Windows Phone Mango ‘secret’ features demo [video]

By Tom Warren, on 21st Jun 11 4:00 am with 73 Comments

Windows Phone Mango

WinRumors has been able to play around with a couple of Windows Phone Mango devices this week.

Microsoft’s next-generation Windows Phone operating system is slick, full of features and addresses the needs of consumers and businesses every step of the way. Microsoft has listened to its early critics and has started to respond in a big way. Mango includes over 500 features and it’s the attention to detail and settings options that make Mango a blessing for Windows Phone users.

WinRumors will be posting an in-depth Mango deep dive feature review on each of the hubs every day this week so stay tuned for your favourite feature. We’ve put together our top “secret” features that we feel are interesting additions to the platform that haven’t been covered fully in Microsoft’s previous announcements. If you’re interested in some of the broader Mango features then check-out our previous hands on with Mango.

New “Me” Tile

Microsoft has updated its me Windows Phone tile to include the ability to check-in, set IM status and check Windows Live and Facebook notifications. Facebook users will be pleased they can now see their notifications natively on the device. The Me Tile has also been updated on the Start screen to include more dynamic information: status updates,photo updates, check-ins, missed calls, new SMS, email, IM, or voicemail.

Me tile

Facebook event calendar integration

Microsoft has updated Mango to allow Facebook users to respond to and view their Facebook events. Users can RSVP to event invitations, post and view comments on the event page, view the guest list and view the event details. The integration is smooth and merges well into the multi calendar Windows Phone Mango interface. Windows Phone calendar users can colour code multiple calendars and create appointments faster with quick events by typing directly into a new event within the day view. Multiple calendars are also supported on Exchange-enabled accounts.

Facebook event integration

Unified chat across Facebook, SMS and Windows Live

Microsoft’s unified messaging sets an industry standard. The new support is the way messaging should be done. The software giant has created a thread system that combines SMS, Windows Live Messenger and Facebook systems into a single messaging thread. Users can simply switch between the accounts and have messages seamlessly displayed across all accounts in one view. The integration is powerful and works extremely well. If a Windows Phone user loses signal, their Windows Live Messenger messages from the opposite party will be automatically pushed through once the user regains network connectivity.

Unified chat/SMS threads

Games Hub Xbox LIVE improvements

Microsoft has revamped its Xbox LIVE games hub. 3D avatars are in, coupled with Xbox LIVE messaging and the ability to view your friends avatars. You can also list your played games and unlocked/locked achievements. Xbox LIVE users can compared achievements and send, accept or reject friend requests. The interface also matches Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 dashboard UI, due later this year.

Xbox LIVE games hub

Bing Maps turn-by-turn navigation

Microsoft has updated its Bing Maps directions. Maps now allows you to choose directions and have the application step through the various roads by voice, turn-by-turn.

Bing Maps turn-by-turn

These are just a few of our favorite Windows Phone Mango features. Stay tuned for a deep dive on all Mango’s features over the coming week. Check-out the video below for some of the “secret” Windows Phone Mango features that Microsoft hasn’t detailed heavily, including some UI changes and improvements.

http://twitter.com/purevibz jack frost

Tom thanks I cant wait for mango give me all the mango i dont care if I get sick…LOL
Hernan Lozano

“Magneta”
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jonathan-Marston/542557737 Jonathan Marston

That mango is looking mighty tasty!
- Eli
  
  i’ve always prefered mangos to apples
Massih

what happened to video/voice chatting? are these feature integrated into OS? also where is skype?!?!
- http://twitter.com/furdworetzky Fur Dworetzky
  
  Microsoft just bought Skype last month.
  Software development takes time. Be patient, and it will come.
- Anonymous
  
  Skype is coming. Full integration may happen after Mango as they just bought the company. They announced the app was coming in fall a few months ago.
  
  Lync support is also coming in Mango.
- Massih
  
  what about live messenger video/voice chatting? are they coming to mango or after mango?
- Anonymous
  
  Messenger is coming as you probably know, but I have not heard for certain about video. Video chatting is supported in the OS of Mango, and they released the API’s for the regular camera and FFC. So video chat is coming. We will probably know more as we get closer to release as they still haven’t announced all the new features yet.
  
  The built in ability is there, and if OEM’s make phones with FFC we will see at the very least Video chatting through the Skype & Lync apps, with further integration later (if not sooner).
http://twitter.com/efjay01 Ef Jay

Still no backup facility so we still lose everything when we have to hard reset to fix issues?
- GP007
  
  That option wouldn’t be on the phone though, you’d expect it on the Zune client, or whatever they end up calling it since it does seem like the Zune brand is going to be dropped.
- http://www.twitter.com/wixostrix WixosTrix
  
  Two great minds….lol. We pretty much made the same reply on this guys comment at the same time.
- http://www.twitter.com/wixostrix WixosTrix
  
  We probably wont hear any information on that until they start talking about the next version of the Zune software, or whatever may be its replacement. This is definitely a feature we can all expect to see, however.
- Massih
  
  YES, we DO need a new, much more updated Zune software
Anonymous

I noticed the smiley face button on the keyboard looks different. Has anything else changed with the smileys?
- http://www.twitter.com/wixostrix WixosTrix
  
  Apparently so, http://bit.ly/mo0ChF,
http://www.facebook.com/AdrizzyM Adriel A-Drizzy Mingo

OMG Am I glad I bought a Windows Phone or what!
http://www.twitter.com/wixostrix WixosTrix

This was a nice Monday night surprise. I’m very excited about reading all of this new news. I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
Anonymous

winrumor just became favorite website
neo

Will there be al livetile for Facebook and twitter on the ME-Hub-Tile?
- CandidCalum
  
  Apparently, the Me tile displays something when one has new notifications, but annoyingly there is no way to set a toast to appear when one receives a new notification I was hoping Microsoft would allow us to set it so toasts display when we receive new notifications, and possibly when we receive new emails, just like toasts appear when new SMS/MMS messages are received.
Red

This. Is. Awesome.
http://www.facebook.com/martin.zugec Martin Zugec

Nice! Just curious, there are no changes to the calendar?

I am missing very much the “Working week” view
Anonymous

sweett
http://about.me/mackenziepricee mackenziepricee

Any chance of getting foursquare along with Facebook Places?
- http://www.winrumors.com Tom W
  
  I asked this but the response was that it won’t be there at Mango release but they are always working to add new partners.
Noway

What about MMS, can we now enter manual setting ???
CandidCalum

Great preview! Thank you, @tomwarren:twitter! I’m even more excited now it’s confirmed that Facebook notifications are built in. I just wish they would give us the option of a toast being displayed when we receive a new notification
Ongbinren

May I know how the Twitter integration work now in the people hub ?
- http://www.winrumors.com Tom W
  
  It’s waiting on a backend service to be enabled. The support is baked in but there’s still some bits for Microsoft to enable server side unfortunately.
Brandon

It’s great that they’re allowing for multiple calendars under Exchange, but what about Google? I hope this ability comes w/ Mango as well.
- Morgan Wisbey
  
  To be honest, you may want to consider moving to a hotmail account. With the integration throughout the phone I really don’t know of a reason to use any other service at this point. I use the live calendar and email for my personal use on my WP7 device and it works beautifully. The Live calendar is integrated with my exchange/work calendar and it’s color coded so I can tell the difference between work and personal events at a glance. Plus I have all my contact info in Live and it automatically combines duplicated entries (i.e. Same contact in Facebook and Live) into one combined contact. Plus when I added memory and had to reset my phone, all I had to do is reenter my Live, Facebook and Exchange info and within minutes everything was synced back up.
- Brandon
  
  I would gladly do this. The reason I’m advocating Google Calendar support is for those people out there who would like to share a calendar w/ those who run Android.
  My wife has a Droid, and I have the Trophy. She keeps the family calendar, along w/ her work, personal, and biz calendars all on Google. I’d like to be able to sync the Family calendar, and possibly one or more of the others, w/ my WP7, but can’t because it doesn’t support multiple calendars – so i get her ‘default’ one, and that’s it.
- Brandon
  
  I would gladly do this. The reason I’m advocating Google Calendar support is for those people out there who would like to share a calendar w/ those who run Android.
  My wife has a Droid, and I have the Trophy. She keeps the family calendar, along w/ her work, personal, and biz calendars all on Google. I’d like to be able to sync the Family calendar, and possibly one or more of the others, w/ my WP7, but can’t because it doesn’t support multiple calendars – so i get her ‘default’ one, and that’s it.
- http://twitter.com/Adiliyo Adil
  
  if it’s supporting multiple exchange calendars, afaik, google’s sync is using exchange’s active sync to push info to the device, so maybe it will support multiple calendars via that.
- Brandon
  
  That would be awesome. It should be easy enough to confirm then in the
  forthcoming Calendar highlight, I’m hoping.
  On Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:59:15 -0000, “Disqus”
- Brandon
  
  That would be awesome. It should be easy enough to confirm then in the
  forthcoming Calendar highlight, I’m hoping.
  On Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:59:15 -0000, “Disqus”
Gordoncai

when will they ever offer grid application over the list? at least offer us a choice to choose between grid or list. its really the only thing holding me back from getting a wp7.
- Guest1357
  
  If you want a shitty grid, get a fruit or robot device. If you want something that makes sense from a usability perspective, get a WP7. Please don’t ever make that suggestion again.
JeepGuy

How about landscape control while in IE9? Can I type in an address or access favorites while in landscape mode? Thats a major PITA with the current version. Especilaly if the phone isnt tilted just right for the screen to flip. Just gets frustrating sometimes.

J.
- Entegy
  
  That was confirmed a long time ago. There’s a URL bar with a favourites button at the bottom of the screen in landscape now.
- Anonymous
  
  Yes the landscape mode has the address bar at the bottom now too with function buttons
- JeepGuy
  
  Ah…thanks. I didnt read that it was confirmed… I knew it was a requested addition from all of us…but never anything suggesting that Microsoft was planning to squeeze it in. That’ll make browsing so much better.
Anonymous

Little off the topic here guys, but what does everyone think of Nokia’s new interface for Meego on the N9?

Because to be totally honest… It does look pretty fantastic.
Anonymous

Little off the topic here guys, but what does everyone think of Nokia’s new interface for Meego on the N9?

Because to be totally honest… It does look pretty fantastic.
- kieran.kay2
  
  Because it has been confirmed that its meego
- Guest1357
  
  Fantastic for a gap device that will be dead soon.
sunco

WLMessenger integration in Mango includes Categories? As in “show as connected to everybody on this category”
sunco

Start to write an email, and on the “To:” type some email address (not the name).. You can’t.. how about on Mango ?
- Guest1357
  
  You fail @ email. Just because “no results’ were found from contacts/directory/recent doesn’t mean you can’t send to an unknown address. Simply touch off of the “no results” screen into the email body and send away.
sunco

Start to write an email, and on the “To:” type some email address (not the name).. You can’t.. how about on Mango ?
Brandon

I have to imagine we can now connect to Hidden WiFi with Mango, right? If so, please confirm w/ a demo, if possible, thanks!
- Guest1357
  
  If you prioritize hidden WiFi, then you are an idiot and you should wear a helmet 24×7. Thanks.
- Brandon
  
  Thanks for your awesomely useful comment. I ask about it because that’s what they’re doing w/ my office’s wifi hotspot.
  
  Ciao, troll.
- Guest1357
  
  If you prioritize hidden WiFi, then you are an idiot and you should wear a helmet 24×7. Thanks.
- http://twitter.com/Admiredluke Matthew Beadle
  
  Yes with Mango you can connect to hidden Wi-Fi
  Networks, it is a confirmed feature.
Mike223

Love my windows phone. Hope to see a few more updates: better integration with windows media center/xbox/mce extenders so that phone can be used as a remote control, more hooks between apps such as copying contact information from a bing search to your contacts. On the plus side – integration with sky drive and office (esp OneNote) is excellent.
Mike223

Love my windows phone. Hope to see a few more updates: better integration with windows media center/xbox/mce extenders so that phone can be used as a remote control, more hooks between apps such as copying contact information from a bing search to your contacts. On the plus side – integration with sky drive and office (esp OneNote) is excellent.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1670567011 Mike Pietrorazio

The turn navigation is weak. You have to tap the screen to get it to speak the directions for each turn. It doesn’t automatically prompt you. For a phone whose features are so polished, MS really dropped the ball here. Who wants to fiddle with a phone when you’re driving? Above all else, it’s a safety issue that needs to be corrected.
- Guest1357
  
  You are a total retard. That is NOT the way it works. Was the guy DRIVING or WALKING during the demo?! NO
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1670567011 Mike Pietrorazio

The turn navigation is weak. You have to tap the screen to get it to speak the directions for each turn. It doesn’t automatically prompt you. For a phone whose features are so polished, MS really dropped the ball here. Who wants to fiddle with a phone when you’re driving? Above all else, it’s a safety issue that needs to be corrected.
Morgan Wisbey

I find it hilarious that in all these “leaks” that Microsoft even bothers to insert the “SSSHHHHH lets not share our hard work” message as it clearly is ignored with each and every beta release. I’m not complaining mind you as I love to see what’s coming just as everyone else. I just dont know why they even waste the time to code it. Plus I think they are kidding themselves if they think competitors don’t already have a copy of the betas and vice-versa. They should just announce what is coming as soon as they build it to generate excitement of current users and prospects alike.
- Guest1357
  
  It’s a public beta….doh!
Anonymous

yeah for turn by turn voice navigation! I love using the maps but really missed voice navigation.
http://twitter.com/jimmyfal Jimmy Fallon

Nice job on the tour chief. thanks.
Anonymous

“MPfrees”

Love it…
http://profiles.google.com/irrdial Alistair H.

Just bought a WP7 device ( HTC HD7 ) after few years with iPhone. I couldn’t have possible chosen a better platform. It’s fast, easy and useful. And Mango looks really promising to take that even further.

One thing though…MS having so much cash, should invest in some aggressive advertisement campaign. WP7 deserve much more attention than that… Look at Apple – they add a simple feature, and the whole world is talking about it, even saying that Apple ”invented” it. If WP7 was spoken about so loudly, then i guess it’s marketshare would skyrocket, because it’s a really well made software.
- http://w1ngnut.myopenid.com/ w1ngnut
  
  Way to go man. Will enjoy much more once mango arrives.
Brian

Is there a demonstration of the video editing and upload capabilities anywhere to be found?
Customization of and organization behind the hubs(create sub-hubs for faster minimal click access*)?
Camera settings interface and state maintenance?
Zune-less management of the device/peripheral content?
Speaking of peripherals, keyboards, HDMI out, USB host?

* I know, I know, hierarchical organization for faster access is so…… yesterday
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000678662470 Vincent Haakmat

Everything is coming nicely together now…
http://twitter.com/TheGeekNextDoor Bryan Gilomen

I noticed that around 0:43 when you are scrolling through the list of apps that you don’t have the navigation letters in the apps list that allow for the quick jump down to some app that starts with a W for example. I have that on my developer Mango release on my Samsung Focus, but my friend with the exact same phone and developer download does not. Is there a setting somewhere that turns that feature on/off?
http://twitter.com/TheGeekNextDoor Bryan Gilomen

I noticed that around 0:43 when you are scrolling through the list of apps that you don’t have the navigation letters in the apps list that allow for the quick jump down to some app that starts with a W for example. I have that on my developer Mango release on my Samsung Focus, but my friend with the exact same phone and developer download does not. Is there a setting somewhere that turns that feature on/off?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1670567011 Mike Pietrorazio

I tried navigation in Mango beta. It’s not that great.
it doesn’t automatically prompt you when to turn. You have to tap the screen for any voice guidance.
It doesn’t recalculate the distance to your next turn as you are approaching it. When you tap for voice prompt, it just re-reads the previous spoken instruction.
It doesn’t work that well with my Bluetooth stereo. The first part of the voice prompt cuts off and I only get the last few words.
Navigation in Windows Mobile Bing was much better. This is next to useless.