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They have the technology? US government briefly shows iOS on a Lumia 920 (updated)
In a 30-second PSA about its wireless emergency alerts, the US government has adopted a similar approach to those fictional smartphone mash-ups we've seen on the TV. The ad shows those familiar WinPho buttons housed within a white polycarbonate Lumia 900 Lumia 920, paired with a less familiar iOS 6 lock screen. Now, as with those broody serials we love so much, we doubt there's any grounding in reality, but FEMA, somewhere, you're making a wishful Apple and Nokia fan's dreams (appear to) come true. Check it out after the break. Update: As very many of you have spotted, that distinct bottom can only belong to a Lumia 920, rather than the 900 as we originally reported. We stand corrected!
AT&T's Lumia 900 gets a second life through Windows 7.8 update
Plans to update the Nokia Lumia 900 with Windows Phone 7.8 have been slow-going, to say the least. Today, however, marks the beginning of a new life for the aging handset, as it welcomes a much-anticipated 7.8 refresh. Naturally, this means the former flagship is getting an injection of new features and improvements -- namely, that revamped Start screen with flexible tiles. Users will also enjoy various enhancements to the lock screen, including the option to use Bing's image of the day as a wallpaper. Rounding out the list are various other under-the-hood tweaks to make the experience smoother and help close the gap with current smartphone powerhouses. The good news is that it's here now, and can be all yours by following the step-by-steps at the More Coverage link below.
Mystery Nokia smartphone flaunted in European Lumia 920 ad
A recent Nokia Lumia 920 TV commercial from Netherlands carrier KPN Mobiel -- spotted by My Nokia Blog -- shows a curious yellow handset at the five second mark, and after squinting for a bit we're still not sure what we're seeing. It's obviously not a 920, and it doesn't match any other existing models that we can remember. Our mobile experts noticed that it vaguely resembles the Nokia Lumia 822 from US carrier Verizon, but the headphone nub, camera pod position and tapered design don't match that model -- which also appears to be smaller than the one pictured above. Could the Finnish carrier be holding out on us until Mobile World Congress 2013? Or is it some kind of Dutch variant of the 822? We've no idea, but if any of you do, we're sure you'll let us know below. You can scope the video after the fold.
Nokia begins its Windows Phone 7.8 upgrade rollout (video)
Talk of Microsoft finally deploying Windows Phone 7.8 has been building to a crescendo -- and we're glad to confirm it's more than just noise. The more customizable home and lock screens, Marketplace improvements and numerous under-the-hood upgrades are rolling out to all of Nokia's Windows Phone 7.5 devices, starting today and continuing through February. The company hasn't confirmed who goes first, although AT&T's Lumia 900 is believed to be part of the earliest wave. Other upgrades will depend on carrier timing, if you're using a locked phone, but the plan to push 7.8 is still good news for those who've wanted to keep their early Lumias as current as possible.
Nokia Lumia 900 for AT&T may get Windows Phone 7.8 on January 30th
There's been hints of a Windows Phone 7.8 update looming for the AT&T-spec Lumia 900, but little sign of a real timetable. As it turns out, owners hoping to move beyond 7.5 might be satisfied very quickly. Engadget has obtained an AT&T memo that claims the upgrade is rolling out on January 30th -- as in, tomorrow. We don't see any tweaks mentioned beyond what Microsoft itself said last year, although any update would most likely include Nokia-specific extras on top of the official package. We've reached out to AT&T, Microsoft and Nokia, and we'll let you know if they provide tangible details. Whatever their answers, we'll know the truth before long.
Refresh Roundup: week of January 21st, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Nokia reiterates: Windows Phone 7.8 update not arriving on Lumia devices until 2013
While an early leak might have hopefully suggested that Nokia was ready to offer an OS refresh to its first-generation Lumia owners, the company has now explained to Tweakers that those early glimpses of Windows Phone 7.8 were for pre-production models and, presumably, all part of the software testing process. We've stopped clicking the update button, (reluctantly) unplugged our Lumia 800 and are waiting on that Q1 refresh. However, if you're willing to tinker with your Windows Phone's inner workings for the taste of a new OS, there are ways.
Windows Phone 7.8 upgrades appear on Nokia's servers for all eligible Lumias
Lingering concerns that Nokia might not upgrade all its Windows Phone 7.5 roster to 7.8 might have just been put to rest. Just a day after updates for the Lumia 510 and 800 were caught on Nokia's servers through NaviFirm, updates have also been spotted for those devices that didn't make the initial cut: the Lumia 610, 710 and 900 have all appeared, each with numerous region-specific updates in tow. Their existence still doesn't constitute a formal update, so be aware that you're gambling with your phone's health if you install them without any word from Microsoft or Nokia. Suffice it to say that full availability is clearly getting close -- and that it's less probable any Lumia will be left behind.
IRL: Logitech UE 900 headphones, Nokia Lumia 900 and the Galaxy Note II
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. This week Darren is back, test-driving a $400 pair of Ultimate Ears headphones, while Steve tells us about his new Galaxy Note II. Rounding things out, Jon takes a trip to the bargain basement and picks up a discounted Lumia 900. Read on to find out how much the gang likes their new loot.
The Engadget Interview (captured with Lumia 920): Nokia CEO Stephen Elop on WP8 and beyond
Do you know what's better than one interview with Stephen Elop? Two interviews in one month. We'd barely recovered from yesterday's bout of nostalgia when we were given the opportunity to sit down with Nokia's CEO in his office at the company's HQ. Better yet, we were allowed to record the discussion with a hand-held Lumia 920 prototype. The resulting video is remarkably stable. Full disclosure: the audio was recorded with a shotgun mic mounted on a Sony NEX-C3 camera. We talked about HTC's colorful "signature" Windows Phone 8X and 8S and what that means for the Nokia-Microsoft partnership. Next we asked if Nokia is planning to work with carriers to offer incentives for existing Lumia owners to upgrade to the company's 920 and 820 handsets. Finally, we discussed the evolution of PureView imaging technology from the 808 to the 920 and how Nokia plans to combine these building blocks in the future. Hit the break for our video interview.
Nokia reaffirms WP 7.8 support for existing Lumia handsets, announces handful of features
Nokia's legacy Lumia devices won't be graced with Windows Phone 8, but the company has reaffirmed its support for keeping them fresh with version 7.8 of Microsoft's handset OS. In addition to a revamped start screen, the introduction of City Lens and other expected perks, Espoo is tossing in a few extras. Among the new additions are the Cinemagraph GIF creator, a ringtone maker app, updates to Smart Group Shot and Bluetooth support for both file transfers and the firm's Contact Share application. Yearning to load up your smartphone with the raft of new features? Elop and Co. say the upgrades will be be rolled out in phases for the Lumia 610, 710, 800 and 900 models, but promise more details when their ETAs close in.
Nokia: 7 million Lumia phones sold to date in 54 countries, 4 million in the last quarter
Fresh on the heels of the much-anticipated Lumia 920 announcement, some new figures have come to light regarding its predecessors' success. According to the Finnish phone-maker, a total of 7-million Windows Phone / Lumia devices have shipped to date. The firm was also keen to point out that this number comes from 54 markets in total -- some 130 different operators. While this might seem modest, especially with only 600,000 of those sales being in the US, 4-million of those Lumia devices were sold in Q2, roughly double that of the preceding two quarters, so things are on the up. Now it just remains to see what impact any new Windows Phone 8 phones will have.
Refresh Roundup: week of August 13th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Engadget's back to school guide 2012: smartphones
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we're tapping away on our brand-new smartphones -- and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of August we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- you can hit up the hub page right here! It's a good time to be a student. Last year, there were some solid picks, but it was still very clear that those willing to scrimp and save a little longer had a much better experience. This year, it's a people's revolution. Thanks to cutthroat competition, there are some exceptional phones out there, even for those of you hoping to avoid eating ramen noodles for a month. Software has taken a leap forward too, with many phones now offering a vital way to remember when that term paper is due... or to procrastinate at the pub. We have nine choices of phones in our shortlist, spread out across three categories to serve everyone from the I-just-need-a-phone freshman to the overloaded doctoral candidate. While you're eying the selection, don't forget to enter our giveaway and potentially ease the burden -- who knows, you may get a phone you want rather than the one dictated by your student loan.
Nokia Drive offline navigation review: taking the Lumia 900 for an off-the-grid spin
I've sung praises about it for years, but it seems like only now the industry is getting on the same train of thought. It could be my unnatural adoration of travel, or just an entirely healthy fear of getting lost, but offline navigation has long since been a top priority for me when choosing a mobile device. Or, more importantly, a mobile operating system. For the longest while, iOS forced my hand to Android due to Google Maps Navigation being available only on the latter, and while even that wasn't offline, it still far surpassed any other routing app in terms of system integration, map updates and general silkiness. Even dating back to our 2010 mobile GPS shootout, Nokia has been a player. At that time, it was the outfit's Ovi Maps leading the pack, offering the only legitimate offline solution amongst a legion of ho-hum alternatives that required bits of data to keep you on track. But frankly, there wasn't a Symbian device in Nokia's stable that could show up my Nexus One in terms of overall utility, so begrudgingly, I pushed it aside. Eventually, Google came around and added caching to routes, which effectively downloaded all routing guidance along your path as soon as you plugged in a destination. The killer, however, was that it wouldn't take too kindly to veering far from that path should you ever drop signal. Close, but no cigar. Fast forward to today, and we've got Google Maps already working in offline mode for Android 2.2+ devices. Furthermore, the company's Brian McClendon confessed to us at its June 2012 'Maps' event that it's "committed" to bringing all of the app's features to iOS (and potentially other platforms). But in my haste to find something in the here and now, I recently turned to the Lumia 900 for guidance. Literally. Back in late March, the Lumia-exclusive Nokia Drive application gained full offline access, and I sought to use the handset exclusively to navigate a 1,900-mile trek through some of America's most remote locales. How'd it go? Join us after the break to find out. %Gallery-159721%
Refresh Roundup: week of July 9th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Nokia and AT&T cut Lumia 900 price to $50, sweeten the Windows Phone 7.8 pot
Early Lumia 900 adopters might feel spurned knowing that their devices won't get any near-future upgrades beyond Windows Phone 7.8, but AT&T and Nokia are hoping that some new customers just need a little incentive to forgive the OS ceiling. As of now, the Lumia 900 has taken a permanent price cut to $50 on contract, whether it's one of the early color options or pretty in pink. Although the price drop might not take power users' eyes off of the Windows Phone 8 prize, it could make the Lumia 900 a low-hanging fruit for more than a few newcomers.
Pink Nokia Lumia 900 headed for AT&T July 15th, demands a Psychedelic Furs ringtone
That Nokia Lumia 900 Batman edition not quite your thing? Looks like the Windows Phone handset's getting yet another version, this time in an eye-catching pink. The new color joins white, black and cyan, heading exclusively to AT&T this Sunday, July 15th. Need some apps to run on that 1.4Ghz processor? Nokia recommends Groupon, Fruit Ninja and the Instagram-esque Apict, for interested parties.
Nokia's Play To app now available for Lumia devices, enables DLNA-connectivity
Hot on the heels of its Camera Extras app, Nokia is again satiating Lumia owners' hunger for expanded features with its recently released (and officially out of beta) Play To app for Windows Phone. For those unfamiliar, this essentially Espoo's take on DLNA, allowing you to stream multimedia from your phone to any DLNA-equipped devices connected within your local network. As My Nokia Blog notes, the app has gladly arrived earlier than expected, and it's free to download just like the company's other Lumia-exclusive offerings in the Marketplace (a.k.a. the Nokia collection). So what are you waiting for? Hit up the Marketplace from your device to download it for yourself and let us know how it goes in the comments.
Refresh Roundup: week of June 18th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
