The battle for smartphone supremacy is heating up and Microsoft is trying to entice more users and phone makers to adopt its platform. Microsoft has just announced the release of Windows Phone 7.5, the upgrade to their mobile operating system, which in their own words they call revolutionary. This OS is also known as Mango.

As far as graphics are concerned, Mango 7.5 delivers and in many ways could in fact be nicer than iOS for the iPhone. But Microsoft has an uphill battle in its quest to gain significant market share in the mobile phone business. With the likes of Apple, HTC, Samsung, Google and BlackBerry all competing for a piece of the same pie, consumers are already entrenched using other operating systems.

Microsoft’s disadvantage is that it does not control production of any handsets. Apple has iOs for the iPhone, Blackberry has BBX, and Google made major inroads with Android and is now poised to enter the handset market with their acquisition of Motorola. Microsoft needs to gain share with other cellphone makers like Samsung, HTC and Nokia.

Smartphones and other mobile devices such a tablet computers are now the norm and part of everyday life for the average consumer. Being connected to the internet is a must, and being able to keep up on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is a big part of what they are looking for. And Mango 7.5 does a good job integrating all of these into the mobile experience.

At UnlockWorldwide.com we believe that today’s consumer is looking to use an operating system that allows for seamless transition between devices. In other words the data must easily transpose weather you are working on your phone, your tablet computer, you laptop and even your television. Cameras, video, email, music, and even the ability to make a phone call are now a given.

There are few frontiers left when it comes to operating system features. Voice recognition and commands is one of them,  and Mango 7.5 does offer it, but the technology still has room for improvement. Microsoft must move faster to develop this technology as Apple has just unveiled their SIRI voice technology on the new iPhone 4S.

With Windows Phone operating system being represented on just 2% of mobile phones sold in 2011, Microsoft must take action to increase it share of the market. It is clear that integration between devices is the wave of the future, and with more people using mobile devices, this could have an adverse effect on computer sales and in turn on how many people use Microsoft’s Windows operating system on desktops and laptops.

Microsoft will unveil Mango 7.5 on the Nokia Lumia handsets for the first time this week. Nokia is still a major player when it comes to sales of regular cellphones, but smartphones only represent 15% of its sales. Their decision to abandon their own operating system called Symbian, and their need to increase market share in the smartphone segment might make this a win win situation for both Nokia and Microsoft. Nokia is placing a huge bet on the Lumia.

So the landscape for smartphone dominance is beginning to take shape. Blackberry has the corporate world and BBX. Apple has the premium market and iOs. Google will have Motorola and Android OS. Nokia and Microsoft could have an important alliance and have Mango. So that leaves four manufacturers: Samsung, HTC, LG, and Sony Ericsson, which rely heavily on the Android operating system, pondering what to do next?