Mango update starting for unlocked, T-Mobile locked versions of the Venue Pro

Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) banner

Recently, over at the Windows Phone blog, Eric Hautala published a post that said the Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) update was starting. Last week, I mentioned that Mango will be supported on all unlocked Venue Pro smartphones and T-Mobile and Cincinnati Bell SIM-locked units. The Mango upgrade process started earlier this week and like previous updates, it happens through Microsoft’s Zune software.  For customers with AT&T-locked units, unfortunately I don’t yet have information on the Mango update. Stay tuned to this blog for more details.

Before I get to the update process itself, I’ll share some thoughts about Windows Phone 7.5. Like many of you already know, it brings many new features to the table. There are lots of Mango overviews out there, but I thought Chris Ziegler did a good job in his post.  Feel free to share other good Windows Phone 7.5 review posts you’ve come across in the comments below. here’s a quick overview video from the Windows Phone team:

Folks who read this blog know that I’m a big fan of the Windows Phone 7 Metro interface. If you’re like me, then upgrading to Mango is a no-brainer. It builds on what was there before. In my view, if you like Windows Phone 7, you’re going to like Windows Phone 7.5. I’ve been using it for several days now, and here are some of the new features that stand out in my view:

  • Twitter and LinkedIn integration – WP7 already had a great level of Facebook integration. Adding Twitter and LinkedIn details from people I’m connected with is awesome. I love being able to see updates from people I know without having to go into individual apps.

  • The Me tab aggregates a ton of stuff – Related to point #1, the Me tile integrates Windows Live, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn notifications. I can easily see notifications of people trying to reach me and send an update to any (or all) of these platforms from one place.

  • IE9 hardware-accelerated browsing – I’ve used lots of different mobile browsers, and IE9 on Mango is delivers a really good experience. On Wi-Fi and 3G, performance seemed pretty snappy on several different sites I tried.

  • Threaded e-mail conversions in Outlook – I use my Venue Pro smartphone as my work phone, and this feature is pretty slick. Makes it much easier to keep up with entire e-mail threads when I’m on the road.

  • The new Windows Phone Marketplace – I find it useful to do app research via the website and install them on my phone automatically.

Speaking of the Windows Phone Marketplace, here’s a video from the Windows Phone team that shows how it works:

Now, here’s what to expect from the update:

You will receive a notification of an available update via your phone. You can also check on your phone manually by going to Settings –> Phone Updates. If you want to check by connecting your Venue Pro to a machine with the Zune software installed by logging in and clicking Settings  by your login name , then clicking Update. Once you get the message that there is an update available, choose the Update Now button to kick off the update process:

Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) update screen #1

From there, it will begin downloading the update:

Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) update screen #2

After the download, it will start the process of updating your device:

Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) update screen #3

Clicking Next will restart your phone on Step #6:

Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) update screen #4

Creating the backup is the part that takes the longest. In my case, the process took a little over 20 minutes. The overall time will depend on how much data you have on your phone:

Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) update screen #5

The next step involves actually installing the update:

Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) update screen #6

Step 9 will restart your phone:Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) update screen #7

Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) update screen #8

Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) update screen #9

Once you get to the above screen you are done. From there, enjoy Mango. Welcome your questions below, and also welcome links to good Mango overview articles as well.

About the Author: Lionel Menchaca