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Refresh Roundup: week of May 13th, 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!
Zachary Lutz05.19.2013AT&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.
Edgar Alvarez05.08.2013Refresh Roundup: week of March 11th, 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!
Zachary Lutz03.17.2013Lumia 710 for T-Mobile won't be updated to Windows Phone 7.8
For reasons that aren't quite clear, T-Mobile has just confirmed to TmoNews that the Nokia Lumia 710 won't receive a bump to Windows Phone 7.8. While the update has taken its share of criticisms as a purely cosmetic revision, we've a feeling that more than a few folks were looking forward to the world of resizable live tiles -- seems like a reasonable expectation, right? Fortunately, even in spite of T-Mobile's mind-boggling decision, Lumia 710 owners can take the situation into their own hands and manually install the Windows Phone 7.8 upgrade. We'll keep you posted if we learn anything more, but in the meantime, you can find the carrier's painful doublespeak after the break.
Zachary Lutz02.06.2013Refresh Roundup: week of January 28th, 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!
Zachary Lutz02.03.2013Windows Phone 7.8 hands-on: cosmetically yours
There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth when Microsoft declared that fairly fresh (and costly) Windows Phone 7 devices like the Nokia Lumia 900 would never taste its latest WP8 wares. To assuage hurt feelings and keep legacy phone owners within throwing distance of the latest devices like the Nokia Lumia 920 or HTC's 8X, Redmond introduced Windows Phone 7.8 (version 7.10.8858), which started arriving via Zune on January 31st. It was likely hoping that the upgrade would tide legacy owners over until their contracts expired or boredom set in, at which point they'd get a new device packing WP8 -- including not-too-costly models like the $249 (contract-free) Lumia 620. So the question is, will the 7.8 bone thrown at WP7 handset owners prevent them from looking at the greener Android or iOS grass across the fence? We've got a Lumia 610 here that was otherwise collecting dust, so head after the break to find out our thoughts.
Steve Dent02.03.2013Nokia confirms Windows Phone 7.8 coming to the UK today, prices Lumia 620 at £149.99
Brits who ground their fingers to stumps hammering their Lumia's update button will finally be able to rest, as Nokia UK has confirmed that Windows 7.8 is rolling out today. The company has also revealed O2's pricing for the Lumia 620, the handset that'll bring Windows Phone 8 to the cash-strapped masses. It's available from today on the oxygen-themed network, setting you back £149.99 or free on contracts priced over £18.50. Normally, the interchangeable back plates would cost around £20, but O2 is offering buyers a choice of a yellow, orange, green, white or cyan model for free. You'll also be able to pick up the quirky handset from ThreeUK and Virgin Media today, although neither has opened up about pricing just yet. Vodafone has announced that it'll launch the phone on February 6th with a choice of white or black covers, while EE has yet to commit to carrying the handset. If you saw removable covers and hoped that the 620 would benefit from the same wireless charging plates we saw in the 820, we've got some bad news -- Nokia has said it's not likely to happen.
Daniel Cooper01.31.2013Nokia 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.
Jon Fingas01.30.2013Nokia 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.
Jon Fingas01.29.2013Refresh 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!
Zachary Lutz01.27.2013The Daily Roundup for 01.23.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
David Fishman01.23.2013Windows Phone 7.8 SDK released, includes emulator images, no new APIs
Microsoft just announced today's release of the Windows Phone 7.8 SDK, which should be a wee bit helpful for developers wanting to test their apps and Live Tiles with the revised OS. The new SDK includes two software images (build 8858), one that simulates devices with 512MB of RAM and another for 256MB handsets. The primary purpose of this release is to let developers test their Live Tiles with Windows Phone 7.8, which supports resizable Live Tiles. While it's not much of a surprise, the new SDK includes no new APIs over the Windows Phone 7.5 SDK, which further reinforces the impression of Windows Phone 7.8 as a largely cosmetic update. On the plus side, legacy support is alive and kicking, as Microsoft promises the SDK update won't alter existing Windows Phone 7.1 emulator images. For more details of this release, be sure to hit up the source link.
Zachary Lutz01.23.2013Nokia 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.
Mat Smith12.18.2012Nokia Lumia 510 will skip Mango, land with Windows Phone 7.8 on board
Nokia's Lumia 510 was toting Mango when we saw it last, but it seems the affordable smartphone will be hitting Indian stores with Windows Phone 7.8 instead. The new iteration, which is starting to filter down to other Lumia handsets, boasts a smorgasbord of new goods including resizable home screen tiles and 20 accent colors, with Espoo likely to add a few Lumia-specific features such as an enhanced set of camera lenses and improved contact sharing. While the lure of something lurking between WP7.8 and the more child-friendly version 8 could spice up the deal further, budget-minded Indian customers coveting a newer Windows Phone operating system might not have to wait till the New Year.
Deepak Dhingra12.17.2012Nokia Lumia 800 gets first taste of Windows Phone 7.8
An official Windows Phone 7.8 rollout to Nokia devices like the Lumia 510, 800 and 900 seemed all but inevitable after it popped up on third party Nokia ROM tool NaviFirm, then a couple days later on Nokia's own servers. Now, Dutch site WP7.nl is reporting that Nokia has started rolling it out in earnest to the Lumia 800 from the Zune desktop software, at least on that side of the pond. Provided your device is up-to-date, you may soon receive a certain "Nokia update," which will then be followed by four larger downloads. When the dust settles, you'll see a newfangled splash screen, customization options and Xbox Tile (among numerous other changes), heralding your not-completely-abandoned handset's arrival nearly into the Windows Phone 8 era. Check the translated source for more details. [Image credit: WP7.nl]
Steve Dent12.17.2012Windows 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.
Jon Fingas12.15.2012Nokia Lumia 505 gets official for Telcel in Mexico
Folks, there's a new entry-level handset on the market from Nokia, but no... it's not a member of the Asha family. As expected, the Lumia 505 is now official in Mexico. The Windows Phone 7.8 handset combines a 3.7-inch WVGA (800 x 480) ClearBlack AMOLED display with an 8-megapixel rear shooter that captures video at a rather paltry VGA (640 x 480) resolution. Nokia is uncharacteristically tight-lipped about the chipset within, but it was previously tipped that a single-core 800MHz CPU is running the show. The Lumia 505 includes just 256MB of RAM -- another sign of its low-end aspirations -- along with 4GB of internal storage and a 1,300mAh battery. You'll find quadband GSM support on this one, along with WCDMA access (topping out at 7.2Mbps HSDPA) over the 850MHz and 1900MHz bands. As if things weren't official enough, the Lumia 505 is now sitting happily over at Telcel's website. For the moment, neither pricing nor a release date have yet been established. Stay tuned, ya hear?
Zachary Lutz12.15.2012Windows Phone 7.8 for the Nokia Lumia 510, 800 starts lurking on NaviFirm
The appearance of new Nokia firmware on NaviFirm is already enough to pique the interest of owners jonesing for an update, and this time there's especially strong reasons to get fired up: Windows Phone 7.8 upgrades for both the Lumia 510 and 800 have appeared on the servers. While their presence doesn't represent an official rollout, it supports notions that Nokia is edging closer to a deployment and gives those who live dangerously a chance to try 7.8 for themselves. We can't guarantee that phones will survive any unofficial transplants, but we'd love to hear from risk-takers who find something truly new in Microsoft's not-quite-8 release.
Jon Fingas12.13.2012Nokia survey may shed some light on upcoming Windows Phone 7.8 features
Know what's better than the gossamer promise of an early 2013 release date for Windows Phone 7.8? Any and all little tidbits that elucidate just what it could herald for legions of bruised Mango users. According to an alleged Nokia customer feedback survey obtained by WMPoweruser, that OS upgrade may bring with it a few additional, albeit minor enhancements outside of the (already confirmed) expanded start screen, like options for enhanced lock screen security, a Bing image of the day wallpaper, plus 20 new color themes. On the Nokia side of things, it appears Lumia owners will get to enjoy a few software perks as well -- namely, that of the gif-making Cinemagraph app and an expanded set of camera lenses. In all, this rumored feature set isn't exactly the most robust, but it's something. We've reached out to Nokia for comment, but so far the company hasn't returned our request. In the meantime, consider this slice of news as solid as WP 7.8's release date.
Joseph Volpe12.11.2012Microsoft pegs Windows Phone 7.8 update for early 2013 arrival
With all the hubbub surrounding Windows Phone 8, it's easy to forget that Microsoft has another new OS in the pipeline: a refresh known as Windows Phone 7.8. One group hasn't forgotten about the update, however, and that's all the current users of Windows Phone 7.5. Now, Microsoft is issuing a reminder that, yes, the update really is coming -- just not this year. The folks in Redmond assert that they're currently working with hardware manufacturers and carriers to deploy Windows Phone 7.8 to "as many devices as possible" in early 2013. So, it seems that Christmas will come a bit later for owners of older hardware, but at least Microsoft has a New Year's resolution worth sticking to.
Zachary Lutz11.28.2012