A leaked Mango internal build tips up online

A LEAKED internal build of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 (WP7) Mango update has been leaked online, making it seem more likely that the updated Windows Phone 7.5 operating system (OS) will launch at the start of next month.

Build 7720, which Microsoft sent out internally to developers for testing, was picked up by xda-developers, said Uswitch. It bumps Microsoft's OS up to version 7.10.7720.68 and will officially be called Windows Phone 7.5 or Mango.

It is thought the installation will work on WP7 phones running the Nodo build (7392) or one of two beta builds, Mango (7661) or Mango Developer Beta (7712).

Handsets successfully updated so far include the HTC HD7, HTC Mozart, HTC Trophy, HTC Arrive, LG Optimus 7, Samsung Focus, and Dell Venue Pro.

The update process takes more than an hour to complete, maybe more, and should only be completed by those with technical knowledge.

If you fit into that category, you can get Internet Explorer version 9 with HTML5 support and hardware-accelerated graphics, as well as tighter integration with Bing for GPS-powered localised searches and a Shazam-like feature to identify a song you're listening to.

Microsoft has denied that Mango will launch next month. However, it is likely to launch before October to coincide with the first anniversary of WP7. µ