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Your Lumia is probably getting Windows 10
Microsoft promised Windows Phone users a free upgrade to Windows 10 at its event earlier this week, but it turns out not all phones will be getting the update. Through its Lumia Conversations blog, the company clarifies "not every phone will upgrade or support all possible Windows 10 features," adding that its goal is for "the majority of the Lumia phones running Windows Phone 8 and 8.1" to be upgraded. That's at odds with what the company's Twitter account has said in the past.
SmartThings brings its home automation app to Windows Phone
Samsung promised an open platform when it purchased SmartThings, a startup that aims to make every household more intelligent with its products. So, despite the automation service already being present on iOS and Android, the most popular mobile operating systems, SmartThings is opening its doors to a fresh audience: Windows Phone 8. The SmartThings app is great for people looking to upgrade their home but that were, perhaps, hesitant to do so because of the ecosystem's lack of support for Windows Phone handsets. Most home automations platforms have some sort of integration with iOS or Android from the get-go, leaving Windows Phone users out of options. As such, this is a great move by the Samsung-owned SmartThings. Once you download the app, you'll be able to control SmartThings devices with ease -- and if you haven't invested yet, maybe now it's the time to start thinking about creating your own Smart Home.
How would you change Huawei's Ascend W1?
When I reviewed Huawei's Ascend W1 last summer, I was surprised at how much I liked it, considering its bargain-basement price. Microsoft clearly deserves plaudits for getting Windows Phone 8 to work on such low-power hardware, and Huawei made a real effort to produce a solid feeling, well-made device. Unfortunately, the inclusion of a forward-facing camera couldn't make up for a paltry 1.88GB of storage, and I couldn't recommend that you all buy the W1. Instead, I pointed people to the slightly more expensive Lumia 620 - but if you pressed ahead and snapped one of these up instead, what did you think of it? Hop into the forum and share your feels.
How would you change Nokia's Lumia 520?
Like Samsung, Nokia's smartphone strategy has always been focused around choice. Sometimes this results in products that are so very similar that it's impossible to tell the difference. That's not an issue with Nokia's Lumia 520, the ultra-budget device that was totally swallowed in the shadow of the 620. Sharif Sakr swaddled the phone in derision, criticizing its poor performance, bad camera, unevenly-lit display and poor build quality. For many of you, we imagine you wound up getting this handset for price reasons alone, so the question that we have to ask is simple: what did you like, what did you hate, and what would you have changed? You can shoot the breeze in our forum, or why not write a review of the phone yourself?
Viber's Snapchat-like voice feature comes to Windows Phone 8
Internet calling is what Viber's mostly known for these days, although the Rakuten-owned service does invest heavily in the messaging side of things, too. Hold & Talk (aka push-to-talk), for example, allows Viber users to send quick voice messages to each other, with the touch of a button. And now, nearly eight months after it came to iOS and Android, the feature is ready to grace Windows Phone 8 handsets. This means contacts can communicate between themselves almost instantly, in a Snapchat-like way but with voice messages rather than pictures. Viber also made some design changes to the application, which brings the looks of it more in line with Microsoft's desired guidelines after that WP 8.1 software refresh. Your move, Skype.
If LG's working on a Windows Phone 8 handset, this is what it'll look like
A picture is worth a thousand words, which is good, because the above image is all we've got. The gadget industry's person-in-the-know, evleaks, has posted what purports to be a shot of the LG Uni8, the company's first Windows Phone 8 device. The Uni8 would also be the first LG Windows phone since 2010, back in the days of the Optimus 7 and AT&T's Quantum. Given that the platform is struggling in the US and Asia, not to mention Microsoft's newly-minted purchase of Nokia, it seems an odd time for LG to leap back into the fold -- not that we're complaining, mind. Update: We've just received a denial from the folks over at LG, who have said that this isn't a phone that we're going to see released this year.
How would you change Nokia's Lumia 620?
When Nokia launched the Lumia 620, it looked as if the company had perfected the formula for what an entry-level smartphone should be. The hardware and performance was great despite the slow internals, Windows Phone 8 worked well and it was priced to move. A year later and the Moto G may have supplanted this as your go-to budget device, but we want to know your feeling on what the last 12 months with the 620 has been like. What do you love, what do you hate, and what would you change?
How would you change HTC's 8X?
It seems like forever ago that HTC was making Windows Phone devices, but it's not even been a year. HTC's 8X earned plenty of praise for the fantastic performance, build and battery life - not to mention the display and camera. The downside, of course, was Windows Phone 8, which, at the time, was still too young to hit the spot for our tame phone reviewers. But what about you? We guess that plenty of you would have picked up this phone, so share with us your experiences and what, if anything, you would have changed.
Skype now lets you sign up with a Microsoft account, updates its Windows Phone app
It's been a long time coming, but Skype's revealed that folks can finally sign up for service using a Microsoft account. Skype believes this feature is perfect for users who perhaps want the least amount of logins possible, and it also points to Microsoft's two-step verification as a benefit for having such an account. Meanwhile, the Windows Phone app has been updated with a number of security improvements, plus an indicator which lets you know when the person on the other side is typing. As part of the integration with its parent company, Skype will now require a Microsoft account (like the one used to set up your WP device) when registering for a new account through the application. This new version is only available for Windows Phone 8, however -- as you might recall, support for the app on earlier versions of the OS was cut off months ago.
BBM coming to Windows Phones this summer
BlackBerry is slowly, but surely covering all its bases in an effort to turn BBM into a cross-platform messaging monster. The quest to return the standard-bearer to its former glory started with iOS and Android, but this summer it'll be coming to Windows Phones as well. According to the Canadian company, it will ship with all the same functionality as its counterparts on other OSes, including stickers and voice. More importantly though, BBM Groups (which allows you to chat with up to 50 people at once) and Channels will be included as BlackBerry works to fight off challenges from the likes of WhatsApp and Hangouts. Sadly those are all the details we have for now, but hopefully Waterloo will lock down a release date sooner, rather than later.
Windows Phone 8.1 leak reveals new messaging and storage settings, and more
Up until now, the most we'd heard about the next rumored update to Microsoft's Windows Phone OS centered on two features: Cortana, the company's Siri-like digital assistant, and Action Center, its native notification center. Today, however, we have a clearer idea of where Windows Phone 8.1 could be headed thanks to a Reddit user who's allegedly gained access to the new SDK as part of Microsoft's developer preview program.
Microsoft to use Foursquare data in Bing and Windows products
It may not be the biggest news to come out of Redmond in recent hours. Still, the Windows faithful will no doubt be interested to hear about a licensing agreement involving two pretty notable outfits. Today, Foursquare announced it has struck a deal with Microsoft to use its location data in Bing services and Windows-powered devices. This, naturally, includes search and maps for Bing; and, for Windows, phones, tablets, laptops and desktops -- and yes, convertibles too. In a statement, Foursquare notes that, "in the near future," Microsoft will be utilizing the newly acquired license to enhance its products with "contextually-aware experiences and the best recommendations of any service in the world." That's not it, however, as Foursquare also revealed Microsoft has invested ($15 million) into its socially-driven company, which it says will help the service continue to grow and be accessible by more people.
Viber improves notifications and statuses in latest Windows Phone 8 update
Viber, the popular VoIP service, today released a new version of its Windows Phone 8 app. This update focuses on delivering smarter notifications and giving users more customization options for their statuses. For example, the application can now play a sound when a notification comes in, and it also gives you the ability to choose whether or not you want to hide these. In addition to that, Viber has added a "Seen" feature which shows when a contact has viewed a user's status, while "Last online" keeps you better informed on who's online and able to chat it up. And if you're into Viber's custom labels, like the ones seen above, then you'll be happy to know the Sticker Market is now available on Microsoft's mobile platform. We're pretty into that "YES SIR!" one ourselves. As for Viber CEO Talmon Marco, he's pretty thrilled and had this to say about the refreshed Windows Phone 8 application: Bringing the Viber Sticker Market to Windows Phone 8 is a very exciting step for us and we are sure that our users on the platform will love it. This is the first time we are bringing a monetization feature to Windows Phone 8 and it's another part of our commitment to the platform. More importantly, this release is part of our commitment to our users who want to communicate with their contacts no matter what OS they use.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas settles in on Windows Phone 8
After coming to iOS and Android last year, the final game in the Grand Theft Auto 3 trilogy is out now on Windows Phone 8. The debate will ever rage on over which one is the best, but there's no doubt San Andreas is the phattest. Wait, we mean fattest.
Nokia Lumia 1320 review: an oversized phone that struggles to stand out
It's not too often we can legitimately say a device is in a league of its own, yet that's the only way we can describe Nokia's new low-end smartphone, the Lumia 1320. With a 6-inch screen, it arrives at the same time as more expensive Lumia 1520, which shares the same screen size and battery, but is exponentially better in every other category. There's nothing else quite like the 1320 on the market at the moment; we've seen plenty of large-screened Android phones already, but few of them have price tags as low as the $340 that the 1320 commands. Not only that, this is also the very first low-end Windows Phone with copious amounts of screen space. The fact that this is the first of its kind doesn't make the 1320 an instant hit, though. While the cost is lower than most phones its size, it's still a high asking price for many people in emerging markets. A 6-inch size worked for the Lumia 1520, but does it make sense to come out with a stripped-down version for half the price?
Engadget Giveaway: win one of two Dell Venue 8 Pro tablets courtesy of Mint!
It's always a good idea to keep track of your finances, but since the holidays tend to open up the cash flow floodgates, having some extra help couldn't hurt. As luck would have it, the personal finance gurus over at Mint are celebrating the app's arrival on Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8 by giving away two Dell Venue 8 Pro tablets to a couple of Engadget readers. This 8-inch slate is fully compatible with Mint's free app, making it a great way to monitor account activity, track spending and even get suggestions on how to save more of those hard-earned dollars. So before all that cyber spending blows a hole in your wallet, consider quantifying those expenses with Mint and head on down to the Rafflecopter widget below for your chance to win. Winners - Congratulations to: Mitch M., Lafayette, LA and Carlo C., Las Vegas, NV
Microsoft's Socl social network gets iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8 apps
The Microsoft Research team launched Socl in beta form a little over a year ago -- and yes, it is still very much alive. Now, Redmond's experiment could potentially have a more extensive reach, thanks to newly launched applications on iOS, Android and, of course, Windows Phone 8. These mobile apps bring many features to the mix, including the ability to create/share collages and "funny memes," as well as being able to network with different people on the social site, among other things. For those unfamiliar with Socl, the service was known internally as Tulalip during its early days, a time in which Microsoft dubbed it as a project that was meant to help folks "find what you need and share what you know easier than ever." Eventually, Tulalip became what we now know as Socl, a search-based social network that relies heavily on images and videos you collect from across the internet. Don't think Socl is aiming to compete with the big players, however (at least not yet); Microsoft Research believes it is "actually quite complementary" to sites like Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Pinterest. Either way, we'll leave you with all the necessary links below, just in case you're interested in getting involved with yet another sociable environment on the web.
Report: 'Threshold' updates to unify Windows, Xbox One platforms
Microsoft is planning to make strides toward one ecosystem for all its platforms with "Threshold," the codename for a series of individual platform updates that will more closely unite Windows Phone, Windows PC and Xbox One. According to a report on ZDNet, "Threshold" will include updates to all three platforms that will "advance them in a way to share even more common elements," with the goal being for all platforms to ultimately share one storefront. Microsoft is also working to bring parity to developer tools across all three platforms, in the hopes of attracting more multi-platform applications. The codename "Threshold," while likely chosen due to the initiative's goal of removing the boundaries between Microsoft platforms, also has a coincidental link to the Halo universe. It's the name of the planet you'll see in the distance beyond the original ring-world in Halo: Combat Evolved.
Fixes coming for Skype Messaging on Windows Phone; improved device syncing also in the works
If you've used Skype on Windows Phone, chances are you've dealt with out-of-sync and missed messages. Luckily, a fix is on the horizon: according to Skype product manager Jeff Kunins, who spoke with The Verge, Microsoft is aware of the issues and working to resolve them. Part of the problem, it seems, stems from Microsoft's move from peer-to-peer networks for Skype to cloud-based servers. Once the hiccups are fixed, users can expect syncing across devices to avoid any random bursts of old, already-read messages. Kunins also said that continuous notifications will run only on the device you're currently using, as opposed to every Skype-running gadget you own. Few things are more headache-inducing than five different devices ringing at once, after all. Finally, Kunins hinted that the Skype app for Windows 8.1 will have "a lot of fun things" to offer. Stay tuned.
Adidas bringing miCoach fitness app exclusively to Nokia's Lumia phones
Wish that your beloved sportswear brand would bring its connected fitness app to your preferred smartphone platform? If your mind instantly substituted "Adidas" for the former and "Nokia" for the latter, then boom! You're in luck. Adi Dassler's firm is bringing its miCoach fitness app as an exclusive to Nokia's Windows Phone 8 devices. The app, already available on iOS and Android, lets you control playlists, use Bluetooth SMART (where available) for heart-rate monitoring and will even offer voice coaching from LA Galaxy's Omar Gonzalez. Now all we need is to scrape together the cash for a pair of adizeros and we're good to go.
