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Nokia Music gets upgraded for Lumia 920 and Lumia 820: Equalizer, Dolby support, Facebook connectivity
Now Windows Phone 8 has arrived with Xbox Music in tow, what's next for Nokia Music? Well, at a press briefing this week in London, it told the assembled tech press that its still going -- and Nokia's even adding features. The music service is apparently continuing to expand, with new tracks being added weekly -- Nokia's mix radio currently houses 338 curated mixes in the UK alone, across pretty broad selection of music genres. And yep, there was a mention of K-Pop. New functionality improvements include an immediate share-to-Facebook option, while the Gig Finder feature nestled within the music app picks up improved search skills, capable of checking specific venues and areas, along with the ability to buy tickets for -- and get directions to -- future gigs. The app's new audio equalizer has 18 presets while you'll also be able to tweak the seven-channel system to your own personal preference. On top of that, Dolby tech is also embedded in, with Dolby headphone (a signal processing upgrade) in attendance on both the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820. Nokia also affirmed that the upgraded app will be included on its hardware that gets bumped up to version 7.8. We're just about to get our review model and will give the new features a full rundown as soon as we can.
Nokia Lumia 920 ships first to Rogers, makes Canadians the world's vanguards for $100 (update: still very exclusive)
What, did you think Americans or Europeans would get the first crack at the Lumia 920? Continuing a recent pattern of Canadians getting devices first, Rogers has confirmed that some of its stores will have Nokia's flagship Windows Phone 8 hardware in stock on October 30th -- that's almost immediately, folks. If you call and find you're near one of the choice few shops carrying the 920, it will cost you either $100 Canadian on a lengthy 3-year contract or $550 outright to walk away with Microsoft's poster child. Nearly the only drawbacks to being a pioneer are the black-only color choice (sorry, still no patriotic red) and Rogers' current lock on the initial launch, although Microsoft's own mention of the Lumia coming to Rogers "and others" gives us hope that Bell and Telus will follow soon. It's a small price to pay for making even the Finns slightly jealous. Update: Surprise -- Rogers caught the Microsoft page for itself and says the hint of non-exclusivity was a mistake that's being corrected. We don't know if the carrier has a permanent exclusive, but we'd tentatively go shopping for a Samsung ATIV S on Telus if you're looking for a high-end Windows Phone on another Canadian network.
Steve Ballmer returns triumphantly to Microsoft ads for Windows Phone 8, now with less Crazy Eddie (video)
The last time we saw Steve Ballmer star in a commercial for Microsoft, he was extolling the virtues of a 286-based PC running the glory that was Windows 1.0 -- in 1986. You can imagine the surprise we got 26 years later when Microsoft premiered an ad featuring the now-CEO during its Windows Phone 8 event. If you were expecting that same kind of unbridled enthusiasm Crazy Eddie once used to hawk underpriced TVs, you may be either pleased or disappointed. It's a very level-headed and well-spoken Ballmer this time around, with the executive calmly highlighting the advice he gets through his HTC Windows Phone 8X from people like his wife and a certain Billy G. Besides evoking nostalgia, the pitch is an illustration of what Windows Phone's live tiles can do as well as a reflection of Microsoft coming full circle -- as it was two decades ago, Redmond is fighting for market attention at a time when new interface concepts are challenging its main business. We're just glad there's fewer plaid business suits in 2012.
Windows Phone 8 handset UK availability and pricing detailed: free starting from £21 per month
We've heard how Windows Phone 8 is all about you, and seen all the devices bearing the new OS at launch. What's left, however, is where you can get one on the other side of the pond and, more importantly, how much it's going to cost you. Nokia has separately announced that both the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 will be launching in the UK (and France) later this week. More specifically, though, it looks like every UK carrier will be getting at least three handsets, with the almost-ready-to-launch EE getting both of HTC and Nokia's handset pairs. We've got all the (current) pricing details and availability dates after the break.%Gallery-169573%
Microsoft's Joe Belfiore pokes fun at iPhone and Android, provides deep dive of Windows Phone 8 in new video
Microsoft's Joe Belfiore -- also known as the manager for the entire Windows Phone program -- spent a fair amount of time on stage in California today detailing the highs of Windows Phone 8. Clearly, that wasn't enough. The man himself has thrown out a near-20 minute video detailing the nooks and crannies of Microsoft's latest mobile operating system, no doubt in hopes of convincing tired users of Android and iPhone to consider something more Metrorrific. Outside of tightly integrated Skype, beautifully arranged live tiles, outstanding new hardware, support for LTE, a guest access mode by the name of Kid's Corner and refreshed photo sharing, WP8 offers a wealth of cloud services to those who will also be upgrading to Windows 8 on their PCs. Heck, the outfit's Mac software is even going to make it possible port your iTunes libraries and playlists over to the Music hub in Windows Phone 8. It wouldn't be an all-out marketing assault without a bit of verbal assault, though, and it doesn't take Joe long to get there: "It's the only phone that has live tiles, for the people you care about and the apps that you use all the time. It's a different story than iOS and Android. The iOS 6 homescreen is really just a sea of static icons. It's not people; it's not live data. Of course, after five years, they have added one more row of icons! Android homescreens typically present a complex maze of icons, widgets, and settings. But, they look a lot like iPhones, too. If you put a bunch of them together on a table, it'd be hard to tell your own from the crowd. We felt there was a better way. Windows Phone 8 -- it looks different, and that's because we didn't make WP8 for all of us, we made it for each of us." Catch the full clip after the break.
Samsung ATIV S: Hands-on with Samsung's first Windows Phone 8 device (video)
It's taken its sweet time showing itself but we've finally got to handle Samsung's first Windows Phone 8 device, the ATIV S (not to be confused with the similarly-named Windows RT tablet). At Microsoft's launch event for its new mobile OS, the phone's 4.8-inch AMOLED display certainly helps to make the most of those colorful tiles -- this time around a higher resolution (1,280 x 720) screen kept everything looking sharp. Aside from the screen, the hardware doesn't pack a unibody build, but it does offer the power user both a 2,300 mAh battery and the microSD slot -- a combination that's looking pretty rare among debut Windows Phone 8 devices. On the other hand, Samsung's brought its (admittedly divisive) glossy plastic shell of its Android Galaxy phones, although there is some cosmetic differences. We take a tour of the hardware -- and that freshly minted OS -- after the break.
Microsoft announces Skype app for Windows Phone 8 with new UI, deep People Hub integration (video)
Last week, if you recall, Microsoft announced Skype for Windows 8, a touch-friendly app that appeared in the Windows Store the same day Win 8 went on sale. Now, with Windows Phone 8 getting its big reveal, the company is following up with a WP8 version, which Microsoft says is coming soon. Like the new Windows 8 app, it runs in the background, delivering push notifications even when you're looking at something else. In particular, now that Windows Phone allows for three different tile sizes, you can view the Skype tile in small, medium or large formats, with the largest displaying your latest message. (All tile sizes show an unread message count.) There are other similarities to the Win 8 app, too, despite the fact that these phones have smaller screens. There's a favorites list, for one, along with a shortcut that makes it easy to toggle between open IM conversations. As on Windows 8, the app is deeply integrated with the People Hub, so that Skype handles appear on contact cards and incoming Skype calls look the same as any other. On the messaging side, there's an impressively large collection of emoticons (TMI-face, anybody?). It's also possible to start group chats, as well as change the conversation topic. So far, it's unclear when, exactly, the app will be available for download, but in the meantime we've got a short video demo waiting for you after the break.
HTC 8X review: Windows Phone 8's compact flagship
More Info Windows Phone 8X by HTC: 4.3-inch 720p display, LTE, dual-core S4, available this November Windows Phone 8X by HTC hands-on: Microsoft's modern mobile OS personified in polycarbonate Windows Phone 8 review It feels like forever since Microsoft announced Windows Phone 8 back in June, but the mobile OS is finally here and with it comes the inaugural volley of compatible handsets. The first one to cross our desks is the global, unlocked version of HTC's Windows Phone 8X, a device we first saw in September. Unlike other current flagships, this phone breaks the bigger-is-better trend by providing a full set of high-end specs in a relatively compact package -- combining a 4.3-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display, Qualcomm dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor and NFC in a sleek and colorful package. Does the 8X have what it takes to carry the Windows Phone 8 torch? Is this a bona fide flagship despite its reduced footprint? Has HTC designed a better handset than its existing Android superphone, the One X? Find out in our review after the break.%Gallery-169525%
Sprint sits out Windows Phone 8 launch in the United States after tepid WP7 reaction
Microsoft may be readying an all-out marketing blitz to get Windows Phone 8 all up in your cranium, but those loyal to Sprint won't be getting anything but perturbed. During today's Windows Phone 8 event in San Francisco, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced that AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile were "all in" for Windows Phone 8. Strangely, however, America's number three carrier is evidently "all out." While Sprint was a carrier for Windows Phone 7 handsets like the HTC Arrive, the carrier was showing cold feet as far back as January of this year. Given that the Arrive was its "most returned phone," though, it's hard to cast blame. It could very well be due to the way Sprint's 4G drama has gone done -- at the time, Microsoft likely didn't want to create WP8 devices that supported by WiMAX and LTE, and now that Sprint has foregone the former in order to grab the latter, it's all a bit too late. Of course, it comments made to PhoneScoop earlier this year by spokesperson David Owen are to be believed, Sprint may join the WP8 party early next year. Sort of seems like a familiar refrain, actually. For more, check out our Windows Phone 8 event liveblog!
Samsung ATIV Odyssey brings even more Windows Phone 8 to Verizon this December
Microsoft's ultimate Windows Phone 8 event mostly expanded on a familiar story, but it did leave us a surprise twist near the end. The company confirmed that Samsung will bring its own Metro-tinged experience to Verizon through the ATIV Odyssey this December. Unfortunately, that's about all we know on an official level: Microsoft even used a placeholder graphic rather than show Samsung's real-world design. However, that awfully familiar-sounding name suggests that Samsung and Verizon are directly exploiting that Odyssey codename which many associated with the ATIV S. If so, we're looking at a device that's not at all far off from a GSM equivalent, keeping the Snapdragon S4, LTE and both 8- as well as 2-megapixel cameras. Whether or not the Super AMOLED screen dips to a slightly lower 4.65-inch isn't as known. Even so, the ATIV Odyssey is at least another sign that Verizon will have much more than a token Windows Phone lineup this time around. For more, check out our Windows Phone 8 event liveblog!
Windows Phone 8 review
More Info Windows Phone 7 review Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) review Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8 Two years ago, the mobile landscape was quite different than what it is today. Android flagship phones sported 1GHz single-core CPUs and were in the process of upgrading to Froyo, the iPhone 4 was the Apple phone of choice and the word "phablet" was sure to be followed by a "Gesundheit." (It still is, arguably.) This is just a brief glimpse at the world in which Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 was born. Destined to be the replacement solution for an obsolete Windows Mobile 6.x platform, WP7 did its best to disrupt the industry by offering its unique Metro user interface and slick performance across the board. There was one growing problem, however; the mobile industry was rapidly changing, and the Windows Phone honeymoon didn't last as long as Microsoft would've liked. Today, the company enjoys less than 5 percent of the world's smartphone market share as it prepares to launch its next major revision, Windows Phone 8. The new firmware promises to resolve concerns surrounding hardware limitations and the platform's ecosystem, add a plethora of long-awaited features and integrate the OS with Windows 8. It's a hefty task for Microsoft to undertake, to say the least, but we're hoping that two revolutions around the sun were enough for the software giant to impress us with its struggling mobile platform. Did it pull it off? Take a look at what makes Windows Phone 8 tick after the break.
Windows Phone 8 Rooms give every group its private space
Microsoft is already creating a safe, fenced-off area in Windows Phone 8 through Kids Corner, but it's expanding that to include nearly everyone through Rooms. A rough parallel to Groupme, Rooms lets families, friends or companies share calendars, chats, notes and photos without letting any prying eyes get a peek. And if others aren't following the Windows Phone way, they can still view some of the content from another platform. There's no doubt that Microsoft really hopes its communal addition is a way to squeak out an extra phone sale or two from those who like to stick together. For more, check out our Windows Phone 8 event liveblog! %Gallery-169556%
Microsoft unveils Data Sense for Windows Phone 8, to debut on Verizon devices
Microsoft has just outed Data Sense, a new app for Windows Phone 8 that helps ensure you don't burn through your data plan. On top of tracking your usage app-by-app, it compresses every single web page you browse to keep data consumed to a minimum, and also sniffs out WiFi hotspots when they become available. The app features a Live Tile to give an ongoing saga of the megabytes you've consumed and will warn you near a preset limit. Redmond claims the hotspot sniffing and compression will let you consume 45 percent less data "when compared to the competition" -- likely a reference to iOS and Android, which already have a similar feature. Data Sense will arrive first on Verizon this fall, but there's no word yet on when other carriers will have it. To check the PR, go past the fold. For more, check out our Windows Phone 8 event liveblog!
Microsoft brings guest user account to Windows Phone 8 via Kid's Corner
Ever dreamed of having more than one user account on your smartphone? Microsoft's making that a reality with Kid's Corner for Windows Phone 8. If you're not a parent, don't let the name deceive you: this particular feature is great for both the tiny tots and all of your grown-up friends, as it allows you to choose which apps, games, music and videos show up when the device is in that particular mode. It's a feature that has strangely eluded the other major platforms, and it absolutely gives WP8 an edge for those concerned about youngsters (and potentially even colleagues) getting into trouble with your phone. For more, check out our Windows Phone 8 event liveblog! %Gallery-169552%
Windows Phone 8 gets Pandora Radio, Cut the Rope, Urbanspoon and more (update: full list)
Microsoft knows that Windows Phone 8 is only as successful as its apps. To that end, it's blowing the doors open in terms of major app support. It's not only promising a Windows Phone version of Pandora Radio for early 2013, it's offering ad-free listening for the first year. How's that for strong out-of-the-box content? On top of this, Microsoft is vowing a slew of new apps and games that had previously only been available in the Android or iOS camps, including Asphalt 7, Cut the Rope, Temple Run, Urbanspoon and Where's My Water. By the time the expansion is done, Microsoft hopes to have 46 out of the 50 most popular apps onboard, making any platform switch that much gentler. Instagram is a notable omission -- still, it's a big leap in terms of equality. Update: If you need even more detail, Microsoft has posted a wider list of new apps as part of its official Windows Phone 8 launch post. If that's not enough, you can catch a video overview of the platform after the break. For more, check out our Windows Phone 8 event liveblog!
Microsoft unveils new lock screen for Windows Phone 8 powered by Live Apps
Microsoft is busy officially revealing all the bits and pieces that make up Windows Phone 8, and one of them is its new lock screen. Powered by Live Apps designed for Windows Phone 8 like Facebook, it lets apps directly update your lock screen with new photos and information. Exec Joe Belfiore is, as usual, excited about it, pointing to the "surprise" now waiting every time he picks up his phone. If pics from your last vacation popping up every time you turn your phone on doesn't get you going ,just imagine sports scores or other relevant info you've picked pushed straight to the front, just a button press away.
The Windows Phone 8 event liveblog!
This isn't the first time we've seen Windows Phone 8, but Microsoft's event will unveil any and all secrets that the company's held close ever since the new platform was introduced in June. So what does Microsoft have up its sleeves? Join us as we finally get the opportunity to see all of the latest version of Windows Phone! October 29, 2012 1:00 PM EDT
T-Mobile unveils holiday lineup: Nexus 4, HTC 8X, Lumia 810 to land November 14th
T-Mobile was set to have its own splashy product unveiling today in New York City, but a certain Sandy put the kibosh on that. Now that Google's let its trio of updated Nexus products out of the bag, Magenta's ready to give us pricing and availability for the Nexus 4, HTC 8X and Lumia 810 which are set to hit the carrier's shelves this November 14th. Both Google's and Microsoft's (signature) flagships will be available for $199 on a two-year plan, while Nokia's lower-end WP8 handset will go for $149 with the same contract duration. Also, joining the crowded launch lineup that day is Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 for $349 with a two-year agreement. As for the newly HSPA+ capable Nexus 7, well, you'll be able to snag that refreshed slate on Google Play just one day later. Of course, T-Mo hasn't forgotten about its value-minded sub base, offering up LG's Optimus L9 on the 31st of this month at an affordable $79 on contract. So if it's options you wanted this holiday season, Magenta's doling them out in spades. Hit up the break for the official PR.
Verizon officially announces Nokia Lumia 822, coming this Fall (update: $100 on two-year contract)
Ahead of the big Windows Phone soiree later today, Nokia has now confirmed that Verizon will be getting the Lumia 822, which will its 4G portfolio in the coming months. While the fact that a Big Red version of Nokia's second Windows Phone 8 device wasn't the best-kept secret, Nokia's proud press release (after the break) finally confirms it -- although it neglects to mention any prices or dates. The phone will arrive in black, white and grey options -- all LTE-ready, with those interchangeable covers also incoming. That slightly modest 4.3-inch screen WVGA screen will also try to make the most of those colorful tiles -- and we'll likely get play with one very soon. Update: Nokia USA's just updated its site, stating that the Windows Phone will arrive on two-year contracts priced at $100.
Microsoft adds WP8 app to Windows Store just in time for launch
If you're aiming to get your hands on one of the many Windows Phone 8 devices launching later today, it would be nice to be able to sync it with your Windows 8 PC, no? Redmond has you covered in the nick of time, as it's just released the free Windows Phone app to its Windows Store. That'll let you get music, photos, or video over to your computer and back, use Windows 8 apps to share things like searches, automatically save photos or videos taken with your phone to your PC and check your phone's storage to see how it's being used. It'll also let allow you to download phone apps and learn more about your device, while pulling off a trick we've saw first with Apple, then WP7 -- letting you track down your smartphone if it goes missing. You can grab it at the source, then all you'll need is a WP8 (or 7.8) handset -- so stay tuned for our liveblog at 10:00 am PST / 1:00 pm EST to see when that might happen.
