Windows Phone Mango to add Facebook Chat, Xbox sync, and threaded email

By Jeffrey Van Camp Published May 17, 2011

windows-phone-7-mango-threaded-email-contact-groups — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Windows Phone 7 will be getting its much-needed “Mango” update this fall and it looks to add features on all fronts. In April, we detailed some new developer features Microsoft will be adding, and yesterday Redmond announced some new productivity features that will be added to the smartphone operating system. We’ve got the full list below.

Facebook Chat: The Windows Dev Podcast announced this feature (and some others) this week. Along with Windows Live Messenger, Facebook Chat will be built right into Windows Phone. Not too shabby.
Music Hearting: Finally, the Zune Like/Dislike rating system of Hearting and Broken Hearting songs will come to Windows Phone as will smart dj mixes.
Auto Sync & Xbox Live: We’re not quite sure of the implications of either of these, but a screenshot on the Dev Podcast shows a Settings screen with an on/off toggle for “Connect to Xbox Live” and “Automatic Sync” for games. We’re assuming that games on the Phone will now be able to communicate instantly with games on your console, allowing you to resume a game or complete a special task on the go.
Threaded email conversations: Much like Gmail, Windows Phones will now appropriately group email conversations together, making it easier to sort through your correspondence.
Pinnable email folders: Just as Microsoft is making it possible to pin any page of an app to the homescreen grid, now you can pin folders of email as well.
Office 365 & SkyDrive support: In Mango, you will be able to save and share Office documents through Microsoft’s Office 365 and Windows Live SkyDrive, allowing you to keep and access documents from the cloud.
Email server search: This is a sorely missing feature from the current build of Windows Phone. Soon, you’ll be able to search through all of your emails, not just the 10 or 15 stored on the phone.
Lync: Lync Mobile will be available on WP7, allowing you access to the service.
Groups of contacts: You’ll now be able to group phone contacts together
IT stuff: complex password support, support for hidden corporate Wi-Fi networks.

Hopefully we’ll know more soon. We should be able to share a lot more about Mango in the next two weeks as Microsoft continues to take the wraps off the latest build.

Topics

Jeffrey Van Camp

Former Digital Trends Contributor

As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…

Mobile

How thin will the iPhone 17 Air be? A new report might have the answer

The Action button on the iPhone 16.

Since the first whispers of the Apple iPhone 17 Air floated across our desks, we've been on the hunt for more information. Just how exactly does the rumored ultra-thin iPhone fit into the company's existing lineup? Recent information suggests it might be a way to test the public reception of a slimmer phone before the launch of Apple's folding phone, and now we have an idea of exactly how thin the iPhone 17 Air is meant to be.

The iPhone 17 Air could be as slim as 5.5mm, according to a new report from Ming-Chi Kuo. Mark Gurman corroborates this theory in his Power On! newsletter, stating that the iPhone 17 Air is a step toward making the chassis as thin as possible. Even if the iPhone 17 Air is in no way related to the rumored foldable, though, it's still going to leave other devices in the dust. Right now, the iPhone 6 holds the record for Apple's thinnest model at 6.9mm, so the iPhone 17 Air will be a major reduction in size.

Mobile

The latest iMessage phishing scam is easy to fall for. Here’s how to avoid it

A phishing text in the iMessage.

It’s a new year, but bad actors are still at it with an old trick repackaged for iPhone users. Bleeping Computer reports a rise in phishing attacks targeting iPhone users that involves tricking them into disabling built-in protections and clicking on malicious links.

In an increasing number of cases, text messages appear to come from fake delivery agents posing as service messages from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Two Digital Trends contributors have received such sham messages recently in North America.

Mobile

Get the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 at up to $1,000 off with this offer

The open Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a beast of a phone with a steep price tag, but you can currently get it with an up to $1,000 discount from Samsung through its enhanced trade-in credit program. Trading in even the two-generations-old Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 will get you the maximum value, which would drop the price of the 256GB model of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 from $1,900 all the way down to just $900. You're going to have to be quick though, as there's no telling how much time is remaining in this fantastic promotion from Samsung Galaxy deals.

Why you should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked 2025 will take place on January 22, but if you'd rather have a foldable smartphone over a traditional device like the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S25, you won't regret going for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. With a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars in our review and one of the top spots in our list of the best folding phones, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a highly recommended purchase. Gone are the days of durability issues, as it features a fantastic design with an improved hinge, an IP48 resistance rating against water and dust, and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 to protect its screen.