Posts tagged windows phone 7
HTC unveils new Windows Phones: 4.7″ Titan, 3.8″ Radar
Sep 2nd
HTC just unveiled two new handsets running Microsoft’s latest mobile OS, Windows Phone 7.5 (codenamed Mango)– the Titan, a 4.7″ monster that may spawn a whole range of 4.7″ phones from HTC (as the HD2 did for the 4.3″ form factor), and the Radar, an update to the 3.8″ HTC Trophy.
The Titan (codenamed Eternity) is truly a beast, featuring a 4.7″ SLCD screen (800×480 resolution), 8 MP rear camera, 1.3 MP front-facing camera (for Skype chats). Inside, the phone sports a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 single-core processor, 512 MB RAM, and 16 GB storage. It’s quite slim (9.9 mm) and has a black painted unibody metal construction (minus a plastic bit at the bottom for the antennas), though Microsoft’s claim that it’ll be “the most amazing thing you’ve ever held” might a little ambitious.
The Radar (codenamed Omega) targets a lower price point. Featuring the same dimensions and weight as HTC’s current Trophy, along with the phone’s 3.8″ LCD, 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 processor, 5 MP rear camera, 512 MB RAM, and 8 GB storage. The Radar improves on the Trophy’s camera, and adds a front-facing VGA camera for video chat. The phone will come in gray and white variants, and while it’s slightly thicker than the Titan (10.9 mm), it’s still a decent-looking unit. HTC plans to offer landscape docks to allow the Radar and Titan to act as alarm clocks as they charge.
Imaging seems to have been a focus for HTC– both the Titan and Radar sport 28mm wide-angle lenses, f2.2 maximum aperture, and back-illuminated sensors (like the iPhone 4 and HTC’s own EVO 4G) that should improve image quality, along with LED flash (single on the Radar, dual on Titan). In addition, the phones include far more imaging options than HTC’s current WP7 lineup (along with features like panorama auto-stitching and burst mode).
HTC plans to ship its new Mango handsets in early October and will begin upgrading current phones to Mango starting in mid-September.
Source: Microsoft – Titan, Radar
Sphere: Related ContentTA Maps 2 hits the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace
Feb 11th
TechAutos Maps v2.0, an updated version of one of the first jailbroken apps for Windows Phone 7, has now hit the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace.
TA Maps is a mapping solution that uses sources like Google Maps and OpenStreetMap and gives better coverage in many parts of the world than Bing Maps. It includes:
- Scrollable/zoomable maps
- Street/satellite views
- GPS location tracking
- Search
- Favorite locations
- Driving mode (keeps map centered on GPS location)
- GPS sensitivity settings
- Smoothly restores your last map view and pushpins
We will be adding features like driving directions, additional map/search sources, and more point-of-Interest data in upcoming updates.
For screenshots and more details, see: TA Maps for Windows Phone 7
Marketplace link: TA Maps at the WP7 Zune Marketplace
Nokia Windows Phone 7 concept phone revealed
Feb 11th
Engadget has come across the first concept rendering from Nokia of what a future Windows Phone 7 handset from Espoo might look like. In classic Nokia fashion, the phone is shown in three different colors (black, pink, and cyan). The rendering combines Nokia’s design language with the simplicity of WP7′s three-button interface for a sleek-looking package overall.
Combine it with solid internals and Nokia’s traditional strength in phone camera optics, and we’re sold. Just hurry up and get this on the market, Nokia.
Source: Engadget
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Nokia CEO responds to Google VP’s “two turkeys” tweet, clarifies WP7 strategy
Feb 11th
Two days before the Nokia-Microsoft alliance was announced, Google’s Vic Gundotra attacked the two companies by tweeting that “two turkeys do not make an Eagle.” Now Nokia’s CEO Stephen Elop has responded with a tweet saying “two bicycle makers from Dayton Ohio, one day decided to fly”– referencing the Wright brothers.
Separately, Elop and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer provided some more details on the deal. The arrangement is not exclusive– Microsoft will continue to work with other phone manufacturers on Windows Phone 7, though Nokia will get some “unique” benefits out of the deal. When asked if Nokia would be able to customize “everything” on Windows Phone 7 (unlike current WP7 licensees), Elop said yes, but clarified that Nokia was unlikely to do so, as it preferred maintaining full compatibility across the Windows Phone platform.
Read on for more details.
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Nokia announces strategic alliance with Microsoft: Windows Phone 7, Bing, Xbox Live, Office
Feb 11th
Nokia just dropped the bombshell we predicted yesterday: a wide-ranging “strategic alliance” through which:
- Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 OS will become Nokia’s “principal smartphone strategy”
- Microsoft’s Bing and adCenter will provide search and advertising for Nokia Windows Phones
- Nokia’s Ovi Maps content will become part of Bing Maps
- Nokia’s app and music stores will integrate into Microsoft’s (Windows Phone / Zune / Xbox) Marketplace
- Like all Windows Phones, Nokia handsets will now also feature Xbox Live and Office
Nokia CEO Stephen Elop (former head of Microsoft’s Business Division) and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said:
“There are other mobile ecosystems. We will disrupt them. There will be challenges. We will overcome them. Success requires speed. We will be swift. Together, we see the opportunity, and we have the will, the resources and the drive to succeed.”
Read on for more about the Nokia-Microsoft deal.
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Reports: Nokia may use Windows Phone 7; Microsoft India, Google execs hint at partnership
Feb 10th
Nokia CEO Stephen Elop (L), then head of Microsoft's Business Division, with Nokia VP for Devices Kai Oistamo (R) in 2009
Observers have been wondering what Nokia’s next step will be following its CEO’s Burning Platform memo yesterday. The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg BusinessWeek reported this morning that Nokia is in talks with Microsoft to license the latter’s Windows Phone 7 operating system for use in its devices and that a deal may be announced at an event in London tomorrow. The company has also been in talks for several months with Google about its Android OS, which seem not to have panned out. Google’s flamboyant VP of Engineering, Vic Gundotra, posted a tweet yesterday presumably bashing Nokia and Microsoft after the Android negotiations fizzled:
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HTC HD2 triple-boots Windows Phone 7, Android, WinMo 6.5
Jan 24th
Vying for the title of the most customizable smartphone ever made, HTC’s legendary HD2 can now triple-boot Windows Phone 7, Android, and Windows Mobile 6.5, courtesy to posters at XDA-Developers. The 4.3″ phone, grandfather of HTC’s current large phones, has similar specs to today’s high-end smartphones (1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon, 512 MB RAM) and runs all three OSes smoothly (not at the same time though).
The triple-boot system entails running Windows Mobile 6.5 as the native OS, with Android and Windows Phone 7 installed on the phone’s MicroSD card. See the thread for instructions on how to make sure you’re cooler than people who have just two OSes on their phones.
Windows Phone 7 now fully works on the phone (earlier issues with accessing Windows Live services like the Marketplace have been solved). The HD2 has also seen ports of Ubuntu and Meego, so we could soon see a quad- or penta-OS HD2.
Source: XDA-Developers
Sphere: Related ContentTA Maps: Google Maps for Windows Phone 7
Dec 4th
Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 OS ships with an integrated Bing Maps client, but Bing’s map data is lacking in many parts of the world. Unfortunately Google does not have a maps client for Windows Phone 7 yet, so some WP7 users are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
We’ve come up with (the start of) a solution: TechAutos Maps is a basic Google Maps client for Windows Phone 7. It’s meant as a temporary solution until Google releases its official app (hopefully soon), and is still missing lots of features (POI search, favorites, etc.), but some users might find it useful even in its current shape. TA Maps must be side-loaded (i.e. not from the Marketplace), so it requires unlocking your WP7 phone (see instructions).
See here for more info, screenshots, and installation instructions: TechAutos Maps for Windows Phone 7
Windows Phone 7 unlocked, app side-loading commences
Nov 25th
A new tool named ChevronWP7 lets Windows Phone 7 users install applications outside of the Windows Phone Marketplace. Previously, only developers could test their applications on (just their own) phones. Now, any phone “unlocked” by ChevronWP7 will allow home-brew apps – including those denied from the Marketplace because they access private or native parts of the OS – to be installed, which could allow for customization or features beyond what Microsoft currently allows on the platform.
ChevronWP7 is available at chevronwp7.com and will run on any Windows Phone 7 device, with Windows XP SP2 and higher on your connected PC.
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Windows Phone 7 outlasts Android, iPhone 4 in grilling contest
Nov 13th
If “Will It Blend” isn’t enough for you, the makers of EZGrill have put up a comparison video between a Windows Phone 7 device (HTC Surround), an Android phone (T-Mobile HTC G2), and an iPhone 4 to see which lasts longer on a grill. Looks like Windows Phone 7 has a stronger “firewall” than the iPhone, and the Android phone roasts the quickest.
See the video after the break.
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