Dialing Up the Phone War

Microsoft Corp. showed off an upgraded version of its Windows Phone software, as the technology titan attempts to claw its way back into the smartphone business.

The company unveiled the latest version of its mobile operating system, also known as "Mango," which features several changes to its user interface, with a focus on improving the communications and Internet experience as well as spur more applications. A free update is scheduled to come to existing users in the fall. The upgrade marks the latest in a series of attempts by Microsoft to revitalize the smartphone platform, underscoring the importance of maintaining a presence in the area. Long dominant in the PC business, Microsoft fears losing its position among technology players as more products and services go mobile. Once a dominant player in the smartphone business, Microsoft continued to fall in the first quarter, with its operating system capturing 3.6% of the market, or a little more than half of its share from a year ago, according to Gartner. Android was the top smartphone platform with more than a third of the market.