Windows Phone Mango build 7712 released to developers

By Tom Warren, on 27th Jul 11 5:09 pm with 50 Comments

Windows Phone Mango

Microsoft announced on Wednesday a new Windows Phone Mango build for developers.

The software maker is making build 7712 available to developers on Wednesday. The update is available via Zune to those who have already loaded on Mango. Microsoft’s Cliff Simpkins confirmed in a blog post on Wednesday that the company pushed the 7712 build to Microsoft Update servers this morning. “We’ve also pushed an OS update to the Microsoft Update servers this morning, allowing you to refresh retail Windows Phones that devs updated to Mango over the last month,” said Simpkins. Existing Windows Phone Mango beta users will receieve a regular update notification, instructing them to attach the device to Zune to receive the latest build.

“Before you ask (and I know you will, because folks started asking yesterday J), this build is not yesterday’s RTM build – it’s still a pre-release build. For RTM, you’ll need to wait for the official update like everyone else,” added Simpkins. He also explained why developers will not get RTM early:

“For the folks wondering why we’re not providing the ‘RTM’ version, there are two main reasons. First, the phone OS and the tools are two equal parts of the developer toolkit that correspond to one another. When we took this snapshot for the refresh, we took the latest RC drops of the tools and the corresponding OS version. Second, what we are providing is a genuine release candidate build, with enough code checked in and APIs locked down that this OS is close enough to RTM that, as a developer, it’s more than capable to see you through the upcoming RC drop of the tools and app submission. It’s important to remember that until the phone and mobile operator portion of Mango is complete, you’re still using a pre-release on your retail phone – no matter the MS build. Until that time, enjoy developing and cruising around on build 7712 – it’s a sweet ride, to be sure”

Microsoft is also making a beta 2 refresh of its Windows Phone Mango developer tools available. The tools are available as Windows Phone SDK 7.1 “Beta 2 Refresh” from the ‘Mango’ Connect site. Improvements include:

  • Application platform APIs are now locked; you can feel confident to start getting ready for submitting your apps next month.
  • Emulator now has a nifty screenshot capability built in, allowing you quickly snap quality images of your app without the need of separate tools or cropping time. The images are great for use in app submission process or to share on your blog or with folks such as my team (hint hint).
  • The profiler has been greatly improved and provides memory profiling.
  • As of this drop, you can install NuGet into the free version of the WPSDK tools. I find NuGet to be one of my favorite productivity boosters and I’m happy to see the extension supported in the free tools.
  • The drop includes an initial peek at the Marketplace Test Kit; with the RC release, you’ll be able to use the included version of this toolkit to test your XAP file against the same certification testing tools that we use when ingesting apps for the Marketplace. For this refresh, it’s there but not fully functional; but more on this in a future blog post.
  • http://www.facebook.com/noe.brito Noe Brito

    We’re getting so close!

  • http://www.facebook.com/noe.brito Noe Brito

    We’re getting so close!

  • Guest

    Updating my HD7 as we speak.

  • Bnlf

    updating… :)

    • Bnlf

      sweet. twitter & linkedin working now

    • Anonymous

      Not entirely, had a bug where for some reason the twitter was opened instead of integrated inside the stream. Didn’t happen again after that though.

  • http://twitter.com/ondraster Ondra Moravek

    So is this getting everybody who has Mango beta on his phone or only real developer accounts? :)

    • http://twitter.com/abhi1manyu Abhimanyu Jamwal

      yes  everyone with mango beta official or unofficial is getting the update but i am not sure if its a good idea to update my phone since i am not sure if the phone can be reverted back to pre-mango state so as to get the official version …..so i am waiting for someone to test this before i can jump to the new version

    • UpTownDC

      Your original “NoDo” backup should still be in place if you made copies of it. I took my HTC HD7 back to NoDo yesterday and now I’m updating to the 7712 build now.

  • http://www.searingarrow.com AlienSix

    Notes:

    New Windows Phone boot logo; the square one
    Twitter and LinkedIn can now be added as accounts
    No new tile colors to be found
    Obvious bug and optimization improvements

    That’s all I’ve been able to glean at the moment

    • http://www.winrumors.com Tom W

      Thanks for posting your initial thoughts :)

    • http://www.searingarrow.com AlienSix

      Thank you for responding :)

    • http://www.winrumors.com Tom W

      Thanks for posting your initial thoughts :)

    • UpTownDC

      Thanks for the info!!

    • CandidCalum

      The backgrounds of the messages sent by the person one is texting or chatting to have changed as well; in the previous beta build, the shade of colour was lighter than the theme accent which sometimes made the white text harder to read, but in this build, the shade of colour is darker than the theme accent which makes for a very nice change.

    • http://www.searingarrow.com AlienSix

      Sweet thanks, good to know

  • Joe

    Does this work for non-developers who used xda to put mango on their devices?

    • http://twitter.com/abhi1manyu Abhimanyu Jamwal

      yes it does :)

    • http://twitter.com/abhi1manyu Abhimanyu Jamwal

      yes it does :)

  • Joe

    Does this work for non-developers who used xda to put mango on their devices?

  • appachi

    yuuu hooooooooo,just got my 7712 update

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/San-Ien-Jao/717169541 San Ien Jao

    Updating my none developer Omnia 7 :-D uuh soo close to RTM!

  • appachi

    apart from twitter, what else is new in this release?

  • Anonymous

    Any tweaks to the gps navigation?  i’ll have to load this update once i’m done with work. woot

  • Mikee

    YES!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Stephen-Floyd/1358554781 Stephen Floyd

    Man Microsoft is moving FAST. Yesterday it hits RTM, then they send out the final developer version less than 24 hours later. If this update gets pushed back like the last one, no one can claim fault on Microsoft. They’re really doing a great job.

    • SteveBallmer

      Totally agree, ATT is to be blamed for this mess.

  • CandidCalum

    I love the minor improvements they’ve made to messages in the Messaging hub since the previous beta (see my comment above), and the Twitter and LinkedIn integration is fantastic.

    One thing they should change upon public release is the icon of the Windows Phone Facebook application to the red square logo.I’m gutted it looks like they haven’t provided the option for us to tag our friends in check-ins. I realise this allows us to check in on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Windows Live as well, but they could have still allowed us to tag our Facebook friends and just not shown that tagging information on the other services. I would hate to have to use the Facebook application to check in just because I’d like to tag friends who are with me :/ Of course, this could be different in the RTM build, but it’s looking less and less likely by the day. An awful oversight if there is no valid reason for them not including it.

  • Anonymous

    Just finished updating.. aside twitter , LinkedIn intergration I hardly see any changes.. Facebook chat still doesn’t work.. I hope it gets fixed before the final release

    • CandidCalum

      Facebook Chat should work if you either resync the Facebook account in the settings or remove it and readd it; that’s what me and one of my friends had to do (me the latter and him the former) in order for it to work.

    • Anonymous

      I have been happily (or unhappily – since i’m now online 24/7 on facebook chat) using the Facebook chat feature for a while now.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/San-Ien-Jao/717169541 San Ien Jao

    Im sure Im just imagining this but does this build feel faster? Sure feels like it when loading games?

  • Anonymous

    great article

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/San-Ien-Jao/717169541 San Ien Jao

      What does this have to do with anything?

  • Matthewprince

    On my Omnia 7 its alot faster!! The red is also less red and more mangoish. Loads better!!

  • ss

    So… I just updated my Focus with the Zune client that came with Beta 2 and did not follow any of the steps in the PDF and everything seems to work fine. I have twitter. Did I just commit a sin? or is my successful update just an illusion?

  • http://josedmorales.net Josè Daniel

    Will it be possible to update to the RTM if you update your phone with 7712? Or will you have to get back to the original (pre-NoDo) build and then update to RTM?

    • http://twitter.com/eskeemo Kee

      no , stilll restore -> then update

    • http://josedmorales.net Josè Daniel

      Got it, thanks!

  • B1000

    real question is what r they keeping a secret in rtm- i think we will be in for a surprise.

    anybody please feel free to speculate on what the secret could be

    • Matthewprince

      SKYPE!! hopefully lol

  • Ruediger

    Bluetooth file transfer still doesn’t work…

  • Ruediger

    Bluetooth file transfer still doesn’t work…

  • Typhos

    why is there no new display languages ?
    i can choose alot more with the developer beta 2 tool

  • http://www.facebook.com/Bad.Trigger Bart Reding

    Where is the dutch language support?!
    Or the grey theme? Even the multitasking isn’t still true multitasking as it loads the app again when you switch back. They promised us instant switching. And it isn’t there!
    Some buttons changed as the ‘Me’ on the map. And the ‘Play All’ in Zune.

    • http://twitter.com/furdworetzky Fur Dworetzky

      Instant switching is only available if the app is built for Windows Phone 7.5. Legacy applications don’t do this.

    • http://twitter.com/furdworetzky Fur Dworetzky

      Instant switching is only available if the app is built for Windows Phone 7.5. Legacy applications don’t do this.

    • http://twitter.com/furdworetzky Fur Dworetzky

      Instant switching is only available if the app is built for Windows Phone 7.5. Legacy applications don’t do this.

  • Mikee

    Y U SO AWESOME MANGO.  Updated perfectly.

  • http://www.facebook.com/stuartch Stuart C Hutchinson

    Running this version of Mango on my Orange UK branded HTC 7 Mozart. It’s simply outstanding in terms of new features, bug fixes and speed increase, I don’t see my self restoring to Nodo (atleast until the mango final comes out so I can upgrade) There isnt anything else I can ask for on Windows Phone now since it has EVERYTHING and runs FASTER than any other mobile OS and also the BATTERY LIFE is far beyond what any high end android device can offer. All we really need is more quality apps and Xbox Live titles and thats just up to devs and not Microsoft, really.

    P.S. I’m not exactly having a problem it’s just the fact that I don’t know the solution; how do I close apps in the multitasking interface? I’ve tried the WebOS swiping style but that does nothing and also I’ve tried the hold on to the app and press the quit button iOS style but that doesn’t seem to work at all either. Can anyone shed some light on how to quit apps? The only thing I can find is the “Background Tasks” option in settings but it says I have no open apps but I obviously do? I hope it becomes more clear or gets some sort of fix closer to the final Mango release.