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Tag: windows phone

  • Current Windows Phone users left out of Windows Phone 8 update

    Are you licking your lips reading the list of all the new features in Windows Phone 8? You better be. Microsoft has a fantastic OS on their hands that can finally challenge the mighty iOS and Android. Are you also a current Windows Phone 7 user with the latest phone? Bad news for you. Microsoft has made official the worst fears of anyone who recently bought a Windows Phone 7, which includes the Lumia and Titan range. None of the current phones will be getting Windows Phone 8. Instead they will get Windows Phone 7.8. What is 7.8 and how does it differ from Windows Phone 8?

    Windows Phone 7.8 is essentially Windows Phone 7 with the new start screen. This means current generation WP7 users will be able to resize and restack the live tiles just as the new WP8 users will be. You also get more theme colors. Other than that everything from Windows Phone 7 has remained unchanged.

    It’s understandable if you’re a recent buyer of the latest and greatest Windows Phone 7 and are more than a little unhappy to know your phone is already outdated. What Microsoft has also done is to effectively kill of any current Windows Phone sales. It makes no sense at all to purchase a Windows Phone right now knowing that it wont be getting WP8 later this year.

    Such is the brutality of innovation at blistering pace. Some people will get left behind. Windows Phone 7 hardware is just not fast enough to run Windows Phone 8. As mentioned before, this is not an incremental update, it’s a massive overhaul and with it it will need the most up to date hardware. Microsoft could have made WP8 available for WP7 phones but that would have compromised performance, which totally goes against what Windows Phone stands for.

    The question on everyones mind right now should be, will apps for WP8 work on WP7 phones? Will this fragment the marketplace?

  • Leaked screenshots of Windows Phone 8 shows off new features

    Microsoft will be publicly detailing its next version of Windows Phone, called Windows Phone 8 on the 20th of this month. And as its customary for all big events, some screen shots of what we’re expected to see have surfaced.

    WP8 shots 720x287 Leaked screenshots of Windows Phone 8 shows off new features

    The three screen shots show various new functionality. The first shows off the much awaited built in Skype integration. It can clearly be seen that Skype call is one of the contacting options for a specified contact. The second picture shows an incoming Skype call. Hopefully this built in Skype integration more than makes up for the lack of any real Skype app on the Windows Phone platform (no the official Skype app doesn’t qualify as a real app).

    The second screen shot shows the new data management in Windows Phone 8. We’ve seen this feature built into Android 4.0 where it works really well and comes in extremely handy. Though the screen shot is not quite clear, I suppose the basic functionality is pretty much the same. You set your data cycle and data limit and let the app inform you if you’re nearing your limit. It looks as if there will be a live tile to go with it too. It shows the amount of data you have remaining in your account.

    The third screenshot shows what looks like the camera app. It looks very basic. However the three dots on the top right might hide more advanced options. Nokia is set to bring in its imaging expertise in Windows Phone 8 so regardless of what this picture shows, expect great innovations in Windows Phone 8 in the camera department.

    So are you excited about Windows Phone 8? I know I am. Windows Phone, though not at the level of Android and iOS, has serious potential to threaten the top dogs and can become a viable third eco system.

  • Microsoft To Reveal Something ‘Major’ On Monday

    Looks like Microsoft is planning to reveal something big this upcoming Monday, June 18th in LA. Mashable supposedly received an invite to a Microsoft “Media Event” with the tagline “This will be a major Microsoft announcement — you will not want to miss it.”

    microsoft xbox Microsoft To Reveal Something Major On Monday

    There were also no graphics or any other details on the invite keeping everything a secret till the proper reveal. What could this “major” reveal be? The new Xbox? Windows Phone 8? Or something never before seen? Let us know in the comments below.

  • Windows Phone 7.8 features comparison

    A  few weeks ago Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 8 to the world. The brand new OS is all set to replace Windows Phone 7 as Microsoft’s mobile offering. There’s a lot to love about Windows Phone 8 like the new NT kernel. What there isn’t to like so much is the lack of any upgrade path for current Windows Phone 7. So it’s effectively a reboot from Microsoft, yet again.

    173062 image Windows Phone 7.8 on Lumia Windows Phone 7.8 features comparison

    Not to leave current Windows Phone users completely in the dust, Microsoft is offering an interim update, Windows Phone 7.8 to current Windows Phone 7 users. The update will be available alongside Windows Phone 8 release. We already know it brings in the new start screen. But what about the rest of the features? While Microsoft has remained mum about it, here’s a list of  features in 7.8 compared to WP8 according to a Russian website.

    Function Windows Phone 7.8 Windows Phone 8.0
    Browser IE9 IE10
    Skype A separate application Integrated
    Voice commands Yes Yes, an extended set
    DataSmart A separate application Yes
    Bing Аudio Yes Yes, improved recognition TV
    RCS-e A separate application Integrated
    Cloud OneNote, Office 365 Synchronization of all content
    Updated startup screen Yes Yes
    OTA No, only the notification Yes
    Visual Voicemail Only for some countries Yes

     

    As expected, there’s not a whole that 7.8 has to offer compared to 7. Skype still isn’t built in and you still get the old IE10. Windows Phone 8 is where the real magic happens. Newer IE10, integrated Skype experience, OTA update on the phone and a whole lot more.

    It’s not looking pretty for those tying their hopes on 7.8. It’s effectively the same as Windows Phone 7 with a few added features like Data Smart. The fact is if you want a true upgrade, you’re going to have to shell out for a new phone.

  • Nokia Lumia 900 now available for only 50$ on AT&T

    According to the latest numbers by Neilsen, Windows Phone 7 currently has a miniscule 1.3% market share in the United States. That, compared to 58% of Android is almost as good as not being there. In between Windows Phone, Nokia is the only brand that is tied completely to the OS. HTC and Samsung develop Android smartphones as well so the failure of Windows Phone 7 should not effect them too much. Nokia however do not enjoy such a position. Failure of Windows Phone means failure for Nokia.

    With Microsoft announcing a 7.8 update for current Windows Phone instead of the 8.0 update, many users are wondering whether it’s wise to buy into a Windows Phone 7 contract right now or not. This is a very dangerous position for Nokia because they have nothing new to offer until WP8 is available. They cannot just sit idly either because one more bad quarter and that could be the last straw. The only thing left is to somehow make their Lumia phones seem less of a pointless purchase than they really are.

    To do this Nokia has slashed the price of their top end Lumia 900 to just 50$ on AT&T. This is a healthy cut from the previous 100$ price. This still doesn’t mean Lumia 900 will get the big WP8 update, but it does mean that it’s now one of the cheapest higher end smartphone available on the market today. There are many people who’re not bothered by the lack of Windows Phone 8 update and just want a cheap smartphone for basic use. For them Lumia 900 just became a whole lot more attractive.

    But will this be enough to get Nokia by this quarter till they come out with a Windows Phone 8 device? It may just be enough, by a very small margin.

  • This is what Windows Phone on a BlackBerry would probably look like

    The smartphone race is currently being ruled by two operating systems; iOS and Android. Together they take 90% of the pie, at least in the United States. The rest 10% is made up by the likes of BlackBerry and Windows Phone. Windows Phone holds a paltry 9% market share where as BlackBerry is still at a decent 9%.

    However the numbers don’t tell the whole story. While Windows Phone is struggling to gain any market share, it is still backed up by one of the richest and biggest corporations in the world, Microsoft. It also has the full backing of Nokia. BlackBerry on the other hand is struggling to make ends meet, let alone earn profits. One of the ideas that has floated around is BlackBerry jumping the Windows Phone bandwagon like Nokia did.

    conceptrimbbwin8 This is what Windows Phone on a BlackBerry would probably look likeconceptrimbbwin82 This is what Windows Phone on a BlackBerry would probably look like

    This mockup is what the joint venture might look like. While it’s clearly a hasty photoshop job, the reality wouldn’t be too far away. The signature BlackBerry design with the elegance of Windows Phone. It is a striking combination. But it will probably never be true, not at least in the near future.

    BlackBerry still has a viable and strong operating system on their hands, unlike Nokia which were relying on the old relic known as Symbian. It’s important to know that Microsoft did make an informal offer to RIM to make Windows Phone devices, which RIM categorically refused to. RIM is looking forward to BlackBerry OS10 for next year release which they’re hoping would bring a change in their dire fortunes.

    In the mean time, those dreaming of a RIM/Microsoft love affair can look at these pictures and satisfy their desires. Perhaps RIM might reconsider? Again, that depends entirely on how well the launch of OS10 goes.

  • Brandon Foy, Creator Of Awesome Unofficial WP7 Ads Gets Hired By Microsoft

    You guys remember Brandon Foy right? Well for those who don’t he made some awesome ads for Windows Phone 7 a few months ago and received critical acclaim with some people even claiming them to be better than the ones by Microsoft themselves and we wholeheartedly agree.

    Microsoft even promised to air another video of his if it hit 200,000 views on YouTube. So today the news is that he got hired my Microsoft as a UX Director and today was his first day at work. Great to see big companies like Microsoft appreaciating the talent and letting it prosper. We can also expect much better Windows Phone ads since Brandon is in charge, so good luck mate!

    One of Brandon’s ads is embedded below:

    Source: @BrandonFoy

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  • Windows Phone Marketplace Hits 20,000 Applications Mark

     

    Finally Windows Phone Marketplace has been able to hit the 20,000 apps mark but still it’s way behind Android Market and Appstore. Just two and half months ago Windows Phone Marketplace became the fastest store to hit the 10,000 mark and now another 10k apps have been added to it. Like all other app stores Windows Phone Marketplace has some low quality apps.

    You can expect to have loads of quality apps once the Mango tools have been released. Other than that there will be a significant increase in the number of Applications in the windows market once Nokia releases Windows Phone handsets. Some months ago Nokia started recruiting app developers which is a clear sign that Nokia wants to have much applications in the Windows Phone marketplace. We expect it to have near about 50,000 apps by the end of this year. Is this rapid increase in the number of apps for Windows Phone enough to convince you to shift to Windows Phone let us know through your comments.

    Source: Windows Phone Applist