Windows Phone Archive

5

Microsoft sends mango as invitation to Mango event

By
Michael Collado
– May 22, 2011

We’re a wee bit behind on posting this, but since we’re even closer to the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango event taking place this Tuesday, May 24th, we figured we’d adopt the motto that late is better than never. In perhaps the sweetest invitation Microsoft has ever sent, the company mailed a Polish blogger, of WP-7.pl, an actual, fresh mango containing information about the Windows Phone 7.5 announcement and wrapped up in a ribbon of sorts with the words “Windows Phone” printed on it.

The invitations certainly confirm the operating system’s codename (if they haven’t officially confirmed it yet).

Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5 announcement takes place this Tuesday, May 24th, at 10:00AM EDT.

3

Rumor: 9 new Windows Phones to be announced May 24

By
Michael Collado
– May 22, 2011

We’re only two days away from Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5 Mango announcement taking place this Tuesday, so the only shocking part about this rumor is why it took so long in the first place.

WMPowerUser received an anonymous tip that Microsoft will be showing off at least nine new Windows Phone devices during their Mango announcement on Tuesday. Nine phones actually sounds about right; Microsoft showed off an entire slew of devices during their first Windows Phone announcement last fall.

WMPowerUser’s source says there will be 2 HTC devices, 2 from Acer, one from Dell, and the last four from Samsung. They’re all expected to be released this holiday season to coincide with WP7.5 Mango. Announcing them this early makes sense because it’s difficult “to keep handsets secret when they enter carrier testing.” Though, announcing devices this early could hinder current phone sales (especially a certain Verizon phone coming a couple days after!).

Featured image credit: E’s Phone Blog

0

NoDo firmware for Samsung Omnia 7 leaks

By
Michael Collado
– May 21, 2011

Samsung has been suffering some problems with its devices for the Windows Phone NoDo update. It’s other WP7 devices, namely the Focus, seems to have made the update transition perfectly. Microsoft even announced that the Omnia 7 would receive the update officially soon. But for those that can no longer wait, the NoDo firmware has now leaked for the Samsung Omnia 7.

Neowin reports of the leak, which is hosted on Samfirmware.com. Samfirmware user Jeshter2000 updated the website with two firmwares — a Galaxy S one and the aforementioned NoDo for Omnia 7 — which he alleges contains the update. Unfortunately, we cannot test to see if the file does in fact contain NoDo or anything that’s not harmful, so if you decide to continue with the leaked firmware please do so at your own discretion. Though, it’s worth noting that there are many of users on the site and they seem content with previous firmware leaks.

Samfirmware is in no way affiliated with Samsung and is set up for recreational purposes only.

Image credit: Flickr user viskas

0

New app lets Android users have Windows Phone-esque music experience

By
Michael Collado
– May 20, 2011

Woe are the Android users who desperately want to own a Windows Phone and dying for that Zune media experience. Perhaps the operating system just isn’t available on their carrier yet (though Verizon consumers, that’s not really you anymore!), perhaps they just haven’t found the right phone or their contract isn’t up, or maybe it’s just because they prefer Android more at the moment. It’s also not the first time someone has tried to mimic a Metro UI feel to the Android operating system. Last August, an application was released to have the Zune user interface take over Android’s for those so inclined to do so.

Regardless, a new application for Android users allows consumers to have the Windows Phone Music + Video Zune Hub experience while keeping their Android operating system. The application, titled Fede Music, is in Alpha and is free.

Seb of ZuneBoards calls the application “really impressive” and says “you’ll feel right at home” if you’ve used a Zune HD before. Well that sounds like a heckuva good Alpha version of an application. Fede Music has the look and feel down to the artist pictures as backgrounds.

iPhone users haven’t been singled out from the Metro UI takeover fever. An application, in the App Store, titled Muzik attempts to accomplish the same thing, though you have to input all of the artists’ pictures at a $0.99 price tag.

You can download Muzik for iOS on the App Store and you can download Fede Music for Android at Droid Life.

7

HTC HD7S heading to AT&T June 5th

By
Austin Madgwick
– May 19, 2011


AT&T has announced that the HTC HD7S, their version of the HTC HD7 on T-Mobile’s network, will be launching on June 5th. The HTC HD7S features a 1GHz processor, 4.3″ WVGA Super LCD, 5MP camera and Windows Phone 7 “NoDo” update on-board. The HTC HD7S will be available for $199 on a two-year contract with AT&T. You can see the official HTC HD7S page on AT&T’s website here.

3

Verizon to launch its first Windows Phone 7 device May 26

By
Michael Collado
– May 19, 2011

It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here. Verizon Wireless is set to launch its first ever Windows Phone 7 device in just one week with the HTC Trophy landing on the number one USA carrier on May 26th. That date is just two days after Microsoft’s announcement of Windows Phone 7.5, where they will reportedly show off the new mobile OS, codename Mango. Though it’s important to note that Mango isn’t due until, perhaps, the holidays or in the fall.

According to MobileCrunch the HTC Trophy will be available on Verizon’s website on Thursday, May 26th and then hit its retail stores on June 2nd. The HTC Trophy sports the following specs:

  • 1 GHz Snapdragon® processor
  • WVGA 3.8-inch touchscreen
  • Surround sound through SRS WOW HD™
  • 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, 720p HD video capture
  • 16 GB on-board storage
  • Wi-Fi connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n
  • Global ready – allowing customers to enjoy wireless voice and data service in more than 200 countries, with more than 125 with 3G speeds

The HTC Trophy comes with a $149.99 price tag with a 2 year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate.

0

HTC Bresson: T-Mobile’s new WP7 device with 16-megapixel camera

By
Michael Collado
– May 18, 2011

An exclusive post on This Is My Next reveals T-Mobiles new cellphone lineup for 2011, full of HTC devices. None of the phones listed were described as Windows Phone devices, until the final two unmarked devices both from HTC. They are the Bresson and the G-Infinity. This Is My Next speculates that the G-Infinity will be the next in line in the HTC Gx series (as in HTC G1, etc).

Then, a leaked T-Mobile ad showed an unknown HTC Windows Phone 7 device, noted by the Windows start screen button (as pictured above).

 

 

Since one unmarked phone remains, all signs point to the HTC Bresson being the next Windows Phone 7. The phone is expected to make its debut beyond Fall, so most likely for the holidays, as PocketNow speculates. The 16-megapixel part comes because the video details the phone sports one — tech bloggers have thus made two and two equal four, here.

Thanks to Allen on Facebook who showed us to this ZuneBoards article.

0

Windows Phone 7.5 Mango leaked screenshot shows unified email inbox, dubbed Linked Inbox

By
Michael Collado
– May 18, 2011

Microsoft is apparently gearing to answer requests to have a unified email inbox for multiple email accounts. That is if a leaked screenshot, allegedly sent to the media in New Zealand as a teaser for next Tuesday’s event, is to be believed.

Neowin was the first to report of the leaked screenshot image, also citing Twitter user WindowsPhone8 who claims that the Linked Inbox is actually better than a unified inbox method. Though, that remain to be seen.

Rumor has it that the Linked Inbox would be a unified inbox as it were but would also allow you to keep accounts separate and thus allow you to pin specific email accounts and inboxes to your start screen.

Other features leaked by the screenshot shows a minor tweak to the People Hub: it now shows larger images rather than just tiny icons of your contacts in, going further with the mosaic theme.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5 announcement and event will be taking place Tuesday, May 24th.

0

Windows Phone Game of the Week & Deal of the Week

By
Dario
– May 18, 2011

Nostalgia on Speed

Published by Bandai-Namco
Price: $6.99

This week’s Xbox Live game for WP7 is Pac-man Championship Edition DX. The classic game gets a makeover and it’s infused with a 21st century coat of paint. Improved graphics, music and challenges are added to make it a new breed of Pac-man not seen before. This is not your grandpas Pac-man…it’s Pac-man on speed!

Compete with friends on leaderboards, and achieve the highest score on over 14 different time-trials. The game comes with achievements, and three different boards to play on. It will set you back $6.99.

OMG It’s only a $1.99!

Published by Microsoft Game Studios
Price: $1.99 (for a limited time)

This week’s Deal of the Week also has a little bit of old-school flair as the top-down shooter OMG: Our Manic Game is now a dollar cheaper at $1.99 (a steal if you ask me). A single player affair, you’ll have to survive wave upon wave of enemy ships to catch the highest score. You can read our Zunited review of the game here.

The deal of the week will last exactly, you guessed it, a week. Get it while it’s on sale.

0

Zune Pass alternative: Slacker Radio releases new premium subscription service

By
Michael Collado
– May 17, 2011

A couple of months ago, Zunited reported that Rhapsody had released an application for Windows Phone 7, somewhat competing with the loved-by-everyone Zune Pass. At $10 a month, the service was less expensive but didn’t allow for users to listen to music offline, as Zune Pass does by letting you download music (and keep 10 tracks forever per month).

Slacker Radio, an Internet radio service akin to Pandora, today, launched a new premium subscription service dubbed Slacker Premium Radio after months of being in beta that isn’t quite as full-fledged as Zune Pass, but comes close enough for the lesser price tag (in case you were looking for an alternative) by meshing a radio and on-demand listening experience.

For $9.99/month, Slacker will allow users to search through its catalog of 8 million songs and choose what to play on demand, aside from the radio features. Users can also replay songs that aired on their radio stations in addition to creating custom playlists and listen to single artist stations. The premium service includes all the features of their other subscription, Radio Plus. Which is to say that users can cache songs and listen to them offline by storing them in their smartphone’s memory card.

Now, as far as we know (and we would really like to be wrong), the Windows Phone 7 Slacker Radio application doesn’t support this feature nor does it work in the background, but hopefully there will be an update to it some time soon. On the other hand, if you own a BlackBerry or Android phone, this might be perfect for you.

The subscriptions also come with artist biographies, reviews, and lyrics that should also give it that Zune Pass feel.

Try out the new Premium Radio service by following a promotion on Slacker Radio’s Facebook Page. And copy the free Slacker Radio for Windows Phone 7 application by clicking here.

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