Announcements from MIX11 Windows Phone 7 next version ‘MANGO’

New Opportunities and Capabilities for Windows Phone

At Mix11 today Microsoft provided a in-depth look at the development platform for the next version of Windows Phone, arriving on new and existing handsets later this year.

The key message for HE is that developers will soon have updated Windows Phone Developer Tools. Improved tools include a performance profiler and sensor simulation, enabling developers to build more integrated and high-performing applications. The new application platform enables developers to take advantage of the following:

• Application multitasking for background processing, audio and file transfer, and fast application switching

• Deeper phone integration so apps can, for example, take better advantage of the versatility of Live Tiles

• Access to the camera and Motion Sensor library so developers can build apps that incorporate device hardware and build augmented reality experiences

Developers will be able to take advantage of these new capabilities to create even more creative and engaging Windows Phone apps and games.

The free Windows Phone Developer Tools for the new Windows Phone OS will be available to developers in May. With 38,000 registered developers, more than 13,000 available apps and 1.5 million downloads of the original Windows Phone Developer Tools, developers are the foundation of the fast-growing Windows Phone ecosystem.

Today, Microsoft also provided an early glimpse of app concepts for the next version of Windows Phone OS with new experiences from Skype, Spotify, Layar, Qantas, Amazon Shopping and Kik Messenger and the announcement that Angry Birds will be available.