Items tagged with WP7
In the hardware world, even the best-selling devices eventually reach EOL (end-of-life) status. And, as fate would have it, it seems that the software world follows suit. But every now and again, a product is killed that leaves us scratching our heads. While Windows Phone 8 is clearly the premier mobile product for Microsoft, it sure doesn't feel as if Windows Phone 7 is that old. Plus, Microsoft owes what little success it has seen in the mobile realm to the early adopters who took a chance with WP7. Nevertheless, the company is axing support of its flagship VoIP app, Skype, on Windows Phone 7. Here's the quote from Microsoft: "As we look ahead to the future, we are focusing all our efforts...
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Windows Phone 8 may not be coming to Nokia's Lumia 900, but Windows Phone 7.8 will be. The company had to make the tough decision to cut-and-run in order to make WP8 the best that it could be, but the good news for early adopters is that WP7.8 brings a lot of the same visual elements to older devices. The new Start Screen is arguably the star of the WP8 show, and that's one of the things that will make the transition to WP7.8. There's the ability to resize the start screen, change the size of tiles, and make the things you care more about... more visible. These things generally tend to have a better impact with video, and that's exactly what's below. There's still no set release date for WP7.8,...
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This is pretty crazy. But it's so crazy, that it just might work. While Apple shirts from the opening of new Apple Stores are tough to come by (and in turn, nice to have for an eBay turnaround), Microsoft really hasn't gone down that same path. But why not now? Metro's user interface is just gorgeous, so why not showcase some of Windows' newness on a new line of clothing? Now you can. The Windows Team has started up a CafePress section where you can grab clothes, magnets, stickers and other nifty gifts with "I HEART WINDOWS PHONE" plastered across them... in graphical form, no less. It's actually a fairly awesome corporate splash, and one of the few we'd consider wearing. What about you? Have...
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To date, we haven't heard a lot about Android 5.0 in terms of features, but Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) has had a lot of time to mature. Particularly on the Galaxy Nexus, the pure version of ICS is one of the most fluid, visually appealing mobile OSes -- but is it still the best alternative for those who are shying away from the iPhone for one reason or another? We ask the question because of Windows Phone's recent successes, however mild they may be. Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) feels like a completely overhauled version of the original WP7 build that shipped with phones like the HD7, Omnia 7 and Samsung Focus. Originally, it felt as if Windows Phone 7 was forced out just in time...
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2012 is shaping up to be a major year for mobile operating systems. For those fortunate enough to own a smartphone, these are exciting times. Competition is fierce, and the winner is you. Regardless of which platform you're keen on, you can bet that each of the major players are pushing the others to innovate and improve. In just a few weeks, Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference will kick off. While it remains to be seen if a new MacBook Pro or a new iPhone will launch, one thing is very likely: iOS 6 will be showcased for the first time. WWDC 2011 was where iOS 5 really got its wings, and Siri was brought into the fold last October. iOS 6 is apt to be the biggest iOS release yet, and...
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If there's one company beyond Nokia that seems dead-set on supporting Windows Phone as a platform, it's Samsung. Just after launching the Focus 2 for AT&T, now Samsung is introducing the Omnia M, a sleek looking slate-style phone that'll ship first in Europe before bringing more of Microsoft's mobile OS to more places. As for specifications, there's a 1GHz processor, 4" Super AMOLED display, Samsung’s ChatON communication service, Samsung AllShare, Music Hub, and access to SkyDrive. There's an HSDPA 7.2Mbps cellular radio, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n module, a 1500mAh battery and microUSB. It'll ship with Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango), 4GB of user memory and 384MB of RAM. No word on pricing yet,...
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T-Mobile's Chief Marketing Officer Cole Brodman has an interesting idea for revamping the mobile industry -- and it involves killing the subsidy plans that have driven smartphone adoption over the past five years. Brodman was participating in a round-table at the Geekwire tech summit; other speakers included Jon Irwin, the president of Rhapsody), Mike McSherry, CEO of Swype, and David Bluhm, CEO of Z2Live. Asked what one thing he'd change if he had the power to do so, Brodman pointed to subsidy programs. “It [device subsidies] actually distorts what devices actually cost and it causes OEMs, carriers — everybody to compete on different playing fields," the CMO said. "I think it is...
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Apple's Siri has clearly convinced a lot of people to upgrade, or buy into the iPhone universe altogether. Apple's had no issues selling the iPhone 4S, and while there are a few slightly similar solutions for Android, Windows Phone 7 has largely been left out. But a revised version of Ask Zippy may get WP7 into that conversation. It's clearly no Siri, but the program was developed by a single person and is being offered for absolutely nothing. And for free, it's hard to complain. The app enables users to accomplish similar text-to-action things, just like Siri. You can ask questions, send texts and do all sorts of voice-related tasks that are impossible without the app. WPCentral is reporting...
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Microsoft's Windows Phone platform has a long way to go before it truly challenges Android and iOS for mobile dominance, but after a bit of a rocky start, it might be starting to hit its stride. According to All About Windows Phone (AAWP), one of the go-to blogs for Windows Phone app statistics, the Windows Phone Marketplace now has more than 50,000 apps and games. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Windows Phone Marketplace was home to 50,126 apps and growing at a clip of 265 new items per day. Over 17,000 were added in the last three months, and more than 8,000 in the last 30 days. "The 50,000 mark, which has been reached sooner than we estimated, is a key milestone, but more important is the accelerating...
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Windows Phone 7 was supposed to reverse Microsoft's declining market share, prove that the company was capable of designing a product that could stand against the best Android and Apple had to offer, and re-establish the company as a major player in the smartphone space. Despite generally positive reviews, WP7 has failed to improve Redmond's mobile fortunes; the company's share of the mobile market fell significantly in Q2 2011. The latest comScore data indicates that the total US smartphone market grew eight percent in the second quarter for a total of 78.5M smartphone owners. Despite this, Microsoft's piece of the pie shrank by nearly 23 percent. The graph below shows the changes in standing...
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Microsoft's own second quarter was a good one; the company reported total sales of nearly $70 billion ($69.94B). Operating and net income stood at $27.16B and $23.15B, up 13 percent and 23 percent over the same period in 2010. Interestingly enough, the company's major growth areas were in the combined Entertainment / Mobile division where strong Kinect uptake and a successful Windows Phone 7 launch pushed revenue to $1.49B, up 30 percent over 2010. The company is often portrayed as an Office + Windows behemoth whose other projects lose money. While it's true that those two areas generate the vast majority of company revenue, the 'Other' column isn't a unilateral loss. The one area where Microsoft...
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During Microsoft's recent "Mango" launch event in New York City, a number of new faces were shown off. Microsoft's partner list for Windows Phone 7 is growing, and while Nokia is obviously "the new face" of the operating system, HTC is also a huge name that the company's trying to court. And now, it seems like it's a date. HTC has in the past supported Android in a major way, with the "Sense" overlay being an entity in and of itself. But the company's obviously willing to try their hand at something a bit different...something like WP7. HTC's CEO spoke this week regarding that possibility, and he stated that plans are in motion to bring a Mango-based phone to market from HTC. The outspoken Peter...
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More Angry Birds? Of course! Who could be tired of Rovio's runaway hit? There's no question that the company is definitely milking this hit for all that it's worth, but every instance of Angry Birds is so good that we're forgiving them for this one. In fact, we're celebrating it. Windows Phone 7 remains one of the only platforms that Angry Birds has yet to infiltrate, but all of that changes in late June. Over on the Windows Phone Blog, Microsoft has confirmed a number of upcoming titles, and Rovio themselves have tweeted a confirmation. June 29th marks the launch date for the WP7 version of Angry Birds, and it'll cost $2.99 for a game with 195 levels. That's just one of the many game titles...
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At its financial analyst meeting earlier this week, Intel unveiled a series of strategic changes to its roadmap and gave investors a peek at the company's general strategy for the next few years. We've already touched on the company's decision to ramp more powerful Atom processors and its new, 15W mainstream notebook TDP target, but the company is playing a deeper game. If Medfield lives up to expectations, it'll be the first Intel SoC truly capable of challenging ARM. Later this year, Intel will introduce Medfield, its 32nm Atom SoC. The current solution, Moorestown, did reduce Atom's platform-level power consumption, but not enough to make the chip attractive to smartphone designers. Medfield...
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