Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 moves toward final release

Microsoft’s latest update to its emulator for the still-in-development Windows Phone 7 platform shows some ongoing refinements, and a hint that Microsoft may be nearing a “release candidate” version of the OS, after which major changes are unlikely.

And hackers unlocking the latest Windows Phone 7 emulator are trying to delve into the underlying kernel and understand a range of technical issues such as memory management.

“Microsoft knows that the emulators are typically unlocked by users,” says a PR agency spokeswoman assigned to the Windows Phone group at Microsoft. “That’s why they have been very clear that the emulator is based on early code and is not reflective of the final user experience. Windows Phone 7 is still under development and we don’t have further information to share on new features.”