Microsoft’s MIX development conference has just finished and there have been a lot of great announcements for the future of Windows Phone 7.
Microsoft’s next update “Mango” will most probably bring about Windows Phone 7.5 as well as a number of huge updates.
Internet Explorer 9
Windows Phone Mango will bring with it a new browser which will have the same rendering engine as their new, much lauded desktop browser. That will mean:
- Hardware Acceleration
- HTML5
- CSS Standards Support
all on a mobile device. Demos comparing an updated WP7 device to an iPhone and an Android handset showed it to be much faster.
Third Party Multitasking
Currently, only the built-in Microsoft apps can multi-task but that will all change, allowing:
- Fast Application Switching
- File Transfers
- Background Audio
and more.
Developer access to hardware/software & Better tools!
Devs will be able to target and use more of the hardware already there, including camera data and motion sensors…bringing Augmented Reality (think Layar) to Windows Phone 7 
They will also be able to access contacts and calendars, which I think will bring some great possibilities to the world of WP7 apps.
Not only this but Microsoft are improving the tools that developers can use which will allow them to mix Silverlight with XNA in a single app and emulate location and accelerometer features during the development phase.
Random Extras:
Don’t forget that Microsoft have already told us that Twitter will be getting much deeper integration with the Mango update – that will be pretty great!
TCP/IP support will allow a Skype app.
ANGRY BIRDS IS COMING ON MAY 25TH <—Yes that’s all in caps!
Cloudy with a chance of Licensing 