The first version of Windows Phone, launched in the fall of 2010, didn’t have a codename. The update that was released several months later, the one that added copy and paste support, was called NoDo. Then Mango came, and with it Nokia’s first devices to run Microsoft’s mobile operating system. Now the newest version of the platform is called Tango. It adds some new features, mainly bug fixes, but the key highlight of Tango is that it allows handset makers to manufacture devices with a lower bill of materials. They’re free to use 256 MB of RAM in their devices instead of 512 MB, and they can also use a slower 800 MHz processor instead of the 1.4 GHz processor that’s standard across today’s Windows Phones.
Speaking about today’s Windows Phones, when are they going to get Tango? According to WPCentral, owners of the T-Mobile Lumia 710 will start receiving an over the air update to Tango as early as today. The staggered release should finish by the end of July. Said update will finally enable tethering, a feature that should have been baked into Windows Phone from day one.
What comes after Tango? Windows Phone 8 of course, codenamed Apollo. Microsoft is going to hold an event later today where they’re going to proved a “sneak peek” at Apollo, which should be out on the market during the third quarter of this year. Apollo is rumored to be based off the Windows 8 kernel, which implies that it’s not going to be pushed to older devices. While that might sadden some of you, you’ll be pleased to know that Apollo is also said to enable support for high resolution 720p displays, dual core processors, NFC, and all the goodies that are in the superphones currently on the market.
And as for international Lumia owners, watch this space!