Even though Mango hasn’t even reached our Windows Phones, that hasn’t stopped the prognostication to start about what will follow.

Slated to be released in 2012, the next version of Windows Phone is apparently called “Apollo” internally and Windows Phone 8 for the rest of us. As far as any  solid information what ever leaks out at this point has to be put straight into the rumor column. At the top of that list is this hot rumor courtesy of WMPoweruser:

So far we do not know much about the OS, but the main strong rumour is that it will use the same APX app format as Windows 8, and may represent the unification of the platforms, with Windows Phone 8 being ported to the NT kernel.

Presumably by 2012 ARM processors would be routinely powerful enough to support this, and one can imagine scenarios where one could dock one’s phone and suddenly transition to a full desktop, keyboard and mouse environment, like the Motorola Atrix at present.

Personally I really like the promise that something like the Motorola Atrix holds, but at this point it is only a shadow of its potential due to the high cost of tethering and data plans across the carriers; and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

[Cross-posted at Winextra]