Items tagged with Windows-Phone-8
Microsoft chose Nokia to be the standard bearer for its Windows Phone operating system, and of course now the two companies are married, so it’s no surprise that the majority of handsets running Windows Phone 8 are Nokia devices. However, the actual percentage of Nokia devices running the OS, according to AdDuplex, is a whopping 92%. According to data that AdDuplex culled from some 2,499 Windows Phone apps worldwide (that are running AdDuplex SDK v.2), only HTC (5.2%), Samsung (1.6%), and Huawei (1/1%) manufacture Windows Phone 8 handsets. Usually if one company completely dominates a market like this, it’s a good thing, but in this case I believe it may be just the opposite. Credit:...
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That rumored Nokia tablet is now a Real Thing, as the company announced its Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet along with a slew of other products, including two new Lumia phones and three Asha handsets. The Lumia 2520 tablet looks quite a bit like Microsoft’s Surface tablets, right down to the kickstand and Type-style keyboard. (It’s almost as if the two companies are in cahoots.) The 10.1-inch device features a 1080p HD display with Gorilla Glass 2 and a less reflective finish than some other tablets, and a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (2.2GHz) chip is under the hood. Nokia Lumia 2520 There’s also 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory, a microSD slot, connectivity to SkyDrive, 6.7MP...
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There’s another Windows Phone update coming down the pike in the next few months, and among several new features, Microsoft’s Darren Laybourn noted in a blog post that the update is designed in part to make use of larger screens such as those found on phablets. “So the new update paves the way for future Windows Phone devices with 5- and 6-inch touch screens,” he wrote. “The larger, 1080p HD displays on these devices will make Windows Phone even more personal—for example by sporting jumbo-sized Start screens with room for six Live Tiles across instead of four.” This is none too surprising, as rumors of Nokia phablets have been kicking around for a few...
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The rumor mill has been churning lately as it pertains to Nokia products. In addition to a Nokia Windows RT tablet dubbed “Sirius”, there’s rumored to be a 6-inch phablet called “Bandit” coming, as well. We saw a leaked photo of what purports to be the future device’s screen, and the rumor was that the device would have a 1080p HD screen, a quad-core Snapdragon processor, a rear 20MP camera, and a polycarbonate body. It appears that the “Bandit” will be called the Nokia Lumia 1520, and additional specs and features may include the Windows Phone 8 GDR3 update and Qi wireless charging. The source of the leaked photo is unknown, so we’ll take...
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If recent rumors are true, Nokia is working on a device called the “Bandit” that will sport a 6-inch display, which would put the handset maker in direct competition with the likes of Samsung in the (curiously) burgeoning phablet market. Sources for The Verge indicate that Bandit’s display will be 1080p HD, and the handset will run on a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The device will have a rear camera that boasts at least 20MP--which would be more astonishing if the Nokia 1020’s camera wasn’t 41MP. (Our full review here. And some related shenanigans here.) "Six. Inches." The Bandit’s body will be a lightweight polycarbonate affair, and it will ostensibly...
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Nokia must really be in deep with Microsoft, because the company may be working on a Windows RT tablet that’s due to be announced in September. The device is rumored to bear the “Vanquish” moniker, and it will likely run a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor. If a leaked photo is to be believed, the Nokia Windows RT tablet will be roughly 10 inches and run on Verizon’s 4G LTE network. This all jibes with reports last year that Nokia was working on such a tablet and also that Windows RT tablets in general would be rocking the Qualcomm chip. Rumored Nokia Windows RT tablet (Image credit: Digi-Wo via The Verge) Nokia has bet big on Microsoft already, and this venture...
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The mobile market is no place for wimps; competition is very steep and very fierce, and even giants with deep pockets like Microsoft can’t seem to compete. According to Forbes, Windows Phones are actually in jeopardy of disappearing in the U.S. and in Europe after sales of Nokia Lumia phones (essentially the flagship devices for Windows Phone 8) dropped to half a million units in North America last quarter. Apple’s iPhone still does brisk business at the high end, and the forthcoming rumored “low cost” iPhone will no doubt take a bite out of midrange sales. Android is flourishing thanks in large part to Samsung and its many, many handsets and tablets running the OS at...
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It hasn’t been all that long since the Pebble smartwatch took Kickstarter by storm, whipping up a cool $10 million in funds, but the device appears poised for genuine success. In a blog post, Pebble’s Eric Migicovsky dished out some numbers surrounding the smartwatch that bode well for its success. Pre orders for the Pebble smartwatch have reached 275,000, between Kickstarter orders as well as those taken directly from the company’s website and Best Buy stores. The company has already sent out some 93,000 Pebbles around the world, and Pebble owners have downloaded 1 million watchapps for the device. There are 29 Pebble employees, and Eric Migicovsky says they’re still...
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This summer, Sprint will be launching a pair of handsets running Windows Phone 8 that will feature 4G LTE capabilities with the company’s Truly Unlimited Sprint 4G LTE plan, which has no caps on talk, text, or web, including no throttling or metering. The handsets in question are the HTC 8XT and the Samsung ATIV S Neo, which will cost $99.99 and $149.99 respectively with a new line or two-year contract and a $50 mail-in rebate reward card. The HTC 8XT features a 4.3-inch display with a 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of onboard memory (with another 64GB via a microSD slot), 4G LTE, WiFi, Blutooth, and GPS. The 8MP rear-facing camera sports autofocus and an LED...
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It appears as though Windows Phone 8 is getting a little facelift, at least if some leaked screenshots are to be believed. A Reddit user named “chinaman28” purchased a Nokia 920 from an eBay seller and then shared a number of screenshots on his flickr account (which now appear to be removed). The device has some new features and a UI that aren’t on current Windows Phones, which indicates that it may be a developer’s phone. Chief among the new features is a notification center, which is a much-desired feature of the OS that users have been clamoring for. Image credit: WPCentral via Reddit Users with this build can also apparently sort apps according to how often they’re...
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No, it’s not challenging devices like the Razer Edge, NVIDIA Project SHIELD, or even the intriguing Wikipad, but MOGA is angling for the mobile gaming hardware market with its mobile game controllers. The company announced the second generation of its controllers with the MOGA Power series, which succeed the MOGA Pocket and MOGA Pro controllers. The latest pair feature dual analog joysticks, D-pad, four control buttons, right and left bumpers, and more, and the controller will actually charge the connected mobile device while users are playing, which delivers much longer gametime. The Pivot app gives users access to MOGA’s library of 100 or so games, and the controllers support multiplayer...
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It was probably only a matter of time before a Halo game made it to touch devices, and here it is with “Halo: Spartan Assault”. Microsoft and 343 Industries announced the new title, which will be available in July for the low, low price of $6.99. Only those with Windows 8 or Windows Phone 8 devices will get to play. “With ‘Halo: Spartan Assault,’ we wanted to take ‘Halo’ out of the living room and create a brand new experience that was built specifically for a different screen,” said Dan Ayoub, the game’s Executive Producer. “This is an opportunity for us to define what makes ‘Halo’ unique on mobile platforms and really raise...
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Apple has not been the same since the passing of Steve Jobs, and frankly, the company needs to get back to its Jobs-era (part two) drive to innovate while employing artistic, cutting-edge designs. Whether Apple can do the former remains to be seen, but rumors continue to circle concerning the latter. It sounds as though Apple’s Jony Ive, who is by now a legendary designer in the tech world and was reportedly the man behind the original iPod’s clickwheel design, is stepping up in Job’s absence to make his mark on the company’s upcoming mobile operating system update, iOS 7. Artist rendering of the iOS 7 Calendar app (credit: SimplyZesty) We heard back in February that the...
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Pandora is still a very popular streaming music radio service, but the company is dealing with a growing cadre of serious competitors; Windows Phone 8 has a similar problem in the mobile market with iOS and Android. Now, the two companies have partnered to offer Pandora ad-free on Windows Phone 8 at no cost, for the rest of 2013. The app itself looks smooth and pretty, and it offers users the ability to pin favorite stations to their Start screens, and a live tile shows what track is playing. There’s also a handy feature in Windows Phone 8 called Kid’s Corner that’s sort of a ”guest account” that sequesters all your kid-friendly content and apps; in Pandora, that...
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The jury is still out concerning the long term success of Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8, but Nokia, who famously went all in on a Windows Phone 8 gamble when it ditched its old Symbian mobile OS for Microsoft’s new one for its phones, is looking like it made a savvy decision. The company’s Lumia handsets are nice pieces of hardware, with the primary limitation being the relatively small number of apps available (which is a number that is changing rapidly); but if you want a Windows Phone 8 device these, you’re probably going to be getting a Nokia phone because the whole package is an excellent one. Now, Nokia may be expanding further into the mobile market by introducing tablets...
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Google’s numerous and mostly excellent apps, which include Gmail and Drive, will not be getting the Windows 8 nor Windows Phone 8 treatment. Clay Bavor, product management director for Google Apps, told V3 that the company currently isn’t planning to develop its apps for the new Windows platform. "We have no plans to build out Windows apps,” he said. “We are very careful about where we invest and will go where the users are but they are not on Windows Phone or Windows 8" Google has been working on improving its apps on iOS and Android--Bavor noted in particular the ability to natively edit spreadsheets on mobile devices--and plans to keep pushing itself to create a better...
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In a sense, it feels like Windows Phone 8 is Microsoft's first real foray into the smartphone space post Windows Mobile. Of course, Microsoft made a concerted effort with Windows Phone 7, but there's something very different about version 8. WP8 borrows from the underpinnings of Windows Phone 7, but there are so many differences in the operating system -- along with its incompatibility with WP7-class hardware -- that it feels like we're evaluating an entirely new product. And in reality, we are. Nokia's Lumia 920 is one of the first Windows Phone 8 products, along with HTC's 8X, in a holiday smartphone lineup that has become amazingly crowded, but Nokia's expertise in the hardware business shines...
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In a sense, it feels like Windows Phone 8 is Microsoft's first real foray into the smartphone space post Windows Mobile. Of course, Microsoft made a concerted effort with Windows Phone 7, but there's something vastly different about version 8. WP8 borrows from the underpinnings of Windows Phone 7, but there are so many differences in the operating system -- along with its incompatibility with WP7-class hardware -- that it feels like we're evaluating an entirely new product. And in reality, we are. Nokia's Lumia 920 is one of the first Windows Phone 8 products, along with HTC's 8X, in a holiday smartphone lineup that has become amazingly crowded. Microsoft is trying...
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There's a story behind every champion, and every upstart has a tale to tell as well. While Windows may own the lion's share of the market when it comes to the desktop operating system, Windows Phone is lagging behind two highly capable rivals. But Windows Phone 8 is the most promising version yet, and Microsoft has even taken the time to outline the story behind what makes it so unique: the Start screen. The core idea is the desire for a Start screen to be more than just static. Microsoft's "Live Tiles" actually present data in real time, so even if you only glance at your Start screen -- without ever opening an app -- you're blasted with information that's useful to you. As the engineering and...
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This week is going to be one to remember in consumer electronics. Nokia, Amazon and countless other companies use the week following Labor Day in order to launch their flagship products for the year, with availability usually planned for pre-holiday shoppers. It's a huge week for them, and it'll be a huge week for fans of all things tech. Nokia isn't wasting any time, however, pushing out a "Stay Tuned!" teaser video that could hint at some of the magic software it plans to reveal inside of presumed Lumia updates this week. New Windows Phone 8 devices are almost certainly coming, but it'll be the software that helps Nokia to stand apart. In the teaser, there's a new augmented reality presented,...
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After Microsoft introduced its own Windows 8-based Surface tablet last week, riling its hardware partners, and shortly thereafter unveiled Windows Phone 8, the obvious next question is whether or not the company would make its own phone, too. Information Week confirmed in an interview with Greg Sullivan, senior marketing manager for Windows Phone, that Microsoft will not be building a phone for Windows Phone 8. So there you have it--a solid “no”. That has to be good news for the handset makers already committed to developing hardware for Windows Phone 8--HTC, Huawei, Nokia, and Samsung--who were probably none too pleased to see Microsoft wedge its toe in the mobile hardware market...
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Boy, Microsoft is on a roll this week. Shortly after shaking up the tablet market with its new Surface tablet, the company offered up a preview of its latest mobile OS, Windows Phone 8. Unifying desktop and mobile platforms is clearly the way forward in the computing world, and with the impending release of both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, it looks like Microsoft is about to do a bang-up job of it. The big change between Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 8 is that the former was built on the Windows CE core; WP8 will share the same Windows core and drivers with Windows 8. That’s a huge deal, because it makes unifying all your screens and apps simple and smooth. Windows developers are...
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