Mango Update for Windows Phone 7 Worth the Wait

Visual Voicemail

You can see your voicemail messages in a list and choose which ones to listen to. Now, if only my phone would translate these voicemails to text for me, then I’ll never have to interact with a human again.

Office

The Office integration was one of the main reasons I went with a Windows Phone 7 in the first place. The Office Hub has been improved since the update – it’s better organized and you can access your documents via Skydrive, Sharepoint and now Office 365.

Zune

Getting a built-in Zune was another reason I bought the Windows Phone 7 over Android and the iPhone (and Microsoft has discontinued the Zune hardware, putting all of Zune’s eggs in WP7’s basket). The Mango update has added some much-needed functionality to the phone’s music player.

The more I’ve used the Zune, the more I’ve felt that Windows Phone 7 is too reliant on synching with a PC. If you’re going to be away from your PC for a while, you can’t get the latest FleshEatingZipper podcast or refresh your music playlists until you plug your phone back into the Zune software on your PC. Thankfully, the new update addresses this virtual umbilical cord in several ways.

– Podcasts are now searchable, streamable and subscribable right from the phone. Yes, subscribable is a word.

– Smart DJ is now built into the phone. If you have a Zune Pass, you can easily stream any music you want according to the artist, song or genre of your choosing.

– You can also use Smart DJ and Now Playing to build playlists of new music on the fly and download songs right from the Marketplace to your phone.

Of course there are other apps that do all of this, but it’s nice that the Mango update finally puts a full-featured Zune into Windows Phone 7. It’s not enough to bring Zune back from the dead, but if you’re already a Zune subscriber, it’s a tough feature set to beat.

Bing Search

The Bing in your Windows Phone 7 has been beefed up with new search-related features. You’ve got Local Scout, which gives you the 411 on restaurants, stores and events in your area. Music Search works just like Shazam by listening and identifying music (I ran a few tests with my New Kids on the Block collection and Music Search got it right every time). Vision Search lets you scan barcodes, QR Codes, Microsoft tags, books, CD’s and DVD’s.

Bing Maps

My wife likes the Metro interface, but she opted for an Android phone because of the lack of turn-by-turn navigation in Windows Phone 7. The Mango update solves this omission… mostly. Turn-by-turn navigation works just fine using Bing Maps, but you have the tap the screen for each new voice prompt. I don’t know why.

Xbox Live

The Xbox Live Hub is now faster and better organized. The Mango update also makes Xbox Live messages and your Gamer profile information easier to access without having to download the clunky “Xbox Live Extras” app (you still need this app to fiddle with your avatar).

Final Thoughts

The Windows Phone Marketplace currently has about 30,000 apps. That’s nowhere near the number of Apple or Android apps, but the folks at Microsoft figure they have about 90% of the apps that people really care about. And they claim they’re working hard on that last 10% (where’s my Audible app, yo?).

Windows Phone 7 hasn’t exactly taken the smartphone market by storm, but Microsoft is hoping to shine a light on Windows Phone with the release of Windows 8 next year. Once people get a feel for the slick and attractive Metro Interface, they may go searching for a phone that offers the same experience.

Personally, I’ve been a satisfied user of Windows Phone 7 for about 9 months now. With the speed and features offered in the new Mango update, Windows Phone 7 is finally ready for its close up.