Major Update to Windows Phone 7 Not Due until Late 2011

Rumors abound regarding the schedule and timing of Microsoft's updates to its Windows Phone 7 operating system, with the company supposedly releasing a minor update around the time of the Consumer Electronics Show, and a more significant update, codenamed "Mango", not coming until September of 2011.

While the upcoming update in January is relatively minor—the most notable update being the ability to cut, copy, and paste, in addition to in-app downloads and better multi-tasking—Mango will likely be more significant, with added support for Microsoft Silverlight and HTML 5, according to ZDnet.com.

Given that Mango, which will possibly be known as Windows Phone 7.5 upon its release, is a bigger update than the one due out in January, it's possible that Microsoft is creating a schedule in which it releases major updates for its platform about once a year. This is akin to Apple's annual upgrades to the iOS that are usually followed by smaller upgrades about six months later.

Windows Phone 7, which features connectivity with Microsoft's Zune service as well as Xbox Live, may also eventually see an improved version of Internet Explorer and the ability to synchronize with machines using Apple's Mac OS X.

The first version of this operating system was introduced this fall, and is currently shipping on a number of smartphones from AT&T and T-Mobile.

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