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Taking rumors and speculation about the timing of Windows Phone 7.5 Mango in its own hands, Microsoft announced today that the update to the bold new mobile operating system will hit "in the next week or two."

The word comes from Eric Hautala, general manager for customer experience engineering, in a post on Microsoft's official Windows Phone blog.

Windows Phone Mango won't update all at once, though. Instead, Microsoft plans to roll it out across its various carriers.

Back in June, CNET went hands-on with a preview version of Mango on a Samsung Focus. Among other things, the version 7.5 OS update brings threaded messaging, a unified message in-box, and clever app integration in strategic spots throughout the system. There's also an app-switching function, a neat built-in bar-code scanner, and a browser refresh with IE 9.… Read more

Ever since Microsoft took the wraps off of Windows Phone 7.5 (code-named Mango), we've been wondering how phone-makers would update the first crop of phones to carry the new operating system.

HTC gave us its answer with the announcements of the HTC Titan and HTC Radar, both available in Europe starting in October.

Both handsets bring hardware improvements in the form of a slightly faster processor and higher megapixel camera for the Titan, and a front-facing camera apiece (1.3-megapixel and VGA, respectively).… Read more

If you recently picked up a Windows Phone 7 device, it's probably your first time using the operating system. It's new to all of us, and with a new OS comes a host of fresh tricks, features, and tips to uncover.

We did some digging for you and discovered five essential tips every WP7 owner should master. Watch the video to get the tips:

3-in-1 calculator: On the face of it, the built-in calculator is one for basic computing. However, rotate your device left and right to get access to a scientific calculator.

Launch camera while locked: If … Read more

Everything was fine in Android-land until the Gingerbread update. Well, then again, "fine" might be a little strong.

I'd been through an original Motorola Droid, which was a nice little keyboard wrapped in a seriously slow-performing phone with a terrible camera and no end of software update woes.

I went from that to the Samsung Fascinate, wooed by its sleek looks, great camera, and big, beautiful screen. Sadly, the Fascinate was loaded down with carrier crapware, including the staggering inclusion of Bing instead of Google as the default system search. It was so crippled you couldn't … Read more

It's said you have to spend money to make money. If this latest rumor is true, Nokia will be betting on a $127 million dollar marketing budget to help sell Nokia-made Windows Phones, according to Marketing Magazine.

The Finnish device manufacturer's six-month campaign set to launch in October would rebrand the company as primarily a maker of Windows, rather than Symbian and MeeGo, phones, according to the report. The timing would also coincide with the release of Nokia's first device for Microsoft's OS--likely this fall, and likely the handset known as Sea Ray.

Although it's … Read more

Even glancing at U.S. Cellular's smartphone lineup, one thing stands out. With the exception of a couple of BlackBerrys, Android completely dominates. Or it did, until the HTC 7 Pro muscled its way in, a rebranding of Sprint's HTC Arrive.

As staunch supporters of mobile platform diversity and consumer choice, this is a very good thing. The handset, while heavy, has some interesting design elements, including a screen that tilts up when you slide open the QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard itself has rubbery buttons that are easy to press, and the HD video capture and playback are … Read more

With more than 500 new and enhanced features coming to Windows Phone this fall in Microsoft's version 7.5, or "Mango," update, you'd think we'd be hard-pressed to discern the cream of the crop. Not so!

After spending almost a week with Windows Phone 7.5 Mango, we found that five major features stood out above the rest. These features are time-saving tools, clever ideas, or enhancements borrowed from elsewhere, but they all share the properties of making the Windows Phone OS a much better functioning place to be.

Of course, it's not all lovey-dovey. CNET's Bonnie Cha has a list of Top 5 things Windows Phone needs to improve.

But for now, some praise:… Read more

Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has once again stepped to the forefront to defend and define the Finnish cell phone manufacturer's decision to run Windows Phone 7 as its primary mobile platform.

The most recent in a series of appearances came today at Qualcomm's Uplinq conference in San Diego, Calif. There, Elop described why Nokia chose to avoid the Google Android bandwagon and sided with Microsoft instead.

Ecosystems are where the mobile battle is now, Elop said, instead of simply devices.

"Our strategic premise at Nokia is that there is an opportunity for a third and competitive ecosystem … Read more

Microsoft has shared more details about the upcoming refresh to the online Windows Phone Marketplace application store that the company first teased yesterday in a blog post to developers.

The screenshot below was internally labeled as a final version of the new design, which is scheduled to launch when Microsoft releases its Mango update this fall.

The new Windows Phone Marketplace features a sharper, darker interface, with greater use of black and a new section to spotlight select apps. In addition to browsing and searching the app catalog, a new feature will enable Marketplace shoppers to share favorites through e-mail, … Read more