Windows Phone 7.5 Refresh does not feature multitasking up to 8 apps

A few days ago, it was reported that Microsoft had changed the name of their upcoming operating software from Tango to Windows Phone 7.5 Refresh. Although it does not have a cool ring to it, one can expect some improvements over its predecessor, Windows Phone Mango. But before you get too excited, you should bear in mind that this is only a small update and hence Microsoft has opted to stick with version number 7.5. As per a post by XDA Developers, one of the improvements that will feature in the upcoming build is that it will have multitasking capabilities for up to eight apps, as opposed to five, which was found on the previous version. The only thing right about this is that it was cooked up by a developer as part of a custom ROM, HD2O.

If only this were true

The folks at XDA have provided screenshots as well, showing off the new feature, which they have obtained from the leak of the Windows Phone 7.5 Refresh dump. From the screenshot, we can see a total of eight applications working in the background. This adds a fair bit of functionality as well to the operating system, as opposed to mere optimization that was believed to be the significant feature of the upcoming build. If only this were to come out with the actual build and not just tweaks that have been created by a very handy developer. So when the update is out, users can expect a total of up to five apps for multitasking and not eight. 

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Though there are some amount of optimizations, there are a handful of restrictions as well that comes with the build. As per a related report by The Verge, the website states, “Amongst other improvements for MMS, better SIM contact management, and a new location alert icon, Microsoft has also thrown in memory status information. In the phone info section of Windows Phone there is a new memory counter that shows in use and available memory, helpful for those with low-spec devices. The latest Tango update will be made available to existing devices, but not until new 256MB of memory handsets launch in China in the coming weeks.”