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Mobile Miscellany: week of May 7th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Sprint reassured us with optimism for Windows Phone 8, and T-Mobile's CEO found a new partner to continue the fight against Verizon's AWS acquisition. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of May 7th, 2012.
Skype app won't work on low-end Windows Phone devices (update: works on Lumia 610)
Buried within Skype's announcement that its app has finally graduated from beta on Windows Phone, the mention of a 512MB minimum memory requirement reveals that the Internet phone service won't -- currently -- work with the likes of Nokia's Lumia 610 and the ZTE Tania. Skype has logged this under "current issues", which we hope means the company is working tirelessly to squeeze the app into cheaper Windows Phone hardware. Other features still being worked on include Bluetooth compatibility and Skype SMS messaging support. C'mon, they're part of the family now -- can't they all just get along? Update: Nokia's told us that it's now got the Skype app working on the Lumia 610.
ZTE's Tango-running Mimosa gets pictured, benchmarked (update: nope)
If you thought ZTE's insatiable lust for Windows Phone handsets ended with the Tania and the Orbit, then you haven't been keeping up with the company's plan for global domination. WPDang has revealed that the ZTE Mimosa is going to occupy the same Tango-ified strata of the market as the Lumia 610. While it shares a name with Android-powered Mimosa X, it won't share specs. Apparently it's only packing an 800MHz Qualcomm CPU -- confirmed when the handset appeared in WPBench. Unfortunately our choice will remain binary: the Mimosa isn't likely to be released outside of China. Update: Dang! Turns out there's been some misunderstanding. WPDang didn't clarify that the phone pictured is just the good old Tania; and this article was based on its sources rather than on what was displayed at the Windows Phone launch event in Beijing (we were there, too). Bearing in mind that this website's missed a few of its own "exclusives" (WP devices from Sony at CES and MWC, and new WP device from ZTE at MWC), we're inclined to not put too much hope into WPDang's latest report.
ZTE Orbit is (another) budget Windows Phone: 4-inch display, 1GHz processor, 4GB storage
Remember the ZTE Tania? Well, the Orbit has similar specs, a nicer name and is destined for "major markets" around the world. There's a 4-inch 800 x 480 screen, a single-core 1GHz Qualcomm processor, 5-megapixel camera, 4GB of onboard storage and a full 512MB of RAM. HSDPA data flows at up to 7.2Mbps, while there's also an FM radio, a full complement of sensors, DLNA and NFC. It's scheduled to become available in the second quarter of this year, likely around the same time that the Tania hits the UK. Press release after the break.
ZTE pays Microsoft around $27 for each Windows Phone made
How much does it cost to license Microsoft's latest and greatest mobile OS? A fair bit it seems. While numbers have been bandied around before, this is the first time a per-handset figure was to an internal employee -- this time, the portfolio manager for ZTE UK, no less. Pegged at $27 per ZTE smartphone, TrustedReviews managed to get those licensing beans spilled at the glitzy London launch of the company's first Windows Phone, the ZTE Tania. The fee flies in the face of open-source Android, which requires no price to install on handsets. Microsoft, however, is still keeping an eye on its Google rival, collecting patent licensing fees from several major phone manufacturers. ZTE hasn't yet commented on the figure.
ZTE Tania arrives in the UK: a budget phone for budget buyers
ZTE's showing off its new global ambitions, the OEM-smartphone maker brought a party bus to London and asked Professor Green (everyone's favorite nasally-challenged Grime MC) to spread the word about the Tania. It's a modestly-kitted 4.3-inch WVGA (800 x 480) Windows Phone, erm, phone, that's running Mango on a single-core 1GHz chip, 512MB of RAM and 4GB internal storage. 'Round back there's a five megapixel camera, but sadly nothing up top for impromptu video calling. It'll be available on contract on second-tier operators like Virgin Mobile, Brightpoint and Go Mobile for "around" the £10 - £20 per-month price range, but word on the street is that it'll be available to purchase for a none-too-painful £250 ($390).
Mobile Miscellany: week of November 14, 2011
This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of November 14, 2011: Sony Ericsson has teamed up with Ingram Micro, a distributor that ships phones to Amazon, Buy.com, Best Buy and Newegg, to expand the distribution of its Android lineup in the US. The deal will include a healthy chunk of the Xperia series, including the arc S. [PRNewswire] Like the Motorola Defy+ but it's just not tough enough? Check out the limited-edition JCB version of the rugged device, which adds a hardcore JCB case, a special app with handyman tools and a two-year extended warranty. And it can be yours through Clove on December 6th for £219. [TechDigest] Verizon introduced the LG Extrovert, a prepaid device with a slide-out four-row QWERTY, 2.8-inch WQVGA (400 x 240) touchscreen display, 2MP camera and expandable storage. It, however, lacks 3G data. It's all yours on Verizon's prepaid site for $110. [PhoneArena] Speaking of Big Red, the rugged Casio Gz'One Ravine 2 was launched this week, and can be yours for $150 with a two-year contract. [PhoneScoop] The BlackBerry Bold 9790, announced this week, is confirmed to show up in the UK on Vodafone and O2, likely sometime in January. [Unwired View] SFR is selling the ZTE Tania, but it appears to be sold as a carrier-branded Windows Phone. You can purchase it without a contract for €269, or with a two-year commitment for €9.99. [MobileTechWorld] Twitter for Windows Phone just got updated to be compatible with Mango. It's meant to offer a smoother experience, but doesn't bring any new features with it. [WMPowerUser] Fandango debuted a new paperless ticket system, in concert with Regal-owned theaters, which can send a scannable bar code to your phone when you want to go see a movie. The ticket-takers then simply scan the code and you're all ready to root on Team Edward in the latest Twilight movie. Just don't forget the popcorn. [Yahoo!]
ZTE Tania joins Windows Phone Mango brigade, says Ni Hao to Chinese market
With Mango finally on its very official way -- that'd be one day away for certain AT&T owners -- it's hardly surprising to see OEMs jumping on Redmond's mobile bandwagon. ZTE's joined the allied Windows Phone 7.5 ranks, outing its Tania phone at the China International Postal and Telecommunications Exhibition 2011. The modestly specced 4.3-inch device runs Microsoft's latest OS atop a single-core 1GHz processor, with 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage and a 5 megapixel rear camera on-board. It's certainly no HTC Titan, but then again, not every smartphone needs to be a roided-up beast. Let's just hope MS gets those regional marketplace availability issues squared away before this handset's Chinese launch. After all, what fun is a live-tiled phone without the apps?
