File this under rumor, folks, as these screenshots can easily be faked, but PocketPC.ch is reporting that Windows Phone "Tango" will be known as Windows Phone 7.6 and has the build number starting at 7.20.1050.5. More importantly, they allege that it will include Google+ in addition to Skype. Via Bing Translator:
"In this early beta phase, the implementation of Skype and G + is still rather experimental. Telephoning via Skype seems to work not as yet, but it is prepared. G + chat and Skype chat work but already well. The front camera, which will be the next generation of Windows phones standard, is included in the Skype video calling. It is thus possible to receive video calls and to make, but in the pre beta with some problems and crashes. That Google Hangout, the video calling G +, will also follow, is likely, but the timing is still unclear, given that the API of G + is still not so far advanced, to make this possible."
In other words, the reason we have not yet seen an app for Windows Phone is because Microsoft has evidently pushed up the integration from Apollo (Windows Phone 8) to Tango (Windows Phone 7.6), making this update much more significant. In addition, Microsoft is also evidently pushing out Google+ into the mix which makes sense from a "cover the market" perspective, but should be surprising to many including those on Android, assuming it is true.
Hopefully we'll find out more in the coming weeks as to the validity of this leaked image and the content therein. But if accurate, "Tango" looks to be quite major, indeed.
Edit: As pointed out in comments by J45PER, the font for the o's in "Google" look and are spaced differently than "Facebook", calling into question the validity of the image. However, it's not clear if PocketPC.ch is claiming the screenshot is real or were just using it for illustrative purposes.
Edit 2: The source, PocketPC.ch, is denying that they faked the story or image. We of course have doubts like you, but we'll find out soon enough. Link to the "new" watermarked image, for what it's worth.
Source: PocketPC.ch; Thanks, Benjamin, for the tip!
Comments
I'm not even sure if the word rumour covers this... Very sceptical about the google+ integration but will be impressive if MS include it...
Perhaps Google changed their minds? They are really desperate to plug Google+ wherever possible...
Also, didn't they recently fixed Google Calendar and GMail to work with WP7 properly?
Yes they did... So maybe they're giving Microsoft a break.. Would be smart to include G+ in WP7 more market to explore..
how would that be smart, may I ask?
It is a horrible idea. Google has refused to create a Youtube app for WP and is blocking MS from do so also, according to reports.
Why should MS not let consumer to use the service?
It's better for MS because you've one thing that you use and can use it on your windows phone.
Yeah google+ is just a matter of time as is Skype.. They will both more than likely be included within the people hub
Busy. Busy.Busy!
Why would Microsoft even put google+ in there, no one uses this.
Not sure if that's true but certainly it's questionable. Saying that it does mean those migrating from Android would find the transition even easier, makes sense in terms of winning marketshare
Google+ is integrated with Google Talk also, when you are in google+ on the website or phone u can chat with gtalk
I use it, and so do hundreds of thousands of others. What you meant to say was "why would they implement G+? I don't use it and no one else matters".
There's a difference between the number of accounts created and number of active users.
There are over 90 million accounts, I said hundreds of thousands of users. That's an extreme understatement; there are probably millions of active users.
I doubt MS is going to include google + they already have enough trouble as it is getting YouTube API what sense would it make for google to have Microsoft windows phone do google + natively and better than their own android?
I still think Skype app is coming soon. Perhaps this is really Apollo and not tango...
It kinda makes sense then that MS and Google to come to an agreement, MS integrates G+ to help it grab some footing and in return Google removes the YouTube roadblocks. Everyone wins.
MS doesn't deal with YouTube or its API, so no, they don't have any trouble with that. Individual app devs are the one that make YouTube apps...
Rumour has it that Microsoft had proper Youtube integration from day 1 (I.e not just a mobile website app), but Google have prevented them from using the APIs. Or something.
If this is true, then MS would only need BBM for Windows Phones to become the ultimate in text-based communication.
It'd still be missing iMessage.
WhatsApp has more active users than iMessage and should surely be supported.
Microsoft should buy Whatsapp too!
Proprietary messengers like iMessage suck, and neither company would allow MS to implement it anyway. BlackBerry is going down shortly anyway, BBM will be dead too.
Skeptical isn't even the word. Flatly, I'll believe it when I see it. Skype on the other hand is very believable. It would be even more impressive if it wasn't a third party app. That would make it just as fast as the first party app. Big.
Google What?
Looks very fake because of the fact the font lookes slightly thicker on Google and Skype compared to the other lettering, and the spacing between the "OO"s are different from Google and Facebook.
Very good catch!!! I call fake too!
why would the watermark be behind the font too right
Yep, noticed that as well. This screen capture my very well be for illusration purposes. MS has stated that Tango would be for emerging markets and the lower end speced devices. I wouldn't be surprised if MS changed their minds, and thought that Apollo the release of Apollo would be late and management is pushing to get critical features into Windows Phone ASAP.
Of course, this is all speculation as this point. I hope MS is indeed working on Tango as a much bigger release than they originally were saying it would.
I'm toward believing Thi rumor. It would explain the delay in the Skype app. The want wp7 to have a much richer integration. I'm cool with waiting for that.
Who would've thought MS was gonna put Xbox live games on other OS? Sounds like a good move to me.
Definite fake.
Even ignoring the font issues, the watermark is behind the text!
Looks like whoever Photoshopped this got their layers muddled up.
Haha! Good catch!
Definitely odd. OTOH, PocketPC.ch is a pretty major site and it'd be strange for them to totally fake a story, especially so badly. Perhaps they did maniuplate the image but only to do that "watermark" below the layer...
Certianly raises flags though...
+10000
It is not really behind the text - look at the edges, it never touches the antialiased edges of the text. This suggests that it was added by modifying the screenshot.
I agree it looks fake, but the watermark thing is actually quite reasonable. Use the magic wand tool and select the white of the text, then copy it to a new layer above the watermark (probably donr for legibility). Now if they had only gotten the fonts to actually match. I think its probably just a demonstration image, not an attempted fake.
its a png image though, watermarks can go behind the text using a program like snagit to edit/apply the watermark.
fwiw, im skeptical of this but ruling it out based on the placement or layering of the watermark...
Well I definitely want google chat. I haven't been able to talk to my friends since I switched from Android
You do have options now though on Windows Phone...IM+, GChat both do Google Talk now.
IM+ is slow and buggy, GChat has no "offline" so every time you use it, you need to type your entire password, which is a deal breaker. GChat also isn't showing icons.
There are no acceptable gtalk clients yet.
The best one is palringo, which is currently closed private beta only.
I used Palringo on Windows Mobile back in the day. Wonder how far out they are from releasing their app?
Even if it were to be true the image looks fake. The watermark is supposed to be on top of the plus sign , available and Skype but not behind them .
wow nice fake pic! besides microsoft WOULDNT include G+, someone wants to be on news today!
Logo behind text! thats the first time i saw. you know, if it wasn't behind the text why would it create the black border? ;)
but only by "G+ in WP" was enough reason to think these rumors are fake ha!
I'm also going to call a fake on that picture. Looks pretty obvious to me.
However, we do know for a fact that Skype will be baked in at some point. As far a G+ it's a bit more questionable but totally plausible. Microsoft is opening up developing key apps for other platforms (including upcoming Xbox Live games), so Google might follow suit and support WP7 a bit more.
It is clearly a fake: to have the watermark inserted behind the text, it must have added google & skype after.
Very bad fake :)
Looks Fake as hell.
The font rendering is seriously blocky, there is a white color difference in the text, there is a lot of black attached to the white letters, the 'o' spacing... Not to mention the watermark, which could be explained though.
It's a FAKE. Said the guy who was sure.
FAKE!
This looks shopped. I can tell from the pixels and from seeing quite a few shops in my time.
Besides, why would Google, who has attempted time and time again to sabotage its own services on Windows Phone, allow Google + to be integrated in WP?
lol, I dunno...why would Microsoft allow Xbox Games on a non-Windows Phone? Just saying, that's not a very good argument ;-) The image part, yes. The content part, who knows.