Windows Phone Tango Experience Diluted Microsoft Admits

Microsoft's push for low-cost Windows Phones will require some compromises by developers and users, it's been confirmed, with features like automatic image upload and Bing Local Scout getting the chop. Devices running Windows Phone Tango with just 256MB of RAM will lack support for podcast subscriptions and video podcasts, according to the Windows Team, while fast app switching will also be left off the budget-minded handsets.

They're not the only shortcomings, either. SkyDrive automatic photo uploads have been disabled, though those with 256MB RAM devices will still be able to upload manually, and certain HD compression codecs won't be supported either. Background agents have also been disabled.

Most worrying, Microsoft warns that some of the more processor-intensive apps out there may not work on devices with 256MB of RAM, and so owners could discover some of what's in the Windows Phone Marketplace won't be compatible with their handset. That seems like a recipe for disaster to us, with tiers of Windows Phone experience being just what Microsoft has worked so hard to avoid in earlier devices.

The benefit for the platform, of course, is hitting new price points, something Nokia is particularly keen to do. The Finnish company announced its cheapest Windows Phone model to-date at Mobile World Congress last week, the Nokia Lumia 610. More details in the Windows Phone support pages.

[via The Verge]