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Nokia CEO Stephen Elop stepping down ahead of transition to Microsoft
Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia's Devices & Services business has more implications for Nokia than you might suspect at first glance. In the wake of the deal, CEO Stephen Elop is stepping down to become the Executive VP of Devices & Services, and should join Microsoft once the acquisition closes. The shift in rank should minimize any perceived conflict of interest during Elop's transition, Nokia says. Chairman of the Board Risto Siilasmaa will assume an interim CEO position while the company looks for a permanent replacement for Elop. Meanwhile, key Nokia executives Jo Harlow, Chris Weber, Juha Putkiranta and Timo Toikkanen are also expected to follow Elop to Microsoft; Executive VP of Design Marko Ahtisaari plans to step down on November 1st, and will leave the company on November 30th to once more become an entrepreneur. All told, Microsoft is getting several of the cellphone industry's better-known leaders in one shot -- and Nokia's remaining leadership will be mostly unrecognizable to long-term fans.
Microsoft to acquire Nokia's devices & services business for around $5 billion (Update: due early 2014)
Whoa. Big news from the middle of the night. According to Nokia, Microsoft will purchase "substantially" all of Nokia's device and service arms as well as licensing the phone maker's patents and mapping know-how. The Redmond company will pay Nokia a cool 3.79 billion euros ($4.99 billion) for the business, and 1.65 billion euros ($2.18 billion) for its patent armory. Microsoft hopes that allying with its biggest Windows Phone manufacturer will speed up growth (and improve its smartphone market share) -- the company is already promising "increased synergies." CEO Steve Ballmer added: "It's a bold step into the future - a win-win for employees, shareholders and consumers of both companies. Bringing these great teams together will accelerate Microsoft's share and profits in phones, and strengthen the overall opportunities for both Microsoft and our partners across our entire family of devices and services." According to the companies' press releases, 32,000 people will transfer across Microsoft, including 4,700 people in Finland and 18,300 employees directly involved in product manufacture. If you thought it was only the Windows Phone component of the phone business, you'd be wrong: Microsoft will also take into ownership Nokia's Asha range of feature phones. Patent-wise, Microsoft gets 10-year non-exclusive license to its Finnish partner's library of ideas and "reciprocal rights" to use Microsoft patents within its HERE mapping services. While Microsoft will be able to use the Nokia branding on its products, the Finnish company will now focus on its mapping, infrastructure and advanced tech arms. Update: In Microsoft's presentation on the rationale of the acquisition, the two parties state that "we are confident about our prospects for approval by early 2014." Just a few more months to go!
Nokia Lumia 1020 coming to Canada through Rogers and Telus
Canadians won't miss out on the Lumia 1020's photographic prowess for much longer. Following rumors and teases, Nokia has confirmed that its flagship Windows Phone is coming to both Rogers and Telus. There's no official word on ship dates or prices, but the company says the 1020 will be available in both black and yellow. Let's hope that it reaches Canada soon -- rumors persist of even bigger devices that could overshadow the 1020 in the near future.
Nokia's giant Lumia 1520 reportedly poses for the camera
Rumors are circulating that Nokia's first extra-large smartphone, possibly called the Lumia 1520, is near launch. If it's real, you might be looking at it -- Windows Phone Central has obtained a photo that purportedly shows the device for the first time. The snapshot presents a behemoth that makes even the Lumia 1020 look dainty. Unfortunately, there's little to corroborate claims that a quad-core processor, a 20-megapixel camera and Windows Phone 8 GDR3 lurk inside. We've also seen a previous fake that looks like this, although the new phone's bezel both matches that from a July part rumor and carries the prototype stamp common to Nokia test units. When there's talk of Nokia unveiling the 1520 in late September alongside a Windows tablet, we may learn the truth behind the photo within a few weeks.
Evernote comes to Windows Phone 8 with multi-shot camera, speech to text support
Evernote has let its Windows Phone app languish at times, but the company is making amends with a new version of its note-taking client that supports Windows Phone 8. The update primarily improves navigation and speed for modern hardware, although there are a few platform-independent additions. Users can now snap multiple photos without leaving the camera mode; the refresh also introduces photo slideshows, speech-to-text transcription and an automatic title generator. Evernote's big upgrade is available in the Windows Phone Store today, and there's promises of "lots more" coming to Microsoft's mobile platform in the near future.
Mobile Miscellany: week of August 19th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought a free TV streaming service for Bell subscribers, the arrival of NFL Mobile to BlackBerry 10 and little bit of Windows Phone love from General Motors. These stories and more await. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of August 19th, 2013.
Refresh Roundup: week of August 12th, 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 Amber update arriving on Lumia devices: camera improvements, Glance Screen, and plenty more (updated)
Those unofficial Amber ROMs you (briefly) considered toying with 10 days ago? History. Nokia has just announced that the honest-to-goodness, ready-for-consumption Amber code has been approved, and Lumia owners the world over will begin seeing it hit their Windows Phone 8 handset in the coming days / weeks. The software update is a fairly major one, delivering a wide range of new and improved features and apps, like Nokia Glance Screen with the standby clock and an even better imaging experience that mirrors the one found on the 1020. Users will be graced with a new FM radio player and improvements to Xbox music and the Internet Explorer browser, as well as improved image processing and the Nokia Smart Camera app (which debuted on the Lumia 925). The Glance Screen acts a bit like the glanceable extras added to the Moto X, but sadly, it won't be available on the Lumia 520 and Lumia 625, which have a smaller display memory. Longstanding Nokia loyalists will surely appreciate the addition of "Flip to silence" and "double-tap to unlock," and those who rely heavily on Here maps will find future updates easier to install. The rollout starts now first for the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 in selected countries as well as the Lumia 521, Lumia 810, and Lumia 928 in the US, while owners of the Lumia 520, Lumia 620, Lumia 720, Lumia 820 or Lumia 920 will likely have to wait until the end of September. Update: There's one more important tidbit: if you're using a Lumia 920, 925 or 928, you also get the Nokia Pro Camera app.
Google blocks Microsoft's Windows Phone YouTube app... again (updated)
Everyone was understandably excited when Windows Phone got its own native YouTube app. That is, until Google decided it violated the terms of service by blocking advertisements and promptly asked Microsoft to remove the app. The two companies kissed, made up and collaborated on a new version that would adhere to Mountain View's developer guidelines. Unfortunately, it appears that, despite Big G's involvement, the latest version of YouTube for Windows Phone still has some issues that can't be overlooked. Only two days after returning, with the ability to upload video added as a bonus, Google has again begun blocking Microsoft's efforts. In an official statement YouTube said: "We're committed to providing users and creators with a great and consistent YouTube experience across devices, and we've been working with Microsoft to build a fully featured YouTube for Windows Phone app, based on HTML5. Unfortunately, Microsoft has not made the browser upgrades necessary to enable a fully-featured YouTube experience, and has instead re-released a YouTube app that violates our Terms of Service." Sources tell us that, specifically, Microsoft was not on board with developing an HTML5 based app. Instead the company quietly went back to work on its own native version and reverse-engineered the ad system in order to satisfy Google's terms of service. Unfortunately, this work-around means that Google can't guarantee the correct ads will be served up, leading the company to revoke Redmond's API key. We've reached out to Microsoft for comment and will update when we hear back. Update: A Microsoft spokesperson provided us with the following: "Google is blocking our updated YouTube app for Windows Phone. We are working with them to resolve the issue." Update II: And now, Microsoft has issued a longer response, and it's a doozy. We'll let you have a gander right here.
Gartner: Android gained five percent at the expense of iOS in Q2, Samsung jumped 9 percent
As smartphone sales stayed well ahead of feature phones with 225 million sold in Q2 2013, Android was by far the greatest beneficiary, according to stat analyst Gartner. That OS lept from a 74.4 percent share in Q1 2013 to 79 percent, while iOS declined sharply from 18.2 to 14.2 percent. Samsung helped that along by moving 6.4 million more smartphones this quarter than last, while Apple sold 6.6 million less over Q1 2013. Of course, Samsung has a wide range of inexpensive devices that still fall into the "smart" category, which may explain why Apple is rumored to be launching a more budget-oriented iPhone. Meanwhile, there's further evidence of a BlackBerry decline (as if more were needed), as Gartner's stats now have Microsoft's Windows Phone well ahead. Last quarter, BlackBerry's OS share was larger by a hair, but Redmond's OSes gained significantly in Q2 with a 3.3 percent share compared to 2.7 percent for Waterloo. Another notable stat had Lenovo elbowing Huawei and ZTE down the chart for a fourth place finish in smartphone sales -- quite a feat, considering that unlike its rivals, Lenovo sells almost all its handsets in China.
Nokia Lumia 625 reaches the UK on August 28th with LTE on three networks
Brits who've wanted Nokia's budget phone ambitions writ large -- namely, the Lumia 625 -- won't have to wait much longer. The 4.7-inch Windows Phone will be available on August 28th through EE, O2, Vodafone, Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U. If you're interested, you can pick up the device for free on a £21 per month contract, or buy it outright for £179 on pay-as-you-go service; early adopters get a second colored back as a bonus. EE, O2 and Vodafone should all support the Lumia 625's LTE either immediately or the day after, so it's just a matter of choosing the 4G network you prefer.
Samsung ATIV S Neo coming to Sprint on August 16th for $150
We knew it was coming to Sprint this summer, and we knew it would run $150 (with a two-year contract and $50 rebate, of course) -- and now the carrier's given us an exact date: August 16th. (Not to say we didn't already have our suspicions...) Samsung's ATIV S Neo will become the Now Network's second Windows Phone 8 handset this Friday. The 4.8-inch smartphone packs a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, an eight-megapixel camera and NFC-based ATIV Beam sharing. More info on all of the above after the break.
Microsoft's YouTube app for Windows Phone returns, adds uploads
At Google's request, Microsoft pulled its YouTube app for Windows Phone 7.x and 8 back in May, but now it's returned. Apparently ready to display the ads Google is so insistent on, v3.2.0.0 is available for download, and also brings the ability to upload videos directly to the service. If you're not seeing it on your device yet you can grab it and get all the new details at the link below.
MLB At Bat 13 comes to Windows Phone 8
Are you worried that you won't get to follow big league baseball from your Lumia 1020 this year? Don't be: MLB At Bat 13 has just launched for Windows Phone 8. The new release covers familiar ground in a fresher-looking package, letting sports aficionados watch both free and MLB.tv Premium-only live games, pin their favorite teams to the home screen and check Live Tiles for the day's games. At Bat 13 is free to download, although you'll have to pay for a Premium account ($25 monthly or $50 yearly) if you want to watch full access to MLB.tv's game broadcasts and archived footage.
Microsoft Bing app suite comes to Windows Phone 8
Have a need for Bing? Microsoft's got you covered. The same suite of apps already available on Windows 8 -- that would be News, Sports, Weather and Finance -- is now ready for your downloading pleasure on the smartphone version of the platform. This move comes just two days after the company updated the official WP8 Bing app, so it seems the mobile team's been hard at work lately. As you can imagine, all four apps have plenty of options for pinnable Live Tiles; your favorite sports team, the weather for your travel destination, preferred stock holding and even Engadget are among the various choices. The apps should be live in the Store today, so expect them to land any time now. In the meantime, we have a full gallery of screenshots for your viewing pleasure.%Gallery-195517%
WhatsApp voice messaging updated with one-press record-and-send feature
These days, you don't even have to ring someone, listen to their spiel and wait for a beep when you can just use apps to send voice snippets. WhatsApp, which recently reached 300 million users, has made its existing experience even easier with a new feature that lets you record and send voice memos with one press of the mic icon. A WhatsApp spokesperson told Engadget that the company has "spent a lot of time refining [voice messaging] and made it really simple to use." As a testament to this, WhatsApp has now removed length limits for recorded messages and plays audio within the app instead of opening a media player. Playback will automatically switch from a handset's speakers to its earpiece when the device is held to your ear, and the mic icon will turn blue when recipients have listened to spoken missives. With the new perks available on the mess of platforms WhatsApp calls home (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BB10 and Nokia Symbian / S40), we bet everyone with that chatty friend are shaking in their boots.
Skype for Windows Phone 8 updated with new People list, UI enhancements
Got an itchy update trigger finger? If so, your Windows Phone is patiently awaiting. Skype for WP8 just been refreshed to version 2.9, which offers up a couple UI enhancements that should be pretty useful. First, you'll now be able to filter your People list so that you can choose to view only Skype contacts if you prefer; there's also a new contact layout within the app that lets you see more people on one screen. On top of this, you'll also benefit from the obligatory bug fixes and speed improvements -- after all, who doesn't love fewer bugs and getting things done faster? If you do, head straight for the Store and get up to date.
Windows Phone App Studio makes it easy to build WP8 apps
Say what you will about Microsoft's ecosystem struggles, but no one can fault it for trying. In an effort to get more developers to give Windows Phone 8 more than a passing glance, the outfit has just launched a beta version of Windows Phone App Studio -- a web-based dev environment that's "designed to help anyone quickly bring an idea to life by applying text, web content, imagery, and design concepts to any one of a rich set of customizable templates." Moreover, Microsoft is now allowing any dev to unlock and register a single phone to use with up to two apps, and it's also offering a $19 "Summer Break" Dev Center registration offer for those looking to actually publish software to the store. Finally, a new "Click To Chat" support program is being instituted to help those who can't quite seem to overcome a programming hurdle. Take a look at the company's blog post for the full skinny.
Nokia intros App Social Beta for Windows Phone with crowdsourced app suggestions
Nokia may see a surge of Windows Phone apps on the horizon, but it's not waiting for that deluge before it offers further app advice to new Lumia owners. Its new App Social Beta improves on App Highlights by crowdsourcing suggestions. Users create and follow app lists whose popularity determines which titles rise to the top; there's also a news feed for those who only want to see recommendations from friends and favorite curators. There's no guarantee that Nokia will help you find that perfect Instagram substitute, but App Social Beta's immediate availability in 14 countries may keep the search time to a minimum.
Bing for Windows Phone 8 update brings simpler views, richer at-a-glance results
Microsoft has spent the past several months refining Bing results on the web and the desktop. Now, it's Windows Phone 8's turn. An upcoming Bing refresh for the platform will reduce the search filters to three -- Web, Images and Videos -- while providing more relevant information on the first result screen. The tool is also more likely to show usable results in the first place, with immediate answers available for subjects like flight schedules, movies and word definitions. Photo hunters get some additional love between infinite scrolling and auto-sized thumbnails. Just don't expect the new Bing features right away. Microsoft is delivering the update to American devices over the course of the next few weeks, with international users to follow afterward.
