Watch Out, Android And iPhone! Mango Is Here

If Apple's fruity brand is any indication that a benign fruit can be potent, then you ain't see nothing yet with Mango.  That is, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.5, Mango.

Wow, I totally screwed that one up didn't I?  

Well, Mango is the WP OS that Microsoft should have released a year or so ago but did and decided to go with WP7.  And while WP7 was a markedly departure from the icon style UI, the tile UI was much different and there was much to like about it.  So much so that Windows 8's UI is modeled after it.

And now, Mango is on its way to manufacturers and we could be seeing new Mango devices later this winter.  And with Nokia's support, Mango could be a true force to be reckon with.  And given the legal trouble that Android makers find themselves under with Apple and Microsoft, it is possible that more than a few of them will be looking at Mango to avoid future legal issues.

Google has got to be watching this closely.  On top of that, Mango's new features and mobile implementation shows just what Microsoft is about.  You never want to count Redmond out no matter what.  

And that means not even iPhone is safe.  Apple and Microsoft may both be going after Google through proxy wars, it doesn't mean that competition between these two bitter enemies ceased or took a break.  I expect the fight to continue as before.  No, I expect the fight between the two to escalate even more once the Android issues are resolved and the two companies goes gunning for each other again.

What Mango brings to the market is a full-featured modern mobile OS that can stand toe-to-toe with Android and iOS.  In fact, Microsoft has a secret weapon.  And that Nokia.  

So, for anyone who thought that the mobile war is settling down with Android taking close to 50% of the market and Apple's iPhone coming in around 30% and the rest belong to "others", think again.  

Obviously, nothing is a lock when it comes to mobile.  Microsoft, Nokia, and other WP makers will still require to convince the mobile warriors that Mango devices are what they want and need.  And that's not going to be easy with Android 4 devices and iPhone 5 sweeping through the market this winter.

Source:  Arstechnica.