Unofficial mockup of a Nokia WP7 device.

Shortly after the folks over at Redmond unveiled the newest version of Windows Phone 7, dubbed “Mango”, Nokia has confirmed that several of its future device slated for release this year will sport Microsoft’s newest mobile operating system. Nokia has officially said:

Today Microsoft has announced the key new ingredients of the latest ‘Mango’ release of the Windows Phone operating system. This is the software that will be used on the first Nokia with Windows Phone device, and so should be of keen interest to Nokia-watchers everywhere.

In addition, Microsoft employees said during the keynote that they have several Nokia handsets running Windows Phone 7 in their labs. And unlike most other products Microsoft has made, none of them have leaked. Also, they won’t look anything like the renders that Engadget has leaked before, according to Nokia’s Jo Harlow in an interview with Forbes.

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[Source: Nokia]

Microsoft recently announced that the marketplace would be the only way for users to install applications onto their Windows Phone 7 Series handset. Looking at the iPhone, Apple is doing the same thing, making the App Store the only official download center for the iPhone and iPod touch. It doesn’t take a genius to wonder if Microsoft will hold the same authority over the Marketplace Apple is over the iPhone’s App Store (no cookie cutter or sexy apps). To avoid the same fate as Apple, Microsoft is saying it will take more of an objective approach to applications made by third parities. Microsoft will even go as far as to publish requirements for WP7 developers to guide developers and allow them to test it themselves. Microsoft even went as far as to say it will not be denied if it meets all the criteria as well as hinting that private company distribution (ad hoc) will also be possible using a USB cable.

Source: istartedsomething

Engadget has come across all the different prototypes currently existing for Windows Phone 7, side by side. The one to the left is the Samsung handset we just finished covering, in the middle was the poster child of Windows Phone 7 at MWC 2010, and to the right is the slider that was first introduced at the Engadget Show a while back. There’s no detailed specs on the phones other than what Microsoft laid down as the requirment for running Windows Phone 7 for OEMs. Hopefully that will change soon.

Image Source: Engadget

Among the endless stream of Windows Phone 7 stuff, we couldn’t help but notice this – an as of yet unnamed Windows Phone 7 Series handset by Samsung. No one will officially comment on the specs, so not much is actually known about it. Keeping in mind Microsoft’s minimum requirements for Windows Phone 7, we know it has a 5MP camera with flash, FM radio, at least 256MB of RAM, a capacitive multi-touch WVGA screen, and that it’s equal to or better than the other prototype phones with the mobile OS. It’s nearly the same as the Omnia HD on the outside.

Source: Slashgear

Sad news for anyone who has a HTC HD2 smartphone or plans on picking one up soon: Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore has come right out and confirmed that the Windows Mobile phone will not be getting Windows Phone 7 Series because it is not complaint with hardware specifications required to run the OS. This puts the phone, which has not even yet been released in the US, in shaky grounds. Even more odd enough is that every Microsoft employee at MIX has one with them.