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Mobile Miscellany: week of May 7th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Sprint reassured us with optimism for Windows Phone 8, and T-Mobile's CEO found a new partner to continue the fight against Verizon's AWS acquisition. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of May 7th, 2012.
Windows Phone Developer Summit coming June 20th, makes for one busy month
Just in case June wasn't busy enough for mobile app developers, between Apple's WWDC and Google I/O, Microsoft has thrown its hat into the ring. It's scheduling a Windows Phone Developer Summit in San Francisco for June 20th and 21st, just a week before Google's meetup. Details are scant in the notice Engadget received, although Microsoft teases us with the prospects of learning "developer opportunities and platform capabilities in Windows Phone." Whether that means Apollo or just more about Windows Phone 7.5 Refresh (Tango) is still very much a mystery. Either way, it's likely to be good news for Metro-friendly developers crestfallen after MIX was shut down.
Mobile Miscellany: week of April 16th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Verizon announced that its LTE service now covers two-thirds of the US population, and T-Mobile dropped its 'nice girl' image in attempt to position its HSPA+ network as a viable competitor to LTE. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of April 16th, 2012.
Microsoft evangelist admits he misspoke regarding Windows Phone 8 updates
This is why companies have to be careful in their external communication: if a spokesperson reveals relevant details about an anticipated product, the news is going to be reported. Such a situation happened just two days ago, when Microsoft employee Nuno Silva went on the record -- on video, nonetheless -- to say that all current Windows Phone handsets would receive the upgrade to Apollo. Not so fast. Silva has since retracted his statement and now insists that his remarks only extend to apps. Yep. What he meant to say was that existing Windows Phone applications should work with the new operating system. Beyond that clarification, however, the company has no new information to share regarding the upgrade potential of current Windows Phone handsets. Makes you wonder if anyone in the company knows for sure.
Windows Phone 8 reportedly coming to 'all' WP smartphones (updated)
We've heard it rumored, but this is as close to an official confirmation as we've seen. Windows Phone 8, affectionately known as Apollo 'round these parts, will reportedly be available on every single Windows Phone device to ever ship. Let that sink in a second. Now that you've been appropriately wowed, we'll point you to the video just after the break, which shows a Microsoft spokesperson affirming that "all" devices -- including those first-generation handsets from LG and Samsung -- will be included in the WP8 rollout. No details regarding timing were revealed -- and it remains to be seen if this will prove true in the States, where carriers have just as much say on updates as the OEMs -- but you can consider us cautiously optimistic in the meantime. Update: Hard to say if wires have been crossed, but The Verge is reporting that while apps are included in the upgrade path, the spokesperson here may have been incorrect in his assumptions that devices will be upgraded in due time. At this point, we're left to wait for Microsoft to clear things up. So, Microsoft -- care to clarify?
Leaked Microsoft roadmap reveals Office 15, IE 10 and Windows Phone details
If it's accurate, then this leaked Microsoft roadmap has revealed the company's plans for many of its forthcoming products. Here's the basics: Internet Explorer 10 is due part-way through the year, at the same time that we hope to see Windows 8 appearing. Office 15 will enter beta-testing partway through 2012 and become "available" next year, but that's no sure sign of a release date. On the Windows Phone front, there's a launch expected in the summer that's labelled as "future investments," which we can only hope is a euphemism for Apollo. Oh, and any Silverlight fans better pour one out for their beloved flash-killer: nothing was marked on its timeline after the December 2011 release of Version 5. After the break we've got another shot of the internal document that Windows fans will spend the next few days analyzing with Zapruder-esque fervor. [Images courtesy of Maarten Visser]
Is Windows Phone 8 popping up on a WP7 App?
The "I'm a WP7" app is now showing records of both Windows Phone 8 Apollo (build 8.0.9662.0) and Windows 8 Desktop Jupiter (6.2.8288.0) emulators. It seems to tie in with rumors that software testing for the mobile OS was ramped up on March 30th in anticipation for release later this year. WP8 will bring a host of long-desired features to its battle with Android and iOS, including multiple screen resolutions, dual-core CPUs, NFC and microSD support. Now we can start wildly speculating on which Greco-Roman God / Battlestar Galactica character will lend its name to future software builds.
Sprint to launch an LTE Windows Phone handset this fall?
Get out the salt shaker, because there's a new Windows Phone rumor making its way across the web today. Citing sources "familiar with Sprint's LTE game plan," SprintFeed is reporting that the carrier is looking to launch a new LTE-enabled handset later this year -- one that'll allegedly run Windows Phone 8, commonly known as Apollo. These sources also claimed that the device still has to run through a series of tests, implying that it would likely hit the market this Fall, at the earliest. Beyond that, details run pretty thin, but we'll be sure to keep an eye on it going forward.
Windows Phone 8 detailed: dual cores, Skype Integration and NFC are a go
If you thought Mango was the bee's knees, just wait till you get a hold of Apollo. No, seriously, keep waiting 'cause we have no idea when that will happen. While we still can't say when Windows Phone 8 will be making its way to a handset near you, we do have quite a few new details about the mobile OS courtesy of the folks over at PocketNow. The site managed to snag a copy of a video starring Windows Phone manager Joe Belfiore talking about what's coming in the next major revision. Those of you concerned with Microsoft's inability to go toe to toe with Apple and Google on specs can breathe a bit easier as new screen resolutions (four in total) and dual-core CPUs will be supported, while those clamoring for more storage will be happy to hear that microSD support has returned -- this time in an official capacity. Rounding out the new hardware features will be NFC support, including the Beam-like ability to share content by tapping, though, it'll have the advantage of being able to share with Windows 8 based tablets and laptops as well. And, speaking of Windows 8, its similarly numbered, phone-centric sibling won't just share a UI, it'll have many of the core components, including large chunks of the kernel, networking stack and security features -- which should make porting apps from the desktop to the handset a relatively simple affair.Amazingly enough, the list of improvements doesn't end there. If you've been wondering when Microsoft was going to put its Skype acquisition to good use, wonder no more. A Windows Phone app for the VoIP service will debut alongside Apollo and will feature deep integration with the OS, including the ability to place calls the same as you would standard voice calls. A new live tile and app called DataSmart will make it easier for users to manage their data usage and ensure they don't end up eating insane overage fees. To milk every last bit out of that data plan Windows Phone will favor WiFi over a cellular connection and can be programmed to automatically connect to carrier-owned hotspots when they're in range. And, if that weren't enough, Microsoft plans to use proxy servers to compress web pages before feeding them to the mobile version of Internet Explorer 10, not unlike Opera Mini. Those of you who doubted that Windows Phone could actually keep pace with Android and iOS, now might be a good time to reevaluate your position. Hit up the source link for a few more details.Update: If you want to get all of the details in a nice easy to glance list head after the break for a convenient bullet point presentation.
Stephen Elop: Nokia sees 'the opportunity' in tablets, reveals no plans to seize it
Sometimes a CEO has to be coy. We understand that. So what should we make of Stephen Elop's remarks to Bloomberg Businessweek? Asked about the growing tablet market, the Nokia head replied, "There's a new tablet opportunity coming. We see the opportunity. Unquestionably, that will change the dynamics." So should your start holding your breath for a Nokia tablet? Not necessarily. While he didn't rule out doing so, Elop had no plans to announce, and he's made similarly vague comments before, including, "Our team right now is assessing what's the right tablet strategy for Nokia." Interpreting these quotes is a bit like reading tea leaves, but for now we're willing to believe the Finnish firm is still mulling its options.
Windows Phone Apollo coming 'middle of next year,' says Nokia VP
A top Nokia exec just confirmed the much-rumored schedule for the next Windows Phone update, codenamed Apollo. Michael Halbherr, Executive VP for Location and Commerce, told us that it'll launch in mid-2012 and be a "very different game" to Mango -- hinting that Apollo actually refers to Windows Phone 8 rather than any mere decimal increment. What do we know about Apollo at this point? Well, not a great deal, but Halbherr also revealed that he's been pushing Microsoft to integrate NFC and a "positioning framework" to make its mobile OS work better with Nokia's Navteq mapping platform and thereby provide new location-based services. Sorry HTC, Samsung, but everything points to a more 'Nokia-fied' OS. Update: We've spoken with some sources close to Microsoft who indicate that the timing given to us by Nokia is inaccurate. Unfortunately, the truth serum we used wore off before we were provided with a surrogate timeframe, but we'll of course keep our ears to the ground.
Windows Phone Apollo to feature speech-to-text for email, low-end Tango gets split in two
If this hodgepodge of sorta, kinda official confirmation is to be believed, Windows Phone users can look forward to deeper integration of voice command functionality built-in to the Apollo update. Nokia US' CEO, Chris Weber, first spilled the speech recognition beans in an interview with VentureBeat back in early August, referring to the tech as a killer WP feature. Now, a report over on ZDNet backs up that leaked info with resume tidbits from former MS Windows Phone / Mobile Communications team members that had a hand in creating the so-called "Voice-Compose" and "Read-Aloud" features for native email clients-- even tipping us off to a possible Windows 8 and WP 8 convergence. There's also mention (gleaned from a company job listing) of MS' lower-end mobile OS splitting into two separate versions -- Tango1 and Tango2. We know what you're thinking. It's hard to get excited about far-off OS updates when we're still waiting on Mango's release. Still, it's good to know Ballmer and co. aren't just resting on their Windows laurels.
Microsoft: Windows Phone Tango will be minor update, is meant for low-end handsets
It looks like we have our Windows Phone roadmap filled out for at least the next year, as Tango has been confirmed by Microsoft as next year's minor update preceding Apollo (aka Windows Phone 8). As mentioned at a MSDN seminar in Hong Kong, the successor to Windows Phone Mango will indeed be made for handsets in developing countries -- a key method to make these devices more affordable. These targeted nations have been neglected to this point, the company said, and the Tango update would bring more Bing services to them at a lower cost. Will such a move help Ballmer & Co. achieve greater market share against Apple and Google? It's hard to tell -- we certainly don't see this update coming to Vertu anytime soon, so we imagine that's probably a good sign.
Nokia's Windows Phones will feature dual-core ST-Ericsson U8500, says STMicroelectronics chief
As you'll no doubt be aware, Qualcomm currently enjoys a stranglehold on processing hardware inside Windows Phone handsets. Its Snapdragon chip stars in both Microsoft's original and updated chassis spec for the platform, but its hegemony may soon be coming to an end. STMicroelectronics (the ST in ST-Ericsson) boss Carlo Bozotti is cited by Forbes as saying that Nokia will use ST-Ericsson hardware to power at least some of its Windows Phones. The dual-core U8500, a long-time Nokia favorite, is touted as the first such system-on-chip to appear, with its successors helping to populate Nokia's expansive WP lineup in 2012. The only intel we've had so far on Nokia's initial handsets for the new OS revolved around Qualcomm-based devices, so even if ST-Ericsson is indeed going to infiltrate the Windows Phone ecosystem, it doesn't look likely to be among the very first Nokias out of the gate.
Windows Phone 7 said to be getting major 'Mango' update in August or September
We'd already heard that Windows Phone 7 is set to get an update of some sort early next year -- possibly coinciding with Mobile World Congress in February -- but ZD Net's Mary Jo Foley is now reporting that an even bigger update could be following in August or September. According to her sources, the update is codenamed "Mango," and it will effectively amount to Windows Phone 7.5, which she says might even be the actual name when it's released. That update will apparently bring Silverlight runtime and HTML5 support to the OS, along with Far Eastern language support, and some other unspecified features and functionality. It will also presumably be the most significant update until Windows Phone 8, which Foley says is codenamed "Apollo," and is on track for a release in late 2012. [Thanks, John]
