocketnow, by the way, for using our great image in their article–no sarcasm intended!)

Continue reading…

Microsoft reiterates fall release for Windows Phone Mango as carrier testing nears completion

Windows Phone Update 560x221 Microsoft reiterates fall release for Windows Phone Mango as carrier testing nears completion

The general availability of the Mango update for Windows Phone is rapidly approaching. Microsoft released the update to manufacturing in late July, allowing Fujitsu-Toshiba to release the first Mango handset, the IS12T, in Japan just one month later. Wireless carriers have used the last month and a half to run the highly anticipated update through a rigorous series of tests, paving the way for a more streamlined update experience.

Now Vodafone Australia has announced that “testing for [the HTC 7 Trophy] Windows Phone Mango firmware update has been completed and approved. [It is now] awaiting deployment from Microsoft.” Vodafone isn’t alone, either. A Deutsche Telekom representative has also confirmed that the update is ready for German customers, while updates for Optus Australia’s Samsung Omnia 7 and LG Optimus 7 are currently waiting in the wings. Even Telstra is ready for the go-ahead to release the HTC 7 Mozart, HTC HD7, and LG Optimus 7Q firmware.

Still other carriers are nearing completion, with O2 revealing that its update is in the final testing phase and AT&T recently promising to be one of the first carriers to release the Mango update. Of course, we’re sure this isn’t a complete list. Countless other wireless carriers are no doubt finalizing their testing as well. Continue reading…

Windows Phone Tango’s existence confirmed by MSDN, destined for developing countries

Windows Phone Tango Windows Phone Tangos existence confirmed by MSDN, destined for developing countries

A MSDN seminar in Hong Kong confirmed the existence of the Windows Phone Tango update on Tuesday. The seminar, entitled “The Next Generation in Development,” revealed that Tango will be a relatively minor update focused on developing countries. Tango will be preloaded on cheaper Windows Phone handsets, which will be made available in developing countries. The update might be based on Mango, which will come on all second generation Windows Phone handsets this fall.

This news lines up with previous rumors that Tango is “focused on hitting the lower-price point” and is ”all about Nokia.” Focusing on developing countries will help Microsoft expand market share, but creating a second low-end version of Windows Phone could run the risk of fragmenting an ecosystem which Microsoft has worked so hard to unify. It’ll be interesting to see what the software giant has in store.

The next major update, Apollo, is scheduled for a fall 2012 release.

[We Love Windows Phone via Engadget]

“Tango” to be a cheaper Windows Phone variant?

Windows Phone Tango Tango to be a cheaper Windows Phone variant?

With the Windows Phone Mango update now undergoing carrier testing, all eyes have turned to the next big update, Apollo, which is set for fall 2012. But Windows Phone customers might not have to wait that long. Rumors of a “Tango” update have floated around the internet for a month or two, but there was no evidence to confirm its legitimacy.

ZDNet’s Mary-Jo Foley looked into the codename and discovered that Tango might actually be a special version of Windows Phone “focused on hitting the lower-price point.” The update does indeed exist, claim Foley’s sources, and it is “all about Nokia.” Tango will most likely be a minor interim release, as previously expected, but there is a good possibility that it will be aimed “largely or even exclusively [at] the Asian market.”

Microsoft and Nokia both insist that lowering the price of Windows Phone–and smartphones in general–is key to expanding market share. Tango might help the two companies accomplish this goal. Interestingly, Microsoft might release as many as two Tango builds before the general availability of Windows Phone 8, which is commonly referred to as the Apollo update.

[ZDNet]