Mango Brings Windows Phone “Back to the Future”

It was seven months ago when Windows Phone 7 officially was released to the public.  It came equipped with a cool new UI and an inspiring Metro theme.  Apple is routinely praised for their aesthetic designs and Microsoft shocked the entire world with the beauty of Metro.  The new Windows Phone team didn’t stand on the shoulders of giants, they reimagined what a “smart” phone experience should look like.  The user satisfaction has been off the charts in surveys but there are still several lacking features that keeps Windows Phone from being a serious contender.  May 24th’s VIP Preview of Mango seemingly changes all that despite several people complaining that the wait time will just allow both iOS and Android to leave the Windows Phone OS behind once again.

I, like everyone else who has gleamed a view of the forthcoming Mango update, wish that Microsoft is throwing all of us off the scent and a quicker release is planned.  I’ve perused a number of leading technology & mobile websites and took special interest of the comment sections.  I’ve seen a stark contrast in the comments made by iOS and Android users.  iOS users tend to be very positive in their comments and point out the significance of integration and cool new communication features like Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook Chat integration, Group features, Bing Vision & Linked Inboxes, Office365 & Skydrive integration, IE9 Web Browser and Local Scout.  Android users are talking about how Bing Visual is a Google Goggles ripoff and they have had all these supposed new features in Mango forever.  This really caused me to chuckle.

I really think that iOS users see and can appreciate the elegance and intuitive nature of Windows Phone while Android users crave their customization and no limit access to what they can do on their phones.  Its good to have a variety of options because clearly we all don’t fit one mold.  Now only if we all can understand that and get rid of the fanboy wars.

Yes both iOS and Android have features that differentiate themselves in the marketplace and yes both are clearly #1 & #2 in the smartphone market with everyone else fighting for the distant 3rd place.  Yet on Tuesday Microsoft showed off Mango in limited form and showed the world that indeed it has brought Windows Phone back to the future.  It would take several iteration of major upgrades for both iOS and Android to come close to the elegant integration Windows Phone has achieved with Mango.  The three have vastly different philosophies of what a smartphone should be and there is plenty of room for all three to thrive so lets cast away the needless downing of the opposing OSes and admit that where Microsoft wants to take Windows Phone is indeed to the future and byond.  They didn’t just catch up to iOS and Android they in alot of respects passed them by and future upgrades by iOS and Android have new standards to aim for.  Come this fall there are three major OS upgrades that will fight it out for the hearts and mindshare of the world.  Here’s to Microsoft for joining the party alot faster than most thought possible for the traditionally slow moving giant.