Microsoft is set to release the next major update to Windows Phone 7 soon. The update (code-named Mango) will bring a number of new features including support for multitasking, better messaging, an improved user interface for switching between apps, and support for visual voicemail. Another update is tight integration with Twitter and LinkedIn.
This week Microsoft released a video showing how the new social features will work.
In a nutshell, updates from Facebook, Twitter, Windows Live LinkedIn will all show up in your phone’s People Hub. But if the stream gets too crowded, you can filter by social network.
There’s also a new social notification feature that works with a Live Tile on your home screen. When there’s new activity from your social networks, you’ll see it on your home screen. When you tap the tile it will take you to a notifications window where you can see if someone has mentioned you on Twitter, written on your Facebook Wall, or taken other action. You can also reply to messages from this window, retweet Twitter messages, or perform other actions.
In other words, while on most mobile platforms you need to install separate apps to get the most out of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social networks, the built-in social features of Windows Phone 7 Mango may be enough for many users. Of course, if you don’t actually use any of those social networks, this feature might just be a waste of space, but it’s probably a small waste at worst.
via WP Central
