Today, Microsoft has been talking up their next Windows Phone update, and they’re newest best friend, Nokia, has confirmed that their first handsets running the operating system will be built on Mango. There are apparently over 500 new features to be included in the update launching this fall, but the big ones are a unified inbox, multitasking support, enhanced search that dives deeper into local results and apps, and the introduction of Twitter and LinkedIn integration with the core address book. During the event in New York today, Microsoft confirmed that there are already Nokia handsets in the lab running Mango, though release won’t be until the fall.
Nokia and Microsoft had recently reached an agreement whereby Nokia would not only ditch Symbian to use Windows Phone on their handsets, but combine services across maps, search, mail, gaming, and just about every other area where the two companies overlap. It’s broad-spanning, and over the long term, will do a lot to help Windows Phone compete with established platforms like BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android.
Here’s a video running through some of the major enhancements that were explored today. We’ll be keeping an eye out for the first Mango-powered Nokia phone…
[via Nokia Conversations]