Singapore, 28 September 2011 – Microsoft Singapore today announced the official launch of Windows Phone 7.5, previously code-named “Mango”. Windows Phone 7.5 has more than 500 new features and enhancements to deliver smarter and easier communications, apps and Internet experiences to connected individuals today.

The new Windows Phone 7.5 will be available in Singapore in the coming weeks on HTC Radar and Samsung OMNIA W. These phones will be available at telecom operators and mobile retail outlets.

The Mango release is available for free to all Windows Phone 7 customers. Additional details on the status of updates for Windows Phone customers are available on the “Where’s my phone update?” page. Microsoft will begin delivery of the update to existing Windows Phone 7 users from today and gradually ramp up delivery so that the update will be broadly available to most existing customers by the end of October.

The latest version of Windows Phone will feature major improvements and new features centering on the idea of “connecting with people”. Mr John Fernandes, Director, Marketing & Operations, Microsoft Singapore, explained: “When Windows Phone 7 was announced last year, it caught the attention of many who wanted a refreshing smartphone experience. Today, we are happy to announce an update that will enable users to truly embrace the idea of simple connectivity to the people they care about most. This upgrade is an important milestone and one that demonstrates our commitment to the mobile space.”

Mr Melvin Chua, Country Manager of HTC Singapore, said: “With Windows 7.5, Microsoft has truly upped the ante in providing refreshing mobile experiences to the always-connected individual. The HTC Radar brings you closer to life with stylish design, a great camera, and intuitive new ways to share and connect.”

Mr Winston Goh, Product Marketing Manager – Telecommunications, Samsung Asia, said: “With our multi-platform strategy, Samsung is committed to providing a diverse line-up of products for the market. This year, we have continued our partnership with Microsoft to launch the Windows Phone 7.5 Samsung OMNIA W, which has been developed to enhance the ‘People First’ experience that Windows Phone offers. Featuring an elegant design, a vivid 3.7″ Super AMOLED display as well as an enriched content and social communication experience, the 1.4GHz powered Samsung OMNIA W delivers an exceptional Windows Phone experience for discerning and connected individuals.”

Put People First: Delivering a connected experience for smartphone users
Understanding that users prefer to stay connected, the Windows Phone is a modern communication tool with essential social networking features built in. Through the unique People feature, users can now be more connected to friends, family and loved ones with a one touch access to Windows Live, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Another new feature is Groups, where users could group their favorites, and pin them to the Start screen in order to get live updates, as well as text, email and IM them all at once. Facebook chat, Messenger, check-ins and photo tagging are also now built into Windows Phone 7.5 to provide users with a more connected experience. On new Windows Phone devices, users will be able to easily connect up to five Wifi-enabled devices to the web using Windows Phone data connection1.

Windows Phone takes the Internet beyond the browser with the inclusion of Internet Explorer 9 in the new update along with hardware acceleration.

Apps are key to a smartphone experience, and Windows Phone 7.5 takes the user experience a step further. Apps pinned to the Start screen will be able to showcase live updates and allow users to be updated on the latest with just a glance. The search function is also connected to apps to make searches easier to discover and use.

Windows Phone 7.5 will also feature SkyDrive, a cloud-based storage for Windows Live users to upload, share and edit Microsoft Office documents and files, photos and videos, allowing for true mobility in collaboration.

Enhancements for Windows Phone enterprise users
Microsoft understands that the mobile phone is used more than just a social connectivity and entertainment device. Windows Phone 7.5 features a number of exciting new productivity capabilities and features for serious work and collaboration on-the-go.

With cloud being pervasive in the current enterprise environment, Microsoft has developed new features for Outlook Mobile and Office Mobile for business users which will strengthen an already powerful set of capabilities. These new features include Microsoft Lync, which will be available on this new version for better unified communication among users. Additionally, users will welcome enhancements and improvements that will make for an easier, yet dynamic experience, including the ability to pin Outlook folders on Start screen, “Server search” capabilities for email searches, as well as built-in Office 365 auto discovery and auto provisioning capabilities for local subscribers to the cloud-based service.

Security is a key concern for many enterprise users, and Microsoft has built the Windows Phone from ground up with security in mind. The new Windows Phone 7.5 addresses the top needs of IT departments by providing an Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) certified phone, delivering a seamless email and productivity experience with capabilities to apply corporate management and security policies. Some of these new security features include support for Information Rights Management (IRM), Malware-protected Explorer 9 Mobile, and secure data transmission through SSL Encryption 128/256 Bit.

Windows Phone Marketplace: One of the world’s fastest growing mobile app platforms
The new Windows Phone update is Microsoft’s commitment to the mobile market by delivering an experience which puts people first. This is only made possible with a vibrant ecosystem through an active app developer environment and strategic partnerships. Microsoft Singapore has, in the last year, worked with app developers as well as schools to develop Windows Phone apps for the local market.

“We have over 30,000 apps in less than a year since we launched Marketplace, making Windows Phone as one of the fastest growing mobile app marketplaces. This is an endorsement of Microsoft’s continued support of the developer communities globally, as well as the proven Windows Phone developer platform. In Singapore, there are more than 750 apps developed locally since the launch of Windows Phone 7. We expect this growth momentum of Marketplace to be stronger with the launch of Windows Phone 7.5,” added Mr Fernandes.

Some of these local apps include:

• Around You, by Chris Ismael: This Metro-style app shows user directions to Foursquare-registered establishments in the user’s vicinity using the Windows Phone 7 platform’s location-based services. This app is built using some of Windows Phone 7.5’s new features such as fast application switching.
• Shootout Defence, by Kazer Wong: A simple tower defence game developed by a member of Microsoft Student Partner.
• BusGuide WP7, by Muhammad Mulyadi bin Sazali: Optimised for Windows Phone 7.5, this application allows users to get bus arrival timing of SBS and SMRT buses, as well as bus routes information.

For more information about Windows Phone, please visit: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-sg/default.aspx
For more information on how to update Windows Phone 7 to Windows Phone 7.5, please visit: http://mango.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/features/update-schedule-world.aspx

REDMOND, Wash. – May 24, 2011 – Microsoft Corp. today previewed the next major release of Windows Phone, code-named “Mango,” through a series of media events around the world. “Mango” will deliver more than 500 new features to push the boundaries of the smartphone experience around communications, apps and the Internet. The “Mango” release will be available for free to Windows Phone 7 customers and is scheduled to ship on new phones beginning this fall. More details on device update timing will be provided closer to availability. Windows Phone will also add support for additional languages, expand access to apps by launching Windows Phone Marketplace in new countries, and partner with new OEMs to enable expansion to new markets.

“Seven months ago we started our mission to make smartphones smarter and easier for people to do more,” said Andy Lees, president of the Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft. “With ‘Mango,’ Windows Phone takes a major step forward in redefining how people communicate and use apps and the Internet, giving you better results with less effort.”

Communications: Easier to Connect and Share

The smartphone experience can be complicated by a sea of disconnected apps and accounts as people attempt to keep pace with all the ways they communicate — from calls, texts, email and instant messages (IM) to status updates, Tweets, check-ins, photo posting and tagging. To help people stay on top of that growing complexity, the “Mango” release organizes information around the person or group people want to interact with, not the app they have to use.

• Threads. Switch between text, Facebook chat and Windows Live Messenger within the same conversation.
• Groups. Group contacts into personalized Live Tiles to see the latest status updates right from the Start Screen and quickly send a text, email or IM to the whole group.
• Deeper social network integration. Twitter and LinkedIn feeds are now integrated into contact cards, and “Mango” includes built-in Facebook check-ins and new face detection software that makes it easier to quickly tag photos and post to the Web.
• Linked inbox. See multiple email accounts in one linked inbox. Conversations are organized to make it easy to stay on top of the latest mail.
• Hands-free messaging. Built-in voice-to-text and text-to-voice support enables hands-free texting or chatting.

A Smarter Approach to Apps

Windows Phone will challenge the way people think about apps. Today their usefulness is measured by what can be done within the app, but Microsoft sees the promise of apps in how they can be integrated directly into the core experiences of the phone. In addition to making it easy to get timely notifications and updates from apps right from the Start Screen, the “Mango” release also will surface apps as part of search results and within Windows Phone Hubs. As a result, a useful app is more likely to be right there when needed.

• App Connect. By connecting apps to search results and deepening their integration with Windows Phone Hubs, including Music and Video and Pictures, “Mango” allows apps to be surfaced when and where they make sense.
• Improved Live Tiles. Get real-time information from apps without having to open them. Live Tiles can be more dynamic and hold more information.
• Multitasking. Quickly switch between apps in use and allow apps to run in the background, helping to preserve battery life and performance.

Taking the Internet Beyond the Browser

In addition to including Internet Explorer, the “Mango” release will connect the power of the Web to the unique capabilities of Windows Phones, such as location awareness, camera and access to apps, to present a way of viewing the Web that is more localized, actionable and relevant.

• Internet Explorer 9. A browser based on the powerful Internet Explorer 9 and including support for HTML5 and full hardware acceleration.
• Local Scout. Provides hyperlocal search results and recommends nearby restaurants, shopping and activities in an easy-to-use guide.
• Bing on Windows Phone. More ways to search the Web, including Bing Vision, Music Search and Voice so it’s easy to discover and decide.
• Quick Cards. When searching for a product, movie, event or place, see a quick summary of relevant information, including related apps.

Strengthening the Ecosystem

The Windows Phone ecosystem has grown steadily since Windows Phone 7 first launched in October, with more than 17,000 apps currently available on Windows Phone Marketplace and Windows Phone handsets available from a range of partners worldwide, and Microsoft’s recently announced partnership with Nokia. “Mango” will further expand and strengthen the Windows Phone ecosystem through new partnerships with Acer Inc., Fujitsu Ltd. and ZTE Corp., which today announced plans to deliver new Windows Phone devices in markets around the world. Furthermore, Microsoft announced it will support additional languages, including Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Swedish, and will greatly expand the list of countries where consumers have access to apps via Windows Phone Marketplace. As well, a beta release of the free Windows Phone Developer tools, which will be used to create the next generation of “Mango” apps and games, will be posted for public download to Microsoft’s website within 24 hours of today’s events.