After a long wait Microsoft has finally started the global roll out for its Windows Phone 7.5 Mango mobile operating system (OS). The company stated that it plans to gradually ramp up delivery of the OS as an update for Windows Phone 7 OS-operating devices, and make it available to most existing users within four weeks. No local release info is available yet.

New features

According to Microsoft Mango delivers over 500 new features to its mobile OS centred around communications, apps and the internet. This includes deeper social network integration, with Twitter and enterprise social network LinkedIn feeds being integrated into contact cards. Mango includes built-in Facebook check-ins and new face detection software that makes it easier to quickly tag photos and post to these to the web.

New voice recognition abilities will enable users to, amongst others, reply to a received SMS with their voice as opposed to having to employ the onscreen keyboard groups. The new groups functionality means users can create a group from their contacts and display group contacts in personalised Live Tiles.

In addition to including Internet Explorer 9, the Mango release will also sport location awareness, whereby new functionality, dubbed Local Scout, provides users with localised search results and recommendations for nearby restaurants, shopping venues and activities taking place in their neighbourhood in an easy to use guide. Unfortunately for SA users this is one of the features that will not be available with the local Mango release.

Web-based app Marketplace

Along with the update Microsoft has also launched a web version of its Windows Marketplace, allowing users to discover via their PC and not just from their smartphone. The Redmond-based software giant is looking to strengthen the Windows Phone ecosystem, having had over 17 000 apps by the time it unveiled Mango and north of 30 000 apps to date. This is still a far cry from the more than 425 000 apps in Apple’s App Store and 250 000+ apps in Google’s Android Market.

How do I install it?

After you receive a message on your phone, notifying you that the update is available, you can connect your device to the PC and download and install this update via Microsoft’s Zune
software.

In other Mango related news, Samsung recently unveiled its first Mango-powered smartphone, the Omnia W, while HTC has also revealed its Mango-running TITAN and Radar smartphones.