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All posts tagged "mango"


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Ars Technica: Challenges Getting Windows Phones Updated

Posted by Brad Wasson in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 07:30 AM

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/ne...=1#comments-bar

"If these rumors are true, buying a Lumia 900-or any other Windows Phone handset-is a risky proposition. If you buy subsidized, on-contract handsets, you'll typically be eligible for a new subsidized upgrade every two years. A reasonable expectation, then, would be two years of software support in the form of bugfixes and updates. But if current handsets can't run Windows Phone 8, they'll essentially be cut off from future support in about six months. Developers might still target the older handsets to some extent, but many more will be targeting Windows Phone 8's extended capabilities and richer APIs."

If you are contemplating buying a Windows Phone it will be of interest to you to understand the update strategy from both Microsoft and the carriers proving the phones. As is outlined in this article, it is clearly an uneven playing field and playing strategy from the participants. Ars Technica goes so far as to warn you that buying a Windows Phone like the Nokia Lumia 900 could lead you down a path where you cannot get your phone software updated, depending on which partners are involved. Note that the Android world also has some of these types of issues. It is an in-depth article, but well worth the read, and only takes one click to get there.


Monday, January 16, 2012

Samsung's 2nd Gen Focus - the Focus S

Posted by Don Tolson in "Samsung Windows Phones" @ 08:00 AM

Product Category: Windows Phone 7 Smartphone
Manufacturer: Samsung
Where to Buy: Expansys [affiliate]
Price: $775 USD (unlocked, no contract)
System Requirements: Comes with Windows Phone 7 Mango (7720) installed.
Specifications: 1.4Ghz single core CPU, 16Gb internal storage, 1Gb RAM; 4.3in WVGA (480 x 800) Super AMOLED screen; Quad band (850/900/1800/1900) GPRS, Tri band UTMS (900/1700/2100), HSPA+; GPS; 8mp colour camera w/autofocus + LED flash, 720p HD video recording; BT 2.1 EDR & A2DP; 802.11b/g/n; 3.5mm stereo audio jack; microUSB 2.0; G-Sensor; 124mm (4.96in) x 66mm (2.6in) x 8.4mm (0.33in); 110g (3.9oz). Full specs are available at the Samsung site.

Pros:

  • Large, bright screen with amazing contrast;
  • Light weight, but solidly built;
  • All round, an amazing phone!

Cons:

  • Positioning of the power button makes it easy to 'accidentally' hit and turn it on/off when not intended;
  • A keyboard slider version of this phone would be a big bonus;
  • Sorry, it only comes in black :-).

Summary: The original Samsung Focus, despite some niggling flaws, multiple versions, and difficulties with upgrades, has been the Windows Phone 7 'phone to beat' almost from the day it arrived. While the HTC Titan and HD7 have been making inroads, the Focus still holds a significant portion of the Windows Phone 7 user community. Now, Samsung has issued the successor in two slightly different models - the Focus S with better specs and screen, and the more budget-minded Focus Flash. While not quite the massiveness of the HTC Titan, Samsung has again shown that it can 'lead the pack' in design and features with the Focus S. Read more...


Monday, January 9, 2012

HTC Announces HTC TITAN II - HTC's First 4G LTE Windows Phone

Posted by Brad Wasson in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 12:00 PM

http://www.htc.com

"Packed with advanced imaging technology, the HTC TITAN II features a 16-megapixel camera with a wide-angle lens, autofocus, dual LED flash, red eye reduction, image stabilization, a backside-illuminated sensor and a physical camera button, offering a viable replacement for digital point-and-shoot cameras. The HTC TITAN II delivers a number of features that HTC has developed to help consumers capture photos in a variety of conditions; for instance, panoramic shot for sweeping landscapes and burst shot for action photography. The smartphone also enables 720p HD video recording with the rear-facing camera, as well as on-the-go video chat over Wi-Fi with its 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera.

Today, at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) being held in Las Vegas, Nevada, HTC introduced the HTC TITAN II as the company’s first Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) device to run on a 4G LTE network. Packed with an impressive feature list, including a 4.7-inch LCD display, a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera (for video chat), this phone provides the largest display among Windows Phones, an advanced digital camera and access to 4G LTE speeds. If you are in the market for a new smartphone, be sure to check this out and perhaps buy yourself a "little" present. Read on for the full press release.

Read more...


Thursday, November 17, 2011

Nokia Lumia 900 Coming Too?

Posted by Brad Wasson in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 12:00 PM

http://gizmodo.com/5860427/nokia-lu...per-promo-video

"Ooops, looks like Nokia's let slip that it's got another Windows Phone up its sleeve, and it looks like the rumored Ace - perhaps its true flagship. The video was quickly pulled, but not before someone made a copy."

Our previous post talked about the Nokia Lumia 800. There are also rumors of a Nokia Lumia 900. Check out this video on the Gizmodo site that was captured before it was removed.


Nokia Lumia 800 Preorders Look Promising

Posted by Brad Wasson in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 11:30 AM

http://www.winrumors.com/nokia-lumi...s-at-orange-uk/

"The Lumia 800, which went on sale in the UK on Wednesday, has seen a phenomenal amount of interest from Orange UK customers. Preorders of the device have been higher than any other Nokia handset. 50% of preorders are from existing customers who are eligible for Nokia's free Xbox 360 promotion. "As a result of the level of interest we've had in preorders, we're really positive about the launch of the Nokia Lumia 800 which we believe will be really popular with our customers," said an Orange spokesperson. "This is the largest interest we've had in a Nokia handset, including the huge-selling N95 and 5800 handsets, and our marketing campaign hasn't kicked in yet.""

I'm not sure what you think of these Nokia designs, but I sure do like them. I'm looking forward to seeing one in person. It seems like other people may think the same thing, as preorders are setting records.


Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Why Microsoft Hasn't Upgraded Windows Phone 7 Minimum Specs

Posted by Nurhisham Hussein in "Windows Phone News" @ 11:00 AM

http://www.businessinsider.com/micr...eatment-2011-11

"He says the company gets better battery performance from single-core chips, and isn't sacrificing much. It also allows Microsoft to sell cheaper phones. Right now Microsoft is playing catch up in smartphones, so it's hoping that it can compete on price to make up ground."

Does this make sense to you? Granted the performance differences don't appear to be much, but as apps start demanding more in terms of hardware resources, there will come a point when single core chips just won't cut it. Microsoft might be handicapping itself by not allowing manufacturers more flexibility - you might still be playing catch up down the road because there hasn't been enough experimentation with more advanced hardware. And let's be honest, battery life even with single core chips isn't all that hot either.


Saturday, November 5, 2011

Jil Sander WP7 Available in Austria

Posted by Nurhisham Hussein in "Other Windows Phones" @ 11:00 AM

http://tamsppc.tamoggemon.com/2011/...indows-phone-7/

File this one under "What I would spend on if I had more fashion sense than money sense". Jil Sander is a European fashion house which for a few years was under the Prada Group. Apart from the name, there's nothing much to distinguish the Jil Sander Mobile from any other WP7 design in my eyes apart from the Jil Sander app that's front and center on the device - 3.8" screen, 1GHz CPU and 5MP camera. The unsubsidized retail price is unknown, but it's available through Hutchison Austria for "free" with contract.


Friday, October 28, 2011

The New York Times Applauds Windows Phone 7

Posted by Brad Wasson in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 05:30 AM

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/t...p&smid=fb-share

"Windows Phone 7.5 is gorgeous, classy, satisfying, fast and coherent. The design is intelligent, clean and uncluttered. Never in a million years would you guess that it came from the same company that cooked up the bloated spaghetti that is Windows and Office. Most impressively, Windows Phone is not a feeble-minded copycat. Microsoft came up with completely fresh metaphors that generally steer clear of the iPhone/Android design (grid-spaced icons that scroll across home pages)."

David Pogue, New York Times columnist, Missing Manual publisher, and Emmy-winning CBS new correspondent knows a thing or two about the tech industry. If you are familiar with the Missing Manual series of books from O'Reilly Media, you will also be aware that David knows a lot about the Mac platform and all things Apple. So, it is with quite a bit of interest that I read his October 26 column on Windows Phone 7. In short, he is very impressed with it. The column covers both the shortcomings and nice features of the platform, including the new audio and visual searching, character recognition, translation, voice recognition, Xbox integration, and more. Pogue concludes the column with some analysis of why Windows Phone 7 is not as successful as you might expect, and he has hopes that the success will grow.


Monday, October 17, 2011

Monday Reflection: RIM's Malaise A WP7 Opportunity?

Posted by Brad Wasson in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 10:30 AM

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20...-now/?tag=rtcol

"Here's the thing about BlackBerry users: We're people who, at least when it comes to our phones, appreciate function over form. We've stuck with our little, not terribly stylish bricks because they worked. They didn't drop calls at bad moments. The e-mail came in and was easy to access. The point was simplicity, lack of worry. It just worked. Can I really say that now?"

CNET's Jim Kerstetter has written an editorial suggesting his days of being a dedicated BlackBerry user might be over. If I read his editorial correctly, I think the reason can be summed up as: his perceived benefit of the BlackBerry platform has been pushed to the brink with yet another service outage, leaving the other platforms much more attractive than perhaps they were before.

I was a BlackBerry user for six years before switching about a year ago. I haven't looked back. I prefer the physical models of the other platforms, their user-interfaces and availability of apps. I am not aware of a service outage in the last year on my platform. I think I would have a hard time to go back to the BlackBerry platform. Are there others out there like me? I bet there are a lot.

So, is this an opportunity for Microsoft and Windows Phone 7? I think it is. For one reason, anyone who might have been teetering on the edge of switching from the BlackBerry platform (assuming they have control over that decision) might just have had that little nudge they needed. We have become so dependent on multiple forms of communication through our smartphones (e-mail, text/instant messaging, voice, video, broadcasting (tweeting)), that even an hour without service can be annoying. Another reason is that the timing might just be perfect - Microsoft's new Mango version of the WP7 operating system is hitting mainstream and garnering attention the platform needs. Combine that with the BlackBerry users' drifting eyes and there might just be an interesting intersection point being formed.

It could be an opportunistic period of time for Microsoft and WP7 in the lead up to the holiday season. Your opinion please: is this a realistic opportunity for Microsoft, or just a speed bump for RIM?


Sunday, October 16, 2011

Mango Talks And Listens Too

Posted by Nurhisham Hussein in "Windows Phone Software" @ 01:00 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF5I...player_embedded

Siri on the iPhone 4S has been touted as a game changer - fair enough, it's a fantastic implementation of voice control on a mobile. But Mango has speech highlights of its own so you won't feel too left out. Check out the video for how to get the best out of the new speech features of WP7.5.


HTC Titan Reviewed

Posted by Nurhisham Hussein in "HTC Windows Phones" @ 11:00 AM

http://www.slashgear.com/htc-titan-...eview-12187565/

"Rarely does a gadget's name quite so well describe its nature, as is the case with the HTC Titan. A huge 4.7-inch display packed into a battleship-strong metal chassis, the TItan is an unapologetic slab of Windows Phone 7. Question is, can Mango provide sufficient sweetness to balance the Titan's brutal charms, or are HTC's big ambitions in for an equally big fall? Check out the full SlashGear review to find out."

Slashgear delivers a review of HTC's flagship Titan - 4.7" screen, 1.5GHz processor and an 8MP camera to go along with the usual bevy of sensors. WP7.5 comes standard as does HTC Hub, so as its about as up to date as you might expect. The verdict: despite the size, it's easier to handle than you'd expect and hardware's rock solid.


Friday, October 14, 2011

WiFi Tether Chart Posted for Confused Consumers

Posted by Adan Galvan in "Windows Phone News" @ 08:00 AM

http://www.wpsauce.com/2011/10/devi...ifi-tether.html

When Mango was released, there were a lot of questions about which devices would get which features. High on the requested list was the addition of WiFI tethering. However, Microsoft came out shortly after announcing the feature to say that not all devices would be getting the functionality. Of course, in typical Microsoft fashion, there was little to no direction on exactly which devices would be upgraded. WPSauce has come to the rescue, and has posted a nice list with information on which phones can/will be upgraded. Click on the link for all the details.

Tags: hardware, wifi, mango

HTC Radar Review

Posted by Brad Wasson in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 07:00 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/11/...c-radar-review/

"With its smaller screen, slower CPU and lower-res camera, it was easy to overlook the Radar as it debuted alongside its larger, bulkier sibling, the HTC Titan. Even we were blinded by shock and awe, but after spending time with the little guy, we must say we're quite smitten. Moreover, it's going to be a tearful goodbye when we're forced to send the little runt back home."

I'm certainly not afraid to admit it. I really like HTC smartphones. I've used one for the past fourteen months, and have really come to appreciate its build quality and design. So, it's no surprise to me that Engadget has become somewhat smitten with the HTC Radar. Its diminutive size next to the HTC Titan won't matter a bit to some people, and its 8 GB storage limitation won't trip up others. If you are one of those people, then this phone needs your careful consideration. It's another example of form and functionality that we would have simply not believed was possible even a few years ago. Specs, pictures and video at the Read link.


Demand For Windows Phone 7 Models On The Upswing?

Posted by Brad Wasson in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 06:12 AM

http://www.wpcentral.com/windows-ph...ing-demand-ebay

"Here's some interesting statistics that jive nicely with that earlier Australian report on the HTC Mozart. At least on eBay in the UK demand, as measured by increasing prices, has been on the upswing for the last few weeks for certain Windows Phone models, specifically the HTC Mozart, Dell Venue Pro and HTC 7 Pro--basically the creme of the crop, if you ask us."

I'm personally not so sure you can read a lot into these statistics, but here you have it. The wpcentral.com site has an article suggesting that the price of WP7 handsets on eBay may be an indication of rising demand. Note that this only applies to certain models. I think there may be too many factors to link this directly to demand, but who knows, there may be something to it.


Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Detailed Mango (Windows Phone 7.5) Overview Leaves Positive Impression

Posted by Brad Wasson in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 06:00 PM

http://pocketnow.com/windows-phone/...phone-75-review

"With Windows Phone 7, Microsoft has gone in a completely different direction from what they had been doing with Windows Mobile since the turn of the century. They now intend to really take responsibility for the platform. Android has taken over the exact same model that the failed Windows Mobile originally excelled at and there are plenty of signs of the same problems. Apple went to the other extreme and manages absolutely every little thing about their iPhone. Microsoft is trying to take all of the good things about both the wild-forest anything-goes philosophy and the walled-garden my-way-or-the-highway philosophy in order to make a more middle-of-the-road type of ecosystem that will be pleasant for users, developers, carriers, and manufacturers all the same."

Unless you are brand new to the Windows Phone 7 world, you will have likely heard about the next iteration of the platform that Microsoft has been working on for some time. Recently released, Windows Phone 7.5, code-named Mango, has been teasing us with all sorts of promised enhancements, fix ups, and core improvements. Reviews are starting to appear, and from what I've been reading there are many positive impressions of what Microsoft has done. The linked review by Adam Z Lein on the pocketnow.com website is a very comprehensive walkthrough of the new update. Complete with screen captures and video, this should provide you with a very good understanding of what is new and enhanced. Read the review and I think you will have a good idea why positive vibes are emanating about the future of this platform. Agree or disagree? Drop back to our forum and share your thoughts.


Thursday, September 22, 2011

Mango's Around The Corner

Posted by Nurhisham Hussein in "Windows Phone News" @ 09:00 PM

http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_...-on-timing.aspx

""For months, we and dozens of our partner companies have been laying the groundwork for the Windows Phone 7.5 update-and making solid progress. As a result, we now expect to start rolling it out in the next week or two. At that time, we'll also refresh the Where's My Phone Update? table to reflect the worldwide rollout status."

It's almost here, but given the vagaries of the update process and the vagueness of the statement, I think an October 1st rollout is the likeliest, with as long as a month until everyone gets it. There's a real dependency on carrier testing, even if Microsoft's actually pushing out the updates, and given the trouble with NoDo, there's no guarantees the process will be smooth sailing.


Monday, September 19, 2011

Video Calling On Windows Phone 7

Posted by Brad Wasson in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 04:30 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/15/...tc-titan-video/

"Looks like Mango's got yet another trick up its sleeve -- at least, a trick that'll be noticeable on HTC's looming Titan. Windows Phone Director Aaron Woodman -- the same Aaron that stopped by our own Engadget Show a few months back -- recently paused to show off a Tango video calling application on the aforementioned handset. We knew good and well that the front-facing Titan camera would be put to use by something, and now you know."

As Mango-based Windows Phone 7 smartphones start to make their appearances it seems that video calling is a possibility if your handset has the capability. The mammoth HTC Titan seems to be able to do it!


Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Business Insider Breaks Down Mango

Posted by Adan Galvan in "Windows Phone News" @ 01:00 PM

http://www.businessinsider.com/wind...eatures-2011-9#

Business Insider is one of my favorite business blogs. They also cover the latest in the tech world, and they seem very impressed with Windows Phone Mango. They've put together a nice slide-show showing off some of their favorite features in Mango. It should only be a short time before Mango is released by Microsoft (and afterwards by carriers). Until then take a look at the slideshow by following the link below.


Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Samsung's AT&T Mango Play

Posted by Richard Chao in "Windows Phone News" @ 10:22 PM

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4765/...o-att-this-fall

"Samsung is starting their roll out of Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) devices."

Samsung's Focus Windows Phone 7 phone is among the top seller in the WP7 line. Now, Samsung is looking to continue that success with the release of the Focus S and Focus Flash. Both devices are destined for AT&T. The Focus S will be sporting a 4.3 inch display while the Focus Flash will be 3.7 inch. Both displays will be of the Super AMOLED variety and both will have front facing cameras. And, just so current Focus owners aren't left behind, AT&T has announced their customers will be among the first to be updated to Mango.

So, which Windows Phone will you get? Samsung, HTC, Nokia...?


Monday, September 12, 2011

AT&T To Unleash The Titan, Focus S and Focus Flash

Posted by Nurhisham Hussein in "HTC Windows Phones" @ 08:00 PM

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?p...|mobile-devices

Fresh off its European debut two weeks ago, the Titan is now coming to AT&T. This monster features a screen diagonal of 4.7" (shades of the Advantage here), a 1.5GHz processor, and 8MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash, all in a package weighing under 6oz (160gms). Cumbersome? It's your choice, though personally I love big screens. Also along for the ride are Samsung's Focus S (4.3" screen, 8MP camera, 1.3MP front camera) and the Focus Flash (3.7" screen, 5MP camera). No due date has been given except for the typically vague "this fall", though I daresay you'll see them in shops before the holiday season.


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