WebProNews

Tag: windows phones

  • New Nokia Phones Rumored For Mobile World Congress

    This year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was filled with a wide array of tablet, smartphone, and TV announcements and reveals. Manufacturers will get a second world stage to debut products at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, and it seems that Microsoft will be using the event to announce its new Nokia devices.

    A new DigiTimes report today states that Nokia is rumored to be preparing a line of Windows Phone 8.1 devices for announcement at MWC. According to the report’s unnamed “sources in Taiwan’s handset supply chain,” at least three different Nokia smartphones are set to debut at the event, with offerings for both the high and low end of the smartphone market. All three have the Lumia branding that Nokia has worked so hard to create over the past two years.

    One of the rumored devices is the Lumia 1820, a with a 5.2-inch display. The 1820 supposedly will have a Snapdragon 805 CPU and a 3400mAh battery.

    Another of the devices could be the Lumia 1520V, a smaller budget version of Nokia’s Lumia 1520. The 1520V is rumored to have a 4.45-inch display and a 14MP rear camera, both of which are pared down from the 1520’s 6-inch display and 20MP rear camera.

    The third device is rumored to be named the Lumia 1525. DigiTimes’ sources described the 1525 as having a 6-inch display, though nothing else about its hardware was revealed.

    Despite Windows Phone’s small chunk of the smartphone market, Nokia and Microsoft have continued to pump out Lumia devices with hardware that competes with the best smartphones available (especially when it comes to camera technology). With a software revision in Windows Phone 8.1, Nokia’s latest offerings could expand Microsoft’s mobile ecosystem and help the platform gain even more market share.

    Image via Nokia

  • Windows Smartphone Shipments Growing Fast

    Windows Smartphone Shipments Growing Fast

    Six years on from the release of the original iPhone, the smartphone market is maturing. Apple is still at the top of the heap, and Samsung is quickly consolidating the Android portion of the market. What’s unclear is exactly which company will take the third spot in the battle for smartphone market share, but new numbers out today suggest that question may soon be answered.

    Market research firm ABI Research this week released a report showing that total smartphone shipments during the third quarter of 2013 reached 244 million units – over 55% of all mobile phones shipped during the quarter. Samsung, with its many smartphones at all price levels lead the industry with 35% of all shipments during the third quarter. Apple is maintaining its solid 14% share of the market with its iPhones.

    The big surprise of the quarter is that Windows phone devices are now a full 4% of the smartphone market, having risen 165% year-over-year. Nokia is, of course, the major source of those shipments, with 95% of windows smartphone shipments during the quarter coming from the recently-acquired company.

    Much of Windows’ smartphone success over the past year can be directly attributed to the failure of BlackBerry. Chinese manufacturers are also seeing their shipments rise at a fast pace, raising the Android platform’s market dominance to 81% of all smartphones shipped during the third quarter.

    “The race for the third ecosystem is clearly favoring Windows Phone with 4% market share, over BlackBerry’s 1.5%, but there remains little opportunity for new market entrants to make a significant impact on Android’s dominance,” said Michael Morgan, senior analyst at ABI.

  • Nokia Lumia 1520 Rumored For October Release

    Back in July, Nokia followed in the steps of Android smartphone manufacturers by announcing the Lumia 625, a Windows Phone 8 smartphone with a 4.7-inch screen. Now, with Samsung marketing its 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3 and other Android makers selling smartphones with screens over 6-inches, Nokia is rumored to be preparing its own “phablet” device.

    DigiTimes today is reporting that Nokia is set to release a 6-inch Windows Phone 8 smartphone sometime next month. The report’s unnamed “industry sources” are cited as saying the new Lumia 1520 will be announced during October. The device is also rumored to the first from Nokia to come running the latest version of Windows Phone 8.

    Oddly, the DigiTimes report also speculates that Nokia’s move toward larger smartphones will “accelerate” Apple’s transition to larger devices as well. Though the iPhone 5 and IPhone 5S have slightly larger screens than previous iPhone models, Apple has appeared reluctant to raise screen sizes significantly for its new iPhone models.

    It was recently announced that Microsoft will acquire Nokia’s hardware division for a bit over $7 billion. The deal ensures that Nokia’s current strategy of focusing on being the top player in the Windows Phone market will not be changing. It also brings Nokia CEO Stephen Elop back to Microsoft, where he once headed-up the business division. Elop is now a top contender to take the place of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who recently announced his impending retirement.

  • Windows Phone Sales Rising in Europe

    Windows Phone Sales Rising in Europe

    Though the announcement that Microsoft will be buying Nokia’s devices and services unit was not surprising, the move is now placing pressure on other smartphone manufacturers. It is expected that Windows Phone will become an exclusive Microsoft platform, changing little in the Windows Phone market, but perhaps creating demand for other smartphone operating systems.

    While Nokia has taken much criticism for its strategy of being number one in the smaller Windows Phone market while ignoring the crowded Android sector, the strategy seems to have paid off for the company. In addition to its acquisition, Nokia’s Lumia smartphones seem to have attracted a growing number of smartphone users.

    Kantar Worldpanel this weekend revealed sales numbers showing that Windows Phone sales are actually rising throughout Europe. Numbers for the U.K., Germany, France, Spain, and Italy show that Windows Phone market share has risen to a full 8.2% of the smartphone market. Windows Phone is also making waves in Mexico, where Kantar says it captured 11.6% of smartphone sales during the past three months.

    The Kantar report states that most of the growth in Windows Phone sales is coming from first-time smartphone buyers. Also, low-priced handsets from Nokia are predicted to go over well in emerging markets, where other analysts have predicted major smartphone growth in the coming years.

    “Windows Phone’s success has been in convincing first time smartphone buyers to choose one of its devices with 42% of sales over the past year coming from existing featurephone owners,” said Dominic Sunnebo, a strategic insight director at Kantar. “This is a much higher proportion than Android and iOS. The Lumia 520 is hitting a sweet spot, offering the price and quality that new smartphone buyers are looking for.

    “Feature phone owners present a huge opportunity, representing more than half of all mobile users globally and this will be the new battleground over the next year. With the iPhone 4 and lower-end or older Samsung Galaxy models selling well among first time smartphone owners, there is plenty of competition for these customers. The brands that win in this segment will be those that understand and address the needs of consumers in terms of price, content, and quality.”

  • HTC “Likely” to Drop Windows Phone [RUMOR]

    HTC “Likely” to Drop Windows Phone [RUMOR]

    It’s clear that Nokia won’t be abandoning Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 anytime soon. The company’s strategy of having a huge portion of a small market, rather than a tiny portion of the Android market, may or may not pay off – but at least it’s a coherent plan. HTC, on the other hand, is flailing all over the place. The company’s financials have been dismal, despite releasing its well-reviewed HTC One Android smartphone. It’s not clear that even Tony Stark himself can save the brand from obscurity.

    DigiTimes today reported that HTC may soon abandon Windows Phone 8. The company currently manufactures its 8X and 8S line of Windows Phone 8 smartphones. The report’s unnamed “industry sources” cite a familiar cause for HTC’s woes: Samsung.

    While Nokia reportedly has around four-fifths of the Windows Phone 8 market, HTC has now seen its share fall to below 5%. This comes at the same time Samsung has now raised its shipments of Windows Phone 8 devices to be come second in the market behind Nokia.

    It appears that HTC focused much of its engineering and marketing resources to competing with Samsung for the high-end Android smartphone market. Slightly ironic, as Samsung has now overtaken it in the Windows Phone 8 arena. With analysts stating that mid- and low-priced phones in developing countries are the next growth markets for smartphones, HTC will have to reorganize much of its operation to compete. Continuing to push uphill toward the high-end market is a poor plan, as both Palm and BlackBerry have learned.

    (via DigiTimes)

  • HTC Windows Phone 8 Launching July 19 on Sprint

    Though Microsoft has not been able to make Windows Phone 8 the iPhone and Android competitor it may have wanted, the company is still muscling its way into the smartphone market. Sprint today announced that the HTC 8XT, the carrier’s first Windows Phone 8 offering, will be available starting on July 19.

    HTC unveiled its 8X line of Windows Phone 8 smartphones back in September 2012, with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer joining HTC CEO Peter Chou at HTC’s big announcement event. Sprint’s version of the smartphone will feature a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of memory, a 4.3-inch screen, an 8MP rear camera, and 8GB of storage. Being an HTC smartphone, it also comes with Beats Audio branding. It will cost Sprint customers $100 with a two-year contract and after a $50 rebate.

    The 8XT is the first of two Windows Phone 8 smartphones to be released on Sprint’s mobile network this summer. The carrier has also announced that a version of Samsung’s ATIV S smartphone, the Samsung ATIV S Neo, will be launching soon. That device will cost $150 with a two-year upgrade and rebate.

    Though Nokia has taken the lead in manufacturing high-end Windows Phone 8 devices, it’s clear that Microsoft has been using its substantial resources to encourage other manufacturers to produce Windows Phone 8 smartphones. However, it’s also clear that those same manufacturers do not consider their Windows Phone 8 a priority. HTC has been focusing heavily on its HTC One Android device, which became a minor hit this spring, and Samsung has begun seriously competing with Apple due to its Galaxy Note and Galaxy S line of Android smartphones.

  • HTC Unveils Colorful New Windows Phone 8 Smartphones

    Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer joined HTC CEO Peter Chou on stage at today’s big HTC announcement to showcase HTC’s new lineup of Windows Phone smartphones.

    HTC will be releasing two new Windows Phone 8 smartphones this November, the Windows Phone 8S and the Windows Phone 8X. The devices will be available in the U.S. through AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. Ballmer, during the announcement, commented that the “Windows Phone” branding was very clear. It will be interesting to see if Nokia will have any rebuttal to such comments.

    The Windows Phone 8S will have a four-inch screen and a 1GHz dual-core S4 processor. Also, it comes with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. The back-facing camera is 5MP, but there is no front-facing camera. In addition, HTC is still riding its agreement with Beats, including Beats Audio on the device.

    The Windows Phone 8X is HTC’s flagship Windows Phone 8 smartphone. The device will have a 4.3-inch, 720p LCD 2 screen, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. It will also have support for NFC technology and include Beats Audio. The back camera is 8MP and a 2.1MP front-facing camera.

    Much of the announcement was spent commenting on the design of the new devices. HTC emphasized how thin and light the 8S and 8X are. A video during the announcement showed that the Windows Phone 8X has curved glass that extends to the back of the device.

    (Photo courtesy The Verge)

  • Microsoft Reveals Windows Phone 8, Snubs Current Windows Phones

    Microsoft today revealed its future smartphone platform: Windows Phone 8. The announcement came as part of the Windows Phone Developer Summit currently taking place in San Francisco.

    Joe Belfiore, head of the Windows Phone division at Microsoft, took to the official Windows Phone Blog to lay out all of the details. In the blog post he states that Windows 8 is a whole new chapter in the Windows Phone “story.” The new operating system, which Belfiore calls Microsoft’s most advanced mobile OS ever (one would hope), will start arriving on phones later this year. However, he also had some bad news to impart: Windows Phone 8 will not be making it to any existing Windows Phones. From the blog post:

    Some of you have been wondering, “Will we also get Windows Phone 8 as an update?” The answer, unfortunately, is no.

    Windows Phone 8 is a generation shift in technology, which means that it will not run on existing hardware. BUT we care deeply about our existing customers and want to keep their phones fresh, so we’re providing the new Start screen in this new update.

    Leaving current Windows Phone adopters out in the cold is harsh, but it could be the clean sweep Microsoft needs to make sure all of its products are functioning within the same ecosystem. For example, the Start screen Belfiore mentioned is a Windows 8-style metro interface. It provides users with many color-palate options and eschews the Android and Apple icons for “Live Tiles,” which come in three sizes. Microsoft is very proud of those Live Tiles, and has provided a Windows Phone 8 trailer for the Start screen:

    Many Windows Phone 8 features were exactly as rumored. The OS will support multi-core processing, screen resolutions up to 1280 x 768, and NFC. It will also support MicroSD card storage, a must-have for mobile media consumers. Windows Phone 8 will come with Internet Explorer 10 and Nokia mapping integrated into the platform. IE 10 is the same browser that Windows 8 PCs will use in the fall. Microsoft is also debuting a new “digital Wallet” feature that works similarly to Google Wallet, with some extra functionality (such as boarding pass storage) that recalls Apple’s upcoming Passbook app for iOS 6.

    Windows Phone 8 Start screens

    Belfiore made it seem as if Microsoft is looking to finally put RIM out of its misery when he listed the enterprise features that will be baked into Windows Phone 8. The OS will feature built-in device encryption and supports the United Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). The remote management capabilities of the platform will help business IT keep a tight reign on devices, and custom Windows Phone 8 “hubs” will be available for companies to provide company apps and info directly to employees.

    More details about Windows Phone 8 will be rolling out in the weeks and months leading up to its release. Microsoft’s new mobile OS will debut later this year alongside the new Windows 8 PC OS. Between those new operating systems and the new Surface tablets, it looks as if this fall will be make-or-break for Microsoft’s new Metro strategy.

  • New Bing Features for Windows Phones

    New Bing Features for Windows Phones

    Bing is launching two new updates for the Bing app on Windows phones today. "The first is a redesign of the home page, which gives people faster access to common searches such as Movies and Traffic," a representative for Bing tells WebProNews.

    "The second feature is voice-guided navigation for Windows 6.x phones, powered by Bing Maps and Microsoft Tellme’s voice application," he says. "The navigation feature is available to users who have a Windows phone on Sprint, T-Mobile or AT&T."

    Key features according to Bing include:

    – Faster and more informed navigation decisions

    – More flexibility with multiple route choices

    – Voice guidance for a safer way to travel

    – Real time traffic updates to stay informed on the go

    Users of the navigation feature can hit the "navigate" button, and Bing will calculate the route and guide them as they drive. They can select the fastest or shortest route, and choose whether or not to avoid traffic and tolls.

    Bing app updates for windows phone - navigation feature

    Users can also get a map or list of directions, and see arrows/hear alerts to know which way to turn as the journey progresses.

    Specific phones that are compatible with the navigation feature include: HTC Fuze, HTC Pure, HTC HD2, HTC Tilt 2, HTC Touch Diamond 2, HTC Touch HD, HTC Touch Pro, HTC Touch Pro 2, Motorola Q9c, Samsung Jack, Samsung Omnia II, Samsung Propel, and T-Mobile Dash 3G.