14 DAY TRIAL // Reportedly, Redmond-based software giant Microsoft is almost done with the development of the latest iteration of Internet Explorer for its Windows Phone mobile operating system, set to hit devices along with the next flavor of the platform, Mango. The code for Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) for Windows Phone is almost complete, and the company would only have to bring a few final touches into the mix.
Unfortunately, the company was not specific on the features and novelties that the new version of the mobile browser would bring forth, but some info on it did emerge.
Among the main enhancements users should expect from IE9 on Windows Phone, we can count landscape mode address bar, along with an improved rendering experience and better experience, courtesy of GPU acceleration.
At the same time, the mobile application would arrive with full-screen video through support for HTML5 technology.
Moreover, IE9 should arrive on Windows Phone with GPS-based geolocation, ECMAScript 5, 2D CSS3 and the like.
Unfortunately, the mobile browser won't come with support for Adobe's Flash Player, at least this is what Joe Marini, principal program manager for IE on Windows Phone, told TechRadar recently.
“We don't do stuff like ActiveX, we don't have browser helper objects, we don't have binary plug-ins. A lot of things that were security issues, we simply didn't do on the phone - a, because we didn't need them and b, for security,” Marini explained.
On the other hand, Adobe did promise the release of Flash for Windows Phone, and enthusiasts are certainly waiting for it to arrive on their devices.
In addition to confirming these details on Internet Explorer 9 for Windows Phone, Marini also unveiled some info on IE10.
“If you play with the preview of IE10 on the desktop you can get a sense of where IE10 on Windows Phone is going to go,” Marini stated. “We're looking at how we can make web sites more integrated with the whole phone experience.”
More info on IE9 and the new Windows Phone Mango flavor should become available as soon as today, during a press event in New York City, so stay tuned for more on the matter.