MWC 2012 in Barcelona last week was a good show for Microsoft, with a couple of decent new Windows Phone 7 handsets launched and the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 going live. That Windows 8 beta was interesting for Windows Phone 7 fans, and it was released inparalllel with an update to the WP 7 smartphone OS, codenamed Tango. It seems Tango and the various smartphones which launched at MWC were aimed at newcomers to the WP7 environment, whether new to the mobile handset format or simply upgrading from feature phones. Odd name, feature phone, for a device with so few features, but that's what they call 'em. Anyway, most media attention centres on the most powerful, most expensive devices, but [...]

Over million Windows phones Nokia Lumia 900 were sold since it's release already. Nokia Lumia 900 is the first 4G LTE Windows Phone. Nokia is leading the sales for Windows Phones overall (over half of market share) and despite amazing sales of Samsung phones, Windows Phones are climbing and strengthening their foothold on the smartphone market as expected. Nokia isn't doing so well however, with $1.2 billion USD loss in last quarter of 2011. Microsoft arrangement certainly helps, with $250 million paid out to Nokia for the OS platform, but the profit margins of Nokia are steadily declining (19.9% from 28.7% year before). Here is Nokia's own words: "Our broad strategic [...]

  Microsoft announced that the Mango update to their Windows Phone 7 OS is available free to all compatible devices. Microsoft seems to be accelerating its upgrade process, getting its act together after the NoDo fiasco.   Mango should be available for about 50% of Windows Phones. In the last update Microsoft included LG Optimus 7 and Samsung Omnia 7. With Mango update available we can start focusing on new Apollo update scheduled for 2012. Michael Halbherr, Executive VP for Location and Commerce hinted that Apollo will be tailored to Windows Phone 8.  With Nokia and Microsoft tying it close, new Windows Phone 8 operating system and this Apollo update will be custom [...]

Many Windows Phone owners cannot wait for their Windows Phone Mango update. It has been long time coming so little anxiety is in place. Eric Hautala, general manager of customer experience engineering for Microsoft in his Wednesday post on Windows Phone Blog announced that waiting is almost over and that within a week or so update will roll out. Joe Belfiore, the corporate Vice president for Windows Phone Program management, shows off the Mango update for Windows Phone Mango in this video: Here are some of the best Windows Phones eagerly awaiting their mango update. [...]

WindowsPhoneApplist reports that the total number of applications on the Windows Phone Marketplace has passed the 30,000 mark. Looking back, in mid-November 2010, just nine months ago, the tally stood at a hesitant 2000 apps. In March 2011 the number hit 10,000, representing faster app growth than either the iPhone or Google Android. Some statistical geeks have pointed out that the growth rate seems to be slowing (now where have we heard that before?) but the WP7 evangelists reply that any slowdown is simply a consequence of developers holding their fire before the release of Mango. Time will tell. [...]