It took Microsoft about 11 months to go from the initial release of Windows Phone 7 to its first major revision, becoming Windows Phone 7.5 Mango. From what we hear, there’s going to be another minor revision, similar to NoDo, that will be called Tango, followed by another Mango-sized update, known as Apollo. Will it take another 11 months before Apollo comes our way? There’s a chance the update cycle could go even faster this next time around, with one Nokia exec claiming Apollo will be getting here in mid-2012.

Obviously, there’s some wiggle-room there, and an August launch could arguably still fit the window, but it sounds more like we’re talking June or July here. This accelerated schedule may be due to Nokia’s desire to see the results of its influence into Windows Phone’s design. We understand that the company got on-board with Microsoft a bit too late to have much say about shaping Mango, but is very interested in making up for lost time and contributing to the next major update.

What changes will we see in Apollo? Nokia has been talking about NFC and better integration with its Navteq holdings, and we’ve heard rumors that Apollo will introduce Windows Phone to dual-core processors, as well as support screens with an HD 720p resolution.

Source: Engadget