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Lumia 900 and 710 commercials hit the web, Nokia fans rejoice
Looking to see more of latest handsets out of Espoo? Good news Nokia peoples, we've got web commercials for the Nokia Lumia 900 and Lumia 710 showcasing the Finnish phones in beautiful, rendered glory. As you can see, the 900 spot above touts the handset's gorgeous polycarbonate unibody chassis and LTE radio, and the 710 video after the break highlights its 5 megapixel camera and software features like Local Scout and navigation. If you're looking for footage of the phone's that's a little more real, check out our hands-on videos with each here and here.
PSA: T-Mobile Nokia Lumia 710 hits stores, $50 on contract
It's been a pretty busy week for Nokia. We now know that AT&T will be getting its own slice of the Lumia pie, and now its T-Mobile branded Lumia 710 has finally touched down on US soil. The middleweight Windows Phone is priced up at fifty bucks (after a mail-in rebate of the same amount) on a typical two-year contract, which should explain any queues forming outside your nearest T-Mob outlet. Or not.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: Windows Phone's Greg Sullivan (update: video embedded)
Got questions about Windows Phone? Microsoft's WP7 senior product manager has answers. Greg Sullivan will be joining us at 1:00PM ET. You too can join us after the jump. Update: Interview video now embedded.
Plex for Windows Phone 7 client hands-on (video)
We're here at CES Showstoppers and we've just managed to wrangle ourselves a sneaky-peek at the currently-in-development Plex client for Windows Phone 7. Plex is an XMBC spin-off that's quickly becoming a favorite of serious home theater users and the range of devices you can get the service on (Google TV, iOS, OSX, Android, Samsung Smart TVs) is growing rapidly. The Windows Phone 7 client lets you use your device as a remote control for your media setup or stream it straight to your device. Once you've selected a film, it'll aggregate your metadata from a variety of sources for actor bios, synopses and galleries. There's also "read it later" style save-lists and recommendations for when you want to share videos with friends. You can also customize the data rate of your streaming content when you're nursing your bandwidth: although in our demo, the lowest settings make everything look seriously jerky. Other tidbits of news that are on the horizon: you'll soon have DLNA server access to the usual glut of streaming video sites and a redesigned interface for large screen TVs (instead of mirroring the tablet interface). After the break we've got a short walkthrough of the Windows Phone client and some beautiful pictures for your enjoyment. Dana Murph contributed to this report.
HTC Titan II with LTE for AT&T hands-on at CES 2012 (video)
So the rumors were true -- the HTC Titan II is basically an HTC Titan with LTE for AT&T and a 16 megapixel camera with backside illuminated sensor, f/2.6 AF lens and dual LED flash (vs. eight megapixels sensor and f/2.2 lens on the original). The industrial design is more traditional HTC fare (think Thunderbolt) -- gone is the rather elegant look and feel of its predecessor, along with its removable battery (although the pack grows from 1600mAh to 1730mAh). After spending some quality time with HTC's latest Windows Phone flagship we came away pretty impressed with the camera. Our test shots contain tons of detail, with accurate colors and very little noise. We left the handset in the default "Intelligent Auto" scene mode for the majority of our pictures, and it handled the varying conditions with aplomb. Exposure was particularly well balanced, despite difficult lighting condition. Take a look at our gallery below and hit the break for our hands-on video, sample shots, and sample video.Alexandra Guerrero (Drita) contributed to this report.
Ballmer announces LTE Windows Phones coming to AT&T
Well, it's been a long time coming, but Windows Phone has finally been granted LTE compatibility -- officially. AT&T trotted out Steve Ballmer who talked up the "blindingly fast" 4G service that'll be coming to Mango. Hopefully there will be more information coming at the live blog tonight.
Windows Phone Marketplace now accepting app submissions for China, five other countries
It wasn't long ago that the Windows Phone Marketplace hit 50,000 unique titles, and very soon, developers may find themselves with a whole lot more exposure. Microsoft's virtual store is expanding once again -- this time to Argentina, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru and the Philippines. While it's not yet live in these countries, proactive developers may submit their apps now to benefit from early certification. Practically speaking, this also enables Microsoft to have its "shelves" fully stocked come opening day. So, unless you're an odd duck who doesn't like more money, the time seems ripe to get those apps submitted.
Nokia Lumia 900 coming to AT&T, further details expected on Monday
Lookie here -- The New York Times has confirmed that Nokia's much-rumored Lumia 900 (800 shown above) will be coming to AT&T, with official details expected here at CES. There's no word on where it'll be hawked outside of the States, but it looks like T-Mob's Lumia 710 is about to get upstaged. We're told to expect more information here on Monday, and in case you had any questions, Elop was quoted as affirming that no Android plans are in the pipeline. Shocker. As for rumored specifications, there's a 4.3-inch WVGA capacitive touchpanel, half a gig of RAM, Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) and an 8-megapixel shooter. Keep it locked here for more details as we get 'em.
Nokia Lumia 710 for T-Mobile review
It's not the Nokia / Microsoft lovechild we've all been patiently awaiting here in the states. No, it's the other Lumia -- the low-end one. And it's headed for a berth on T-Mobile's airwaves next week, on January 11th. Rather than go big (or go home), Espoo's chosen to wade gently into the shallow waters of the US smartphone market, loading this budget Mango device with respectable mid-range specs and an irresistible price. The Lumia 710 is a $50 on contract proposition geared towards easing folks inept at the smarter aspects of wireless gadgetry into the 21st century. With a 3.7-inch ClearBlack LCD display, a 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor aided by 512MB of RAM, a decent 5 megapixel rear shoot capable of 720p video capture and, of course, Windows Phone 7.5, it may do just that. The obvious hurdle keeping this able phone from flying off the shelves has little to do with performance and everything to do with Nokia's stateside brand recognition. So, join us after the break as we put this unassuming handset through its paces and determine whether or not the 710's training wheels are worth a Grant.
HTC Radiant tipped for AT&T: don't call it an LTE-enabled Titan
...But really, that's exactly what it is. An admittedly dodgy image has emerged today showcasing what appears to be a gently massaged HTC Titan, but if rumors are to be believed, this guy will actually be called Radiant. It's bruited that this AT&T-bound model will offer the latest build of Windows Phone 7 and ship with an LTE radio within, and if the name's ringing a bell -- you aren't entirely crazy. Radiant was trademarked back in April of 2011, and if we had to guess, we'd say you'll be hearing more at CES (or worst-case, Mobile World Congress in February). Hopefully we'll get something a bit more exciting than a relocated dual-LED flash and another device name we'll never remember.
Windows Phone getting four fresh Xbox Live gaming titles, optimized for Mango
It looks like our friends over at Microsoft have outed a quartet of new Xbox Live games that will be delivered to the Windows Phone Marketplace in the not-too-distant future. Being billed as "optimized for the newest Windows Phone 7.5," the aforementioned -- and somewhat familiar -- titles include: Age of Zombies by Halfbrick, Bullet Asylum by UberGeekGames, geoDefense Swarm by Critical Thought, and Tamagotchi by Namco. Why are these touchscreen-tickling titles familiar, you ask? Three of the four have been proving their mettle on other mobile platforms. GeoDefense Swarm and Tamagotchi are currently available in the iOS App Store; Age of Zombies is available in both the Android Market and iOS App Store; and Bullet Asylum has been in the works for some time -- we were treated to a video preview last summer, which you'll find below. No word yet on release dates, but the foursome's mere presence on Microsoft's site makes us think that we won't have to wait all that long before initiating the download sequence.
Ask Ziggy: the Windows Phone 7 counter to Apple's Siri (video)
Ask Ziggy has actually been on the Windows Store for right around a fortnight, but there's an updated version hitting soon that brings an astounding amount of Siri-ness to Microsoft's own Windows Phone 7 platform. Developed by Shai Leib, the app is a free (and even ad-free) program that can "translate human speech into transcribed text." According to Leib, the text is then "analyzed for patterns to detect commands or general queries, while commands are interpreted and routed to routine phone tasks such as emailing, texting, calling, social network updates, and getting directions." If you're asking a more generic question, the app uses a hodgepodge of technologies and web searches to find the answer, and we're told that "several passes may be required to find a concise answer." Still, what's shown on the video just past the break is impressive -- particularly for a gratis app from a single Earthling -- and you can expect the latest edition to pop up in the Store within the next couple of days. Just don't ask it if it's hot for Siri, okay? [Thanks, Alex]
Microsoft-approved Windows Phone 7 unlocker discontinued (for the moment)
Well, that was fast. Not two months after ChevronWP7 began selling $9 "tokens" to unlock WP7 handsets, the tool is being discontinued. WPCentral reports that ChevronWP7 made an agreement with Microsoft not to sell more than 10,000 tokens. Unfortunately for latecomers, though, the outfit's reached that cut-off, and says it has no current plans to renegotiate this number (though it hasn't ruled it out either). In a statement, ChevronWP7 spokesperson Rafael Rivera wrote, "Microsoft isn't involved in our discussion yet. And they can't provide us with more unlocks because we haven't asked yet. If we do request more, we're sure Microsoft will respond positively – as they have in the past." Until the two companies raise that sales ceiling, the only Redmond-sanctioned unlocker will be Microsoft's own AppHub, which will set you back a princelier $99.
Mimo Magic Touch screen combined with WP7 emulator to make impromptu Windows Phone tablet
When Mimo's Magic Touch monitor came out it was pitched as just that: a secondary, USB-powered display. But Windows Phone developer Social Ebola immediately eyed it as a potential programming tool. In a video demo, you can watch him drag and drop an emulator onto the Mimo display, and use it as the WP7 tablet we always wanted. As you can see, the emulator doesn't fit the Magic Touch's 10-inch screen perfectly, but gestures like scrolling and pinch to zoom seem buttery smooth from where we're sitting. Self-explanatory, yes, but oh-so mesmerizing. Have a look for yourself, just past the break.
Windows Phone Marketplace hits 50,000 app-submission milestone
Just over one month after crossing the 40,000 app-submission threshold, Microsoft's Windows Phone Marketplace has hit another milestone: 50,000. According to analyses done by All About Windows Phone, the Taj Mahal of tiles has seen developers submit just over 50,000 applications for review -- 42,655 of which are currently available in the United States. What may be more telling is the rate at which developers are submitting their wares. Over 17,000 apps have been submitted to the Marketplace in the last 90-days from over 13,000 different publishers (an average of 265 per day). With Apple's iOS App Store and Google's Android Market sitting firmly atop the mobile-app-ecosystem totem pole, Microsoft is looking to close the gap and put distance between itself and Research In Motion's BlackBerry App World. Hopefully, the gang from Redmond can keep the positive momentum going through 2012... even with its next major mobile OS revision being a minor one.
Microsoft job opening hints at forthcoming backup / restore features for Windows Phone
The current state of performing backups for Windows Phone is far from ideal, although a new job posting from Microsoft suggests that a better solution may be coming to the smartphone platform in its next major software release. According to a job posting from the monolith in Redmond, the company is seeking a talented employee to join its Windows Phone Backup, Migrate and Restore team. The listing goes on to state, "Our goal is to ensure that no matter if someone loses their phone, drops their phone in a lake ... a user can quickly and seamlessly get their phone back to a good state." Whether this involves backup to the cloud, or simply more robust features within the Zune software is never explicitly stated, although Microsoft does suggest it aims to leapfrog the competition in this arena. Not a moment too soon, either.
Switched On: The year of reversal
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Back in 2005, Switched On dubbed its first full year of existence "The Year of the Switch" as IBM sold its PC business to Lenovo, Apple announced plans to leave the PowerPC platform for Macs and Microsoft moved to PowerPC processors for the XBox 360. But the dramatic reversals we saw in 2011 made even some of those decisions look tame by comparison.
Nokia ready to start shipping Lumias to Launchpad developers
Things were a lot less clear back in early 2011 when Nokia announced it would abandon its burning platform for Windows Phone 7. Amidst that uncertainty, Espoo pledged to give select developers an E7 as well as a mystery device running Redmond's bits in the near future. The company's now making good on the latter part of that promise, informing those registered under its Launchpad program that their gratis hardware is ready to ship. Kindly forwarded by a tipster is email proof (seen after the break), which in non-redacted form would provide instructions for procuring a complimentary Lumia 800. Previous whispers suggested the Lumia 710 will also be part of the scheme, so your mileage may vary. Still, a free handset is better than none -- or at the very least a Nokla, right? [Thanks, Jota]
Nokia Lumia 800 infiltrates Washington, succumbs to FCC teardown
It's a rite of passage for any stateside-bound communications device, and now Nokia's darling Windows Phone handset has arrived at FCC HQ to lay disrobed alongside the agency's imposing L-square ruler. The Lumia 800 has been available through carriers in other countries since shortly after its Nokia World launch, but it has yet to land in the US with a carrier subsidy. It's not clear exactly where the shiny slab is headed after its mandatory pit-stop near the nation's capital, though with no reports of 1700 MHz AWS on board, it's safe to say that this iteration won't be joining its Lumia 710 sibling over at T-Mobile.
Nokia reveals CES 2012 press event, Windows Phone the obvious focal point
"The exciting thing is, we've only just begun." That was the closing remark of then-CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo as he wrapped up Nokia's 2010 CES keynote, and while the words ring true today, we're guessing that what has transpired in Espoo between then and now wasn't exactly on his radar at the time. After laying low through the 2011 episode, Nokia will be making a triumphant return at next year's Consumer Electronics Show, even going so far as to reserve a block of time for a Metro-themed press event. The fun kicks off at 3:00PM PT on January 9th, and if you couldn't tell by the invite, we're guessing Windows Phone will be somewhere in the discussion. Naturally, we'll be bringing you every moment of it right here on the site -- nothing wrong with blocking out some vacation time to be here, you know?
