January 4th, 2012

Microsoft, OEMs Pledging $200 Million For Windows Phone Marketing Push

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If you’re not a Windows fan, then these next few months may not be too pleasant for you. WinSupersite’s Paul Thurrott reports that Microsoft and OEM friends like Nokia and Samsung will be spending around $200 million in order give Windows Phone a big marketing push in early 2012. → Read More

January 3rd, 2012

Nokia Ace (Lumia 900) Specs Trickle Out

Nokia-Ace

Until now the 4G LTE-capable Nokia Ace (or Lumia 900, if you prefer) has been largely a mystery. We got a peek at some leaked press shots last week (pictured), but all we’ve heard is that it’ll hit AT&T shelves on March 18, it’ll be powered by the Windows Phone platform, and that it’ll come equipped with an LTE radio.

Today, however, PocketNow claims to have confirmed the specs on this bad… → Read More

December 29th, 2011

LTE-Capable Windows Phones Should Ship In The First Half Of 2012

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There are a lot of naysayers out there when it comes to the Windows Phone platform, but as Robin pointed out a couple of days ago many haven’t really given the OS a fighting chance. Some of it has to do with the fact that people often equate cost with quality, and most Windows phones are (at the moment) rather inexpensive.

But Redmond apparently has plans to get some higher-end devices on the… → Read More

December 28th, 2011

Does Microsoft Really Need A Windows Superphone?

WindowsPhoneRoadmap

A leaked Windows Phone roadmap made the rounds earlier today, and if its contents hold true, then Microsoft will be going big on hardware when it comes time for Windows Phone Apollo to take the stage. Even though the budget-friendly Tango update will hit devices first, Microsoft has apparently made the development of “superphones” a priority for next year. → Read More

December 27th, 2011

Windows Phone Marketplace Hits 50,000 Published Apps

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With Microsoft and Nokia making a pronounced push to expand Windows Phone’s reach, they need the support of their app developers to give the platform some staying power. Fortunately, it looks like Windows Phone is picking up steam up on the app front — All About Windows Phone reports that 50,000 apps have been published in the Windows Phone Marketplace ahead of their initial predictions. → Read More

December 27th, 2011

Giving Windows Phone A Chance

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If you take a look at Techmeme right now, you’ll notice that the top conversation in the tech blogosphere is about Windows Phone, and more specifically why it has failed to catch on compared to Android smartphones in particular (according to Charlie Kindel, former GM of the product division). I’ve read people’s different views on this with great interest, but I feel like something’s missing: the… → Read More

December 15th, 2011

Smart Magazine Is my6sense’s Flipboard With Digital Intuition

my6sense

Back in May, my6sense raised another $1.1 million to continue pushing its digital intuition technology to market.

Today, the company is releasing a brand new product called ‘Smart Magazine’ which can be best described as a Flipboard for iPhone with added digital intuition that helps brings relevant content to its users ‘automagically’.

Except that the company elected to forgo iOS and launch… → Read More

November 29th, 2011

Microsoft Builds A Browser-Based Windows Phone 7 Simulator To Woo iPhone/Android Users

WP7 Sim 2

While the features that Windows Phone 7 can call “exclusive” are few and far between, there’s at least one aspect of it that is absolutely, undeniably original: the user interface.

Called “Metro”, the UI is so unique that it’s almost polarizing — you’ll know whether you love it or hate it within a few seconds. Microsoft is counting on finding a few more lovers in the crowd, it seems: they’ve… → Read More

November 28th, 2011

Microsoft Updates Windows Phone 7 Connector For Mac, Makes It Less Broken

WP7 Connector

If you’ve been having trouble getting your Windows Phone 7 handset to connect with your Mac (I’m sure the hybrid Mac/WP7-owner exists out there somewhere, right?), it’s time to give it another spin — after you’ve taken a trip to the Mac App Store for an update, that is.

Microsoft’s latest release of the Windows Phone 7 Connector is said to fix a number of bugs, including the spotty… → Read More

November 24th, 2011

Yandex To Become Default Search Engine On Windows Phone In Russia

yandex

Yandex, the Russian online search and advertising giant, has teamed up with Microsoft, Nokia, HTC and Samsung to become the default search engine on the latest – and upcoming – Windows Phone smartphones in Russia.

Yandex’s search engine is currently installed on Samsung’s Оmnia W, which is already on sale in Russia, as well as on Nokia’s Windows Phone-powered Lumia 800 and Lumia 710… → Read More

November 22nd, 2011

Windows Phone Marketplace: One Year In

windows-phone-7-marketplace

Mobile analytics firm Distimo has taken a look at Microsoft’s Windows Phone Marketplace one year after its launch in November 2010. Now available in 35 countries worldwide, the store has grown consistently in size and scope since its debut, at a rate of 700 new publishers added per month. But its app download volume, in comparison with market leader iTunes, is still quite small. In fact, it’s 39… → Read More

November 21st, 2011

Four Of The Best Apps From Microsoft’s NYC Mobile Acceleration Week

Mobile Acceleration Week

If you’ve been paying attention this morning, you’re perhaps somewhat aware of a program Microsoft has in place called Mobile Acceleration Week (part of its BizSpark program), where 12 hand-picked startups can access hands-on support and training to build compelling apps for the Windows Phone platform. MAWs happen all over the world all year long, but I was lucky enough to catch up with some of… → Read More

November 21st, 2011

To Build Or Not To Build, That Is The Windows Phone App Dev Question

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A while back, I used one of my phone reviews as a platform to make a desperate, but necessary, plea to developers: Please build cool apps for Windows Phone 7.5. Come to find Microsoft had been making the same plea for a while as part of a broader support program called BizSpark, which gives tech startups from all walks of life ranging from desktop to the cloud to mobile the support they need to… → Read More

November 7th, 2011

Spotify Lands On Windows Phone 7.5 Devices Today

Spotify-for-Windows-Phone-on-Twitpic

Spotify just seems to be popping up everywhere, doesn’t it? In addition to the myriad media streamers and network receivers that Spotify has been appearing on lately, the music streaming service has just entered some wild and woolly new territory: Windows Phone 7.5. → Read More

November 3rd, 2011

Android Still Most Popular Smartphone OS, iOS Holds Steady In Second Place

smartphone-market

According to new data from Nielsen, Android has continued to pick up steam in the United States, and retains its crown as the most-used smartphone OS during Q3 2011. Google’s mobile OS now accounts for 43% of U.S. smartphones, up from the 39% we saw back in July. Apple’s iOS, on the other hand, has remained lock-steady at 28% this whole time, putting it at a distant second. → Read More

October 28th, 2011

Nokia Devises U.S. Strategy, But Can They Pull It Off?

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Nokia’s new Windows Phones won’t hit our shores for at least a few more months, but Nokia’s top brass is already hard at work devising their strategy for cracking the U.S. market. According to Digits, Weber and Nokia are looking to attract first-time smartphone users who feel overwhelmed by other options on the market, and don’t want to pay a princely sum for a new device. → Read More

October 26th, 2011

Nokia Debuts Their First Windows Phones: The Lumia 800 and Lumia 710

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It’s nice and early in London, and Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has finally put to rest months of speculation today by unveiling Nokia’s first batch of Windows Phones at the Nokia World conference. It’s been a long time coming — news of a Nokia/Microsoft partnership first broke back in February — but Nokia has at long last debuted the Lumia 710 and the Lumia 800. → Read More

October 24th, 2011

T-Mobile HTC Radar 4G Gets $99 Price Tag, November 2 Launch Date

htcradar

Calling all T-Mobile Windows Phone fans — you can finally put your aging HD7s out to pasture. T-Mobile has just announced that the Mango-powered HTC Radar will officially debut on November 2, and it’ll cost you just a hair under $100 after a $50 mail-in rebate. → Read More

October 13th, 2011

Can Microsoft Salvage Windows Phone?

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When Microsoft launched Windows Phone last year, I was of the opinion that it was a platform that would never build steam. The entrenched players – iOS, RIM, and Android – already controlled the market, and the hiatus between the last Windows Mobile phone and the first Windows Phone was too long for even the most dedicated or curious customers to wait.

It seems that this was… → Read More

October 3rd, 2011

Sony Ericsson CEO: We Should Have Taken The iPhone More Seriously

nordberg

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Sony Ericsson President and CEO Bert Nordberg made a number of interesting statements about the iPhone, Android, Windows Phone and Motorola.

Defending the decision to pick Android as the choice operating system for its mobile handsets, Nordberg posits that it was ‘the best choice they could have made’ considering its rapid growth, but also… → Read More

September 27th, 2011

T-Mobile Spots HTC Radar 4G On Horizon, Set For Holiday Launch

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Looks like the HD7 won’t be the only Windows Phone on T-Mobile’s shelves for much longer. Right on the heels of yesterday big smartphone announcement, T-Mobile has pulled back the curtains on the newest Windows Phone in their lineup: the HTC Radar 4G.

The Radar was one of two Windows Phones revealed at IFA by HTC, and while AT&T made sure to snag the big boy, the Radar is no slouch. It… → Read More

September 27th, 2011

Microsoft Begins Rolling Out Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango”

Mango

Microsoft promised just a few days back that the Windows Phone 7.5 update (otherwise known as “Mango”, because updates need funny little names now) would roll out “sometime in the next week or two” — and sure enough, said roll out has just begun.

As for who it’s rolling out to… that’s still a bit of a mystery. → Read More

September 26th, 2011

Trademark Watch: Windows Phone 7.5 Will “Put People First”

windowsphone

Microsoft has filed for a trademark on “Put People First”, the tagline it has recently attached to the imminent Windows Phone 7.5 update (often referred to as ‘Mango’), which is expected to roll out this or next week.

The tagline has thus far appeared on Microsoft’s Windows Phone Facebook page and in promotional YouTube videos (see below). By filing for a trademark on the slogan, Microsoft aims… → Read More

August 31st, 2011

Nokia Exec Leaves After 21 Years To Start ‘Vision+’ Fund, Promptly Partners With Nokia

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Nokia this morning announced that Tero Ojanperä, former CTO and currently Executive Vice President and a member of the company’s ‘Leadership Team’, is leaving the flailing phone manufacturer at the end of this month, after serving Nokia for 21 years.

He will take on a new role as managing partner of a new investment fund called Vision+. Amusingly, Vision+ has already formed a deep partnership→ Read More

August 23rd, 2011

Windows Phone Reaches 30,000 Apps, Opens Marketplace to Mango Submissions

windows-phone-mango

There are now 30,000 mobile applications available for Windows Phone, Microsoft’s newest mobile operating system. That’s a huge jump from the 11,500 apps Microsoft reported back in March, but still far short of industry leaders, iOS and Android. For comparison purposes, there are 425,000 iOS apps and over 250,000 on Android, at least according to the latest official reports. But 30K apps isn’t… → Read More

August 20th, 2011

Is “Jupiter” the Future of Windows…PC, Phone &Tablet?

jupiter

Is Silverlight really dead, or is it the future of Microsoft’s Windows 8 and Windows Phone? This is a question weighing on the minds of legions of Microsoft developers right now – developers who were once promised that Silverlight was the answer to their cross-platform, cross-browser compatibility woes, only to be later informed that JavaScript and HTML5 will be the tools used to build Windows 8… → Read More

August 18th, 2011

Bing’s “We’re In” Windows Phone App is Foursquare’s Other Half

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On the rare occasions that I’m not sitting in a chat room and writing about phones, I usually play the role of “hang-out coordinator” among my friends. You probably have too: messaging people to see who’s available, finding out who wants to eat what, getting ETAs from prospective partiers, the works. It’s a bit draining to say the least, but if you’re usually stuck with that responsibility and you… → Read More

August 16th, 2011

Microsoft Unveils Mango’s New Games Hub Features And Xbox Live Titles

mangogameshub

Windows Phone Mango is already primed and ready to compete with iOS and Android, but that doesn’t mean Microsoft is resting on its laurels. Quite the opposite actually.

As anticipation builds, Microsoft continues to add features to make this platform even better than what was expected. Today, the company added a handful of new features to the Games Hub, along with the announcement of 14 new… → Read More

August 1st, 2011

Windows Phone Logo Refresh Fits A Square Peg In A Round Hole

finished

Well, what is this we have popping up all over the place? It’s pretty familiar with that Windows logo in the center, but shouldn’t it be bundled nicely in a circle? Nope. Not anymore.

According to Japanese Windows Phone evangelist Takahashi, that little glowing Windows Phone circle is no more — the revolutionary and innovative shape called “square” will now represent Windows… → Read More

July 18th, 2011

Report: Fujitsu To Launch World’s First Windows Mango Cell Phone In Japan Next Month

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

First, Fujitsu-Toshiba unveiled the world’s first Symbian/Windows 7 dual boot cell phone in May, now this: Japanese business daily The Nikkei is reporting that the same company is ready to out the first handset in the world running on Windows Phone Mango, the mobile OS that Microsoft officially unveiled in May. → Read More