WinPho Cut And Paste Update Hits UK Next Week

UK operators are pushing out the NoDo update of Windows Phone 7 to users next week

Windows Phone 7 users in the UK will get the ability to cut and paste next week, as mobile operators deliver the “NoDo” update to users.

The first major update to Windows Phone 7 since its launch in October, NoDo was demonstrated in February at Mobile World Congress, but was delayed by Microsoft when an earlier update caused widespread problems

No Donuts, no hurry

NoDo – or “No Donuts” – was named in a sly dig at Google’s love of cake-related names, such as Honeycomb and Gingerbread, for versions of its Android operating system. Its addition of cut-and-paste is significant, because that feature is already available on Androids and iPhones, and its absence in Windows Phone 7 has been noted. It also improves speed and integration with apps like Outlook and Facebook.

In February, Microsoft faced severe criticism when an earlier update to Windows Phone 7 failed for ten percent of users, particularly those using Samsung phones.

Despite the launch of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft’s share of the smartphone market has continued to decline over the last few months of release, according to research firm comScore. It has around eight percent, between Windows Phone and its older Windows Mobile platform. Google and Apple are ahead, with Android and iPhone fighting for top spot in the market.

In a bid to increase its share, Microsoft has done a deal with Nokia to put its smartphone OS on the Finnish giant’s future phones. However, most commentators are sceptical about the deal, and it is rumoured that Nokia itself is looking elsewhere for a possible entry into the tablet market.