Windows Phone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

Pretty neat technology - although I suspect that it's not a touch screen and an unsure if there are any technological barriers stopping a touch surface from being flexible. Anything that makes our phones more durable with bulk is great in my books!

"We weren't given that much time to look at the device, and we weren't able to actually touch or play with it, but from what they were showing off, it looks like Samsung is determined to offer a quality handset to the Windows Phone 7 Series line-up. Especially along side the two other manufacturers that Microsoft showcased on screen, ASUS and LG, Samsung is definitely in the game. While Microsoft wouldn't elaborate on any real details about the device itself, you can obviously see that the standard hardware keys are on the phone: Back, Start, and Search. Microsoft also pointed out that the Samsung device has a very bright screen (an AMOLED display, perhaps?), and then the camera. The Samsung will have a terrific camera, and considering how beefy it looks on the back of the phone, we are hoping that's very true."

In addition to the Samsung phone being shown, the big news is that the minimum hardware specs are finalized and public...and boy do they rock! Screen resolution will be either WVGA (800 x 480) or HVGA (480 x 320), and while there's no mention of screen size, it's logical to guess that the WVGA devices will have larger physical screens (think 4+ inches) and the HVGA devices will likely be in the 3 inch range. All screens will be capacitive screens with a least four contact points, which means a great multi-touch experience. Read more...

"Now, thanks to a post from Microsoft's Shawn Hargreaves, we know the display resolution for the first batch of Microsoft's next generation phones: 480 x 800 (WVGA) pixels at launch, with a future update that will introduce a 320 x 480 (HVGA) native resolution. Dedicated hardware will ensure image scaling across all those pixels without taxing the GPU."

So much for strictly controlling the hardware. Isn't this how we started down the slippery slope towards the developer nightmare of having to write for multiple screen resolutions? Image scaling sounds nice, until you realize that you're looking at two different aspect ratios (5/3 versus 3/2). Hopefully it'll stop here.

"T-Mobile has the release honors and is now showing the HD2 as "coming soon" in its phone inventory. We've also got the first "in the wild" shots courtesy of TmoNews showing that big Blockbuster shortcut linked front and center for downloading On Demand movies directly to the device. Still no firm price or date but $199.99 on contract ($449.99 unlocked) sometime around 24 March sounds about right"

Photo Courtesy of TmoNews, and a piece by Engadget to as well, are the latest proof that the HD2 is about to drop on T-Mobile USA. Start preparing your credit card or bank account now...

"Pink, the long rumored Microsoft-branded (but not Microsoft-manufactured) phone(s) that features premium mobile services (think Zune) and has also been referred to as Zune phone, is all but officially confirmed now, thanks to leaked third-party marketing materials obtained by Gizmodo. Microsoft did not announce anything regarding the device when it showed off Windows Phone 7 Series, but these documents lay out a promotional plan for Pink in detail, and while they don't talk about specs or software details, they do shed some light on the upcoming mobile phone."

After months of speculation ("It's dead!" "No, it's alive!"), we now have something a bit meatier to chew in to. Gizmodo has the scoop on marketing materials including the above pic of the Turtle, one of the two phones MS is apparently working on. You can catch the details and analysis at Ars Technica. Meanwhile, Engadget has a really blurry pic of the other phone in the lineup - the Pure - as well as shots of the dialer. There's still no confirmation on what OS will be running the hardware, but I don't think it's likely to be WP7S.

"Microsoft's Aaron Woodman just pulled off a little surprise here at The Engadget Show: he brought out LG's Windows Phone 7 Series pre-production prototype! The QWERTY slider is the first branded Windows Phone 7 Series device the world's ever seen"

5 MP Camera! Flash! 3.5 mm Jack! And more pictures available over on Engadget's site. And while I like the look of the front, I'm not too crazy about the keypad's buttons. Thoughts?

"The Pharos 565 is a ruggedized Windows Mobile 6.5 PDA with a full QWERTY keyboard, QVGA color touch screen, built-in GPS receiver, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IrDA and RAW IR/SIR. The device comes with a powerful Marvell PXA310 624 MHz CPU, 512 MB Flash ROM, and 256 MB DDR SDRAM. The ruggedized Pharos 565 PDA is compliant with the International Protection Rating (IP54) standard and can resist a drop in a range of 4 ~ 5 feet."

Pharos, a maker of GPS related products including PDA's recently announced their high-end 565 ruggedized PDA with notable features including a powerful GPS receiver, full QWERTY keyboard and Windows Mobile 6.5 (a world "first" for ruggedized PDA's). The 565 is currently available from the Pharos website for $529.95.

"...a pair of Microsoft developer evangelists on an Australian podcast are saying that Chassis 1 (full touchscreen, gigahertz processor, and dedicated graphics acceleration) will be the sole option at launch, with Chassis 2 and 3 following on after that. 2 is said to be "more like a Palm Treo" with a dedicated QWERTY keyboard, while 3 remains a mystery, though there's some speculation on the podcast that it could be a candybar -- a form factor that's becoming something of a lost art these days..."

My biggest concern about Windows phone 7 is about the chassis regulations by Microsoft and the lack of specific hardware features (as I stated in a recent rant). One of the contributing reasons I have stuck with the Windows Mobile platform throughout the years is the diversity of form factors. I would never buy an iPhone due to lack of physical keyboard (and other software limitations) because it drives me crazy hunting down every single button on a screen-only device.

I do expect expect Microsoft to allow several form factor choices for Windows phone 7 Series devices, and not limit us to the "Back, Start Menu and Search" button-only chassis. Only time will tell, but it would be a major killer for me if a Touch Pro II style form factor device running WP7 is out of the question. What do you think the "Chassis 3" form factor will be and what are your thoughts?

"The SIMFi card will allow any regular phone to share its HSPA 3G connection with other devices by acting as a Wi-Fi router. No other special hardware will be required other than a cellular handset with SIM card slot and 3G capabilities."

Sagem Orga along with its partner Telefonica recently introduced the SIMFi, the world's first SIM Card with built Wi-Fi radio. In essence, the SIMFi will allow users to turn their mobile phone (with adequate data plan) into a portable HSPA/Wi-Fi hotspot with the added security that SIM cards provide. This would come in handy for laptop, UMPC or MID users who need a reliable Wi-Fi Internet connection without the hassle or restrictions of tethering or using a carrier's broadband access card.

This is great news, but I wonder how it would affect battery life of the phone used. No information on pricing or availability has been announced yet, but we'll keep you posted. Click here to read the full press release and tell us your thoughts.

We first saw the P300 going through Bluetooth SIG certification - at MWC Acer launched both the P300 (turns out its got a slide out keyboard) and the slightly higher-spec P400 (picture above). Both have Qualcomm processors, 3.2" screens, 3.1MP cameras, 256MB RAM and 512MB ROM, but the P300 has a WQVGA screen while the P400 runs a slightly faster 600MHz processor and sports a HVGA screen. Pricing and availability are still unknown, but from the spec list don't expect either to break the bank.

While no specific date has been officially announced yet, T-Mobile has launched a new web page for the highly anticipated HD2 with general information and mailing list sign up. This is obviously the teaser that T-Mobile posted on their twitter page last week. Judging by T-Mobile's history (as a 6 year customer), I suspect we're about a month away of release.

As of now, the HD2 is the only Windows Mobile device upgradable to Windows Phone 7. Do you plan on getting the HD2 when it's released? While I personally don't plan to (due to lack of physical keyboard), I know it'll be an awesome device nonetheless!

"Disappointed by the bad sales performance of its first Snapdragon powered Windows Phone the TG01, Toshiba decided to kick of this 2010 MWC with a shiny new TG02. Like most handset nowadays our TG02 features a capacitive screen with a 4.1" size and the usual VGA resolution and the same old 1GHz snapdragon. Running Windows 6.5 the TG02 also features a new fancy 3D Menu desperately trying to catch up with HTC UI...Now if you prefer devices with a full QWERTY keyboard, well you are in luck and behold the Toshiba K01. Beside its new OLED screen and keyboard, specs of the K01 are in fact pretty much similar to the TG02."

There's been a slew of new devices introduced at this year's Mobile World Congress, but most have been overshadowed by the Windows Phone 7 Series launch. Almost lost in the shuffle are Toshiba's gorgeous updates of last year's ground-breaking, but ultimately less than successful TG01. The TG02 (slate) and K01 (which includes a hardware QWERTY keyboard) are almost identical to the TG01, but make up for one of its most glaring omissions - both feature 4.1" capacitive screens, and the K01's screen is OLED to boot. Toshiba's proprietary panel UI also seems to have been dropped in favor of the latest version of SPB's Mobile Shell (good move if you ask me). Check out the link for the press release or drop by on Engadget's hands-on video and photo gallery. You might not see these in North America (the TG01 never made it), but you never know.

HTC launched three new devices at MWC yesterday (click the link for Engadget's commentary during the press event). The Legend and the Desire will both run Android, but the last of the trio is the HD Mini which will run on Windows Mobile 6.5.3. That's honestly a bit of a come down after all the excitement over Microsoft's big Windows Phone 7 Series launch yesterday, but the Mini isn't a slouch by any means and is quite likely to be successful given it's positioning as a mid-level/entry level device (remember the Magician and all its variants?). Engadget has a hands-on gallery (and soon to come video) on the new device, which will sport a 600MHz processor, HTC Sense, a 3.2" capacitive screen, and the usual array of radios. Jason had a chance to discuss the device with HTC - well worth a read for the insight into the thinking behind its design.

"If you'll recall, we spotted a "proof of concept" smartphone dock from the outfit [Celio] 13 months ago, and apparently that very device has shifted out of the R&D lab and into a working product. Now sporting the codename "Moab," the dock essentially brings a keyboard and mouse of your choosing to your smartphone, and it channels the video on your mobile's display onto a bona fide external monitor."

While the concept of a smartphone dock may sound useful to some, I personally would not buy an accessory like this and it seems a bit awkward for the purpose of typing long emails. If I have a keyboard, mouse and monitor lying around, there will more than likely be a notebook nearby to use instead. But still, for some this may be a convenient solution. Do you think a smartphone dock would be a useful accessory to own? Tell us what you think.

"Microsoft have officially launched Windows Phone 7 and with it the Windows Phone Series, promising we'll see the first devices on the market in time for the holiday 2010 shopping season. Windows Phone 7 marks a new, more end-user aware phase for the platform, with Zune and Xbox integration, together with stricter controls over the overall end-user experience: third-party UIs, such as HTC Sense, will not be allowed (though OEMs will be able to add into the new WP7 UI), and while they're not yet revealing the details, Microsoft have a long technical specifications list for handset manufacturers that will better standardize the platform."

Slashgear got their hands on a Windows Phone 7 Series demo model at MWC and has some interesting initial observations on it. Interesting stuff! It's a good day to be a Windows Phone fan!

"So, we had a few precious moments to play around with Garmin-Asus' latest Nuvifones here in lovely Barcelona today -- the M10 and A50, running on Windows Mobile 6.5.3 and Android 1.6, respectively -- and even better, we did so in the back of a black Mercedes expressly purposed for testing out the integrated turn-by-turn capabilities"

The Windows Mobile 6.5.3 powered Asus Nuvifone M10 (And it's Android 1.6 powered brother, the A50) got a bit of hand-time with Engadget in Barcelona. Check out their piece for more details and impressions on both phones. Personally I'm thinking both phones operating systems seem a bit dated though. Android 2.1 is running on some devices, and 6.5.3 seems way too long of a version number. Perhaps we'll a shorter Win Mo version number soon...

Engadget is reporting that the new M10, which was first barely spotted just over a week ago, has been reviewed by Russian site Hi-Tech@Mail.ru. Basic specs are confirmed (600MHz processor, 512 RAM, 4GB storage, 5MP camera) as well as the presence of WM6.5.3, although I still haven't seen confirmation whether the camera is fixed- or auto-focus. Asus apparently haven't done much to customise the experience, leaving it to the new WM6.5.3 interface which apparently works well enough. Plenty of photos and screenshots at the HTMR site (Google translation here).

Product Category: PDA Phone

Manufacturer: Samsung

Where to Buy: Sprint

Price: $449.99 USD; $149.99 with a new or upgrade 2 year contract

Specifications: From the Samsung site

Pros:

• Great keyboard;
• Design provides a good balance of features for business and pleasure;
• Auto focus feature on camera.

Cons:

• Windows Mobile 6.5 provides limited touch friendly control;
• Stylus is very hard to remove;
• Slow auto focus.

Summary: Windows Mobile 6.5 has hit the marketplace in a big way and phones featuring it are widely available from all of the major US providers. Among its offerings, Sprint features the Samsung Intrepid, a Windows Mobile phone in the classic BlackBerry-style form factor. The Intrepid distinguishes itself in that it's based on Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional, which adds a touch screen featured on only a small handful of devices of this style currently available from US carriers and not offered on BlackBerrys. So let's see if the combination of touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard puts the Intrepid at or near the top of the "must have" list. Read more...

Spied going through certification at the Bluetooth SIG, the Acer P300 (on the left in the pic above) has precious few details attached to it, save that it will run Windows Mobile and have BT2.0+EDR and WiFi b/g. From the form factor, my guess is that it'll also have WVGA screen - but apart from that, your guess is as good as mine as to what the P300 is packing. More than likely, we'll see this launched at MWC in Barcelona which will begin in just under a weeks time (Feb15-18).

"Hand-held devices could soon have pressure-sensitive touch-screens and keys, thanks to a UK firm's material that exploits a quantum physics trick.The technology allows, for example, scrolling down a long list or webpage faster as more pressure is applied."

Samsung has just licensed a new hardware technology that allows for greater pressure sensitivity in screens and keys. So what's so special about "quantum tunneling composite"? The two biggest knocks on resistive screens are that they're not sensitive enough to use easily with your fingers, plus the screen registers touches as either on or off with no in-betweens. On the other hand, you can use practically anything to interact with it. Capacitive screens on the other hand are great at touch sensitivity, but you need a special stylus/pen to get pressure sensitivity. QTC might just be capable of combining the best of both technologies - use anything you like, plus pressure sensitivity, plus touch sensitivity - all in a package as thin as a human hair. Now won't that be worth seeing? Samsung is already using QTC in hardware keys in a limited way on some handsets. Hopefully the technology will have progressed enough to put into screens in the near future.