WP7 app development stalls in the face of Mango

With Mango peeking over the horizon, the Windows Phone 7 application store is going through a monumental slowdown.

But don’t fret, the reason is in fact quite simple: Developers are waiting to send in new applications because the gates for submitting apps designed to run on Mango, the next Windows Phone upgrade, are not yet open. And don’t expect the situation to change; Developers cannot submit Mango applications until the 22nd of August, almost a month away.

That means that we should see a very quiet August in terms of application releases, and updates. But, it is doubtful that consumers will note the slowdown overmuch, as right now is not even a hot selling time for the phone line. As the development pace should pick up through the holiday cycle, new owners of WP7 handsets should be content.

This is the growth of the app number in the WP7 Marketplace, as tracked by WP7AppList:

Assuming that you can read a chart, and are annoyed at our big red additions, the picture is simple: Development has halted, and given the reasons, should not pick up for some time. No doubt, some publications will take that the wrong way and blame the platform. In reality, it speaks to the Windows Phone development community staying engaged, and planning to continue supporting the platform.

Of course, it would be far better if development was so great that it would continue unabated, even in the face of the Mango freeze, but this is certainly better than nothing. Then again, ‘better than nothing’ is not a real compliment for a phone line that is trying to take on both iOS and Android.

More as it comes.