Windows Phone 7 “Tango” Release to Integrate Tencent Weibo, QQ Apps in China

Microsoft is set to release a customized edition of Windows Phone 7.6 “Tango” in the Chinese market, and in lieu of other social networking services, WP7 Tango will integrate Tencent Weibo and other QQ applications.

The next major update to the Windows Phone 7 platform is dubbed “Tango” and will highlight the software giant’s reentry into the low-end and midrange smartphone market with its WP7 platform. Along with social networking integration, the update will also feature video-calling, which is said to be the offshoot of Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype in 2011.

Microsoft’s release of its new Tango update in China will be heavily localized, as earlier reported. Most of the local customizations will involve social networking integration, given that China bans access to popular social networking service Facebook and microblogging service Twitter from the mainland.

Local internet giant Tencent is reportedly going to provide its services to WP7 users. Tencent Weibo will be the main microblogging app for Windows Phone 7.6 Tango, while Tencent’s QQ Game Hall gaming platform will replace Xbox LIVE.

QQ Game Hall is already accessible to mobile devices via HTML5, which is supported on most major platforms — Android, iOS, Symbian and even Java. Observers say that native integration with the Windows Phone 7 platform will help boost Tencent’s social platforms, especially once manufacturers like Nokia, LG, HTC, ZTE and others launch their Windows Phone powered devices in China.

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