Since the release of the Windows Phone 7 platform back in October and November last year we haven’t seen much by way of updates. On small patch was released that was mostly aimed at fixing the issue of there being no copy & paste function for the phone, but that was more of a post-release fix than a substantial update.
Finally we’re starting to get wind of Microsoft’s first extension of the WP7 OS – Windows Phone 7.5 (or, as it’s currently codenamed, Mango).
The Windows Phone 7.5 update is expected to bring with it third party multitasking, an update to the browser based on Internet Explorer 9, and Turn by Turn Navigation. This last addition is hardly surprising considering Microsoft’s new deal with Nokia – Ovi Maps has had Turn by Turn Navigation for some time now. Whether or not any other updates to Navigation will be released is still unclear, but the WP7 Maps functionality could certainly use a few.
Microsoft has also taken one of Google’s more innovative ideas and bent it to their will. Bing Vision, a clone of Google Googles, will allow users to take a picture of a book, poster, CD/DVD cover or even a barcode and make a query using Microsoft’s Bing search engine. We’re keen to see if Microsoft can actually pull this off. Even more keen due to Microsoft’s currently failed promises of certain aspects of their search engine/navigation integration, namely that it simply doesn’t do what they demonstrated when it was first shown late last year.
We do honestly hope that Microsoft takes this Windows Phone 7 operating system and really makes something of it. Right now they have a fantastic framework to build from. The UI is elegant, even beautiful, Facebook and camera integration are effortless and the Live Tile Start menu is awesome. However, once you’ve actually used one of their current phones you get the impression they’re just not quite there yet. There are just too many niggling flaws that constantly remind you that you’re using a piece of technology, rather than just letting you become immersed in the experience.
What do you think, are you keen to see what Microsoft can pull out of their hat? Or is it simply too late in the game for you to bother caring anymore?
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