Why the Windows Phone browser has no tabs. Should it?

Microsoft’s newest Windows Phone browser (coming soon via the Mango software update) shows improvements, but tabs aren’t part of the redesign. According to the official Windows Phone blog, by way of Gotta Be Mobile, Microsoft’s research shows that an overwhelming number of smartphone users type out web URLs in the address bar, and that tabs and favorites are barely used at all. Both are still available through the browser’s menus in Mango, however.

With a relatively small screen to work with, I can understand the design trade-off to some degree, but it still feels like an omission to me. Perhaps I’m outside the normal user base of mobile devices, but my go-to browser on Android devices, Dolphin HD, does support traditional tabbed browsing, just like a desktop browser. I use the tabs feature extensively — as well as the favorites – even on the small screen of a smartphone. It’s support for tabs that first drew me to this third-party browser, although there are a number of other reasons I think every Android owner should try it.

While the IE9 browser in the newest version of Windows Phone has impressed me, it’s a little disappointing that Microsoft didn’t go further with the redesign. There’s a number of design options that would have allowed for tabs, favorites or other features in way that doesn’t require a menu button. We’ve seen this with Firefox Mobile, for example; swiping the screen left or right shows open tabs, favorites and settings through the clever use of virtual screen space, similar to Dolphin HD. Even a user-configurable option for tabs would be nice. Instead, IE9 in Mango replicates much of Safari’s look and feel on Apple’s iOS platform.

Again, maybe I’m in the minority. Perhaps most mobile users prefer to type their website addresses in or would rather have the small screen of a smartphone focus mainly on web content as opposed to tabs or on-screen menu options.

It likely depends on the display size on a device: A larger or higher-resolution screen — which new handsets are generally trending toward — may provide enough “room” for tabs and such. What’s your take? Do you want tabs in your mobile browser, or are you happy with tapping a menu option to switch between open sites?

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Mango for WP7 ready to roll within 2 weeks

After months of demonstrations and testing, Microsoft’s next major software update is nearly ready for Windows Phone 7 (WP 7) handsets. In a blog post today, the company said that existing smartphone owners can expect the software, known as Mango or WP 7.5, “in the next week or two.” The upgrade availability will vary based on carrier and smartphone model as it will also include hardware-specific updates from the original handset makers.

When it launched last year, my first impressions of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 showed a solid start but had plenty of room for improvement. The new Metro interface, application tiles and hubs showed me a fresh take on old touch interfaces while performance was reasonably good for a first iteration on hardware that was cutting-edge nearly a year prior. But unlike rivals such as Google Android and Apple iOS, Windows Phone 7 lacked multitasking, copy and paste functionality and a unified Inbox, to name a few. I also wasn’t sold on the home screen tiles, finding them to take took long to show useful information.

Then I tried the final developer version of Mango in early August. What a world of difference.

My tests were run on the same hardware I initially used last November and yet it felt like I had a brand new phone. It was as if someone replaced the processor on my HTC HD7 with a peppy dual-core unit while boosting the available program memory at the same time. Apps open faster and the entire interface moves along quicker. A nifty way to multitask was added — just hold the Windows button to see or switch between running apps — although developers will need to update their software to enable support.

Voice recognition, by way of Microsoft’s purchase of TellMe in 2007, is stellar; perhaps even better than it is on Google Android devices. A unified Inbox is now available and the mail client supports threaded conversations. Xbox Live integration is improved and the IE9 browser supports HTML5. And all the while that Microsoft has been working on Mango, it has been attracting developers and third-party applications; the platform now boasts more than 31,000 apps.

It’s certainly true that sales of Windows Phone 7 smartphones have underwhelmed and there are several reasons why. Few handset models are actually available and all use the same basic hardware. The application market, while steadily growing, pales in comparison to rival ecosystems. And the first software release lacked key features as I noted.

But now, nearly a year after first launching, I think Microsoft Windows Phone is set to gain momentum due to the improvements in the Mango software. Improved marketing may help and so too will new hardware from partners such as HTC and Nokia.

As Microsoft gains momentum, Research In Motion is losing it, Symbian didn’t have it, and HP’s webOS has completely lost it. That leaves Microsoft in a good spot in the race for the No. 3 mobile platform, just in time for the Mango software update.

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Prepping for Mango, Microsoft improves mobile app tools

Microsoft is today equipping third-party developers with more tools in advance of the next update for Windows Phone 7 smartphones. The company more than doubled the number of countries where handset owners can purchase apps and also added regions for in-app advertising support. Developers will also have more distribution options to allow users to test their applications before a final software release. Based on developer feedback, Microsoft is helping programmers with a streamlined app submission process, enhanced reports and new app categories.

Although Windows Phone 7 devices aren’t yet selling well (an estimated 2.5 million units in Q1 of this year) compared to handsets running iOS, Android, or even Samsung’s Bada phones, it’s clear that Microsoft understands a strong ecosystem can help drive sales forward. Unlike first-generation handset launches such as the Palm Pre and the initial Android handset, the G1, Windows Phone 7 smartphones have had a reasonable number of third-party titles available. And supplementing them with Xbox Live games and integration points adds to the attraction. But Microsoft has to keep evolving the Windows Marketplace to steal focus from other app stores such as Apple’s, with its 425,000 titles and 15 billion downloads.

Developers and consumers then, should be happy to hear today’s news from Microsoft. Instead of paid apps available in just 16 countries, a total of 35 are now supported. Developers in these seven new markets can now submit apps: Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, South Africa and South Korea. Microsoft is adding more app price options below $5 and is now adjusting price tiers on a country-by-country basis to better account for fluctuating currencies. And developers can offer beta versions of their apps to 100 testers for up to 90 days, which could improve overall software quality.

From a consumer standpoint, it could get a little easier to find apps; a common problem among all of the app stores. Microsoft is adding three new top-level app categories — education, kids & family and government & politics — as well as several new sub categories. Special app offers could increase also thanks to hidden app support tool developers can use. By providing a direct, deep link to a hidden app in the Windows Marketplace, for example, programmers may invent clever contests or app giveaways. All of these strategies are likely discussion candidates at our Mobilize event in September, with one panel specifically focused on building a developer community.

Note that all of these changes to the Windows Phone 7 App Hub and Marketplace are in preparation for Mango, the next major software update for Microsoft-powered smartphones. The company will begin accepting application submissions for Mango next month. Microsoft hasn’t yet announced an official launch date for Mango, but today’s news in combination with Mango app submissions starting in August give credence to rumors and leaks of a Mango launch within the next month or two. Once that happens, and new Mango phones arrive from Nokia and others, we’ll then begin to get a real feel for the future of Microsoft’s mobile play.

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