Microsoft presented new update for Windows Phone 7 platform about a month ago. I propose to have a quick look inside this update.

Multitasking

Windows Phone 7 codenamed «Mango» allows several functions to work simultaneously while they are not active. Now a user can listen to the music or transfer files while working with another application. Multitasking here is really fast and you can easily switch between the application by a simple scroll left and right.

Execution model and fast app switching

Execution model is updated and now it “remembers” the app’s state before making it dormant. When a user gets back to the dormant application it restores very fast and there  is no “resuming” message.

Motion API

Besides accelerometer, compass and gyro were added. This makes it easy for app developers to get information about movement and location in a unified fashion without requiring any geometry calculations to make sense of the raw numbers.

Silverlight и XNA

Instead of choosing Silverlight or XNA, now you can use both mechanisms in one app or game.You can combine Silverlight navigation model  with rich graphic abilities of  XNA.

Visual Basic Support

Visual Basic is fully supported for both Silverlight and XNA. The support is included in Windows Phone 7.1.

Advertising

Microsoft Advertising SDK for Windows Phone allows you to earn money on your apps and games using Microsoft ads. The feature is fully integrated into Windows Phone 7.1 Beta 2.

App support for different OS versions

You can use Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Beta 2 to develop Silverlight® and XNA Framework projects basing on Windows Phone OS 7.1 or Windows Phone OS 7.0. When you create an app you are offered to choose a platform. You can also update existing 7.0 app to 7.1 version.  All the apps designed for Windows Phone OS 7.0 will keep working with Windows Phone OS 7.1.

Local Database

Now you are able to keep data in Isolated Storage. To reach the data your app can use  LINQ to SQL. New API allows to update the database.

Launchers and Choosers

Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Beta 2 has several new Launchers and Choosers. You can choose address, invite someone to a game or to save a song, etc.

  • Address Chooser Task
  • Bing Maps Task
  • Bing Maps Directions Task
  • Game Invite Task
  • Save Contact Task
  • Save Ringtone Task
  • Share Link Task
  • Share Status Task

Cryptography

Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Beta 2 offers a set of cryptographic API. If the app requires authorization you can store login data at the encrypted storage.

Pictures Hub

You can use App Connect to launch apps with Pictures Hub,  you are able to look and share your pictures.

OData client

Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Beta 2 provides Add Service Reference to add generated class. You can use LINQ requests to access OData resources, and you can execute authentication in OData services using login and password.

Globalization and localization

Windows Phone OS 7.1 contains 16 additional localizations.