New hints have emerged that Windows Phone 7 developers will be getting the Mango update on Thursday. The beta version is reportedly being cleaned up to work on regular devices and would be accessible through the developer-only AppHub. The WinRumors source was complemented by a Twitter update from Microsoft communications Senior Director Bill Cox on Wednesday morning that there was a “juicy surprise for tomorrow.”
Developers will likely need live devices to test new Mango features ahead of the upgrade’s release. Microsoft officially has it shipping in the fall and may have a final version as soon as its Build conference in September.
Mango carries several major updates to bring Windows Phone 7 more up to speed with its rivals. Multitasking, contact groups, Twitter integration, instant messaging through Windows Live, and a desktop-grade Internet Explorer 9 mobile browser are some of its most important updates. Other extras involve podcasts and other music upgrades and much tighter Xbox Live integration. Developers will get more direct access to the camera and microphone and will have the option of creating home tiles that jump to a specific part of an app.
