windows phone

Windows Phone 8

Hot on the heels of Windows 8 came Windows Phone 8, the first major upgrade to Microsoft's smartphone operating system. By bringing a heavy load of much-needed features like support for HD screens, multicore processors, and NFC, Microsoft did a lot to close the gap separating it from Google and Apple. The ability to customize tile size gave users more control over the OS's unique look and feel, and it didn't hurt that it debuted on strong devices such as the Nokia Lumia 920 and the HTC Windows Phone 8X.

But there were some problems. Existing Windows … Read more

Android fanboys rage at Microsoft's Droid Rage hype

Microsoft has been bestially competitive of late.

It has gnashed its teeth, thrust out its limbs, and accused most of its rivals of being little more than mice.

It has called Google "Scroogle" and called IE haters sad.

And it has sent its cohorts out into the world to prove that iPhones and their Android counterparts are nothing but slugs.

But all this fit hissing sometimes has side effects.

One of Microsoft's latest aggressive stances was to use its Windows Phone Twitter account to ask whether people were suffering from DroidRage.

Should you be unaware of this … Read more

Microsoft tries #DroidRage thing again -- doesn't take

Call it a Microsoft holiday tradition. The annual #DroidRage Twitter campaign is back.

The general idea of #DroidRage is to "share your Android malware horror story."

And while there are some tweets supporting Microsoft, they aren't easy to find -- despite this tweet by Microsoft: "Yikes! Hundreds of #DroidRage stories already since our tweet last night."

Instead, the tweets are trending toward flaming Windows.

Here's how adamwiniecki put it: "marketing guru who came up with #droidrage actually secretly works for Google."

He's right. There is precious little about Android malware stories. … Read more

Nokia sells Finnish headquarters amid financial troubles

Nokia said this morning that it will sell its head office in Espoo, Finland, to software consultancy firm Exilion for 170 million euros ($222 million).

The struggling phone maker said in a statement that it will lease back the head office at a lower price, but Nokia did not disclose any additional figures.

The move comes as the phone maker, which has suffered over the past year with poor quarterly financial results, continues to struggle in a market dominated by companies such as Apple and Samsung.

Nokia's chief financial officer, Timo Ihamuotila, said that the deal is in line … Read more

HTC Titan III leak suggests flagship Windows Phone 8

This is one of those rumors that definitely pan out. Microsoft contacted CNET to let us know that the "leak" was really a typo on the Xbox site. This story updated 12/4/2012 at 3:27pm PT.

A recent Xbox Live Rewards survey may have leaked HTC's next Windows Phone 8 device, the HTC Titan III.

Presumably headed to AT&T in the near future, the unofficial smartphone was listed among other devices in a monthly questionnaire.

Part of the Xbox Live Rewards survey in question asked participants to gauge their level of excitement if … Read more

HTC's budget-friendly Windows Phone 8S not coming to U.S.

HTC won't be making its budget-minded Windows Phone handset, the 8S, available in the United States.

In a statement to Engadget yesterday, the company called its higher-end device, the 8X, its "signature Windows Phone" and said that with its focus on that handset, the 8S "is not currently planned for distribution in the U.S. market."

Sources told The Verge that the 8S was originally tagged as a lower-cost phone for T-Mobile but that Microsoft decided to prioritize testing of the Qualcomm 8960 chipset that's found in the 8X (as well as in Nokia'… Read more

Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.8 update slated for early 2013

Windows Phone 7.8 -- the update for Windows Phone 7.x that adds tile multisizing support -- is going to roll out to "as many devices as possible" by early 2013.

That's the latest timing I had heard from some of my contacts, and is now officially acknowledged by the Softies, as noted in a November 28 Windows Phone blog post.

The post, authored by Windows Phone chief Terry Myerson, noted that Windows Phone 7.8 is starting to roll out now on new, lower-priced phones in many countries around the world.

But it's … Read more

Microsoft plans to fix rebooting Windows Phones next month

Microsoft said today it has determined what is causing some Windows Phone 8 devices to spontaneously reboot and said it plans to issue a fix next month.

"We're continuing to investigate some reports of phones rebooting and have identified a cause with our partners," Microsoft said in a statement. "We are working to get an over-the-air update out in December."

However, the company declined to identify the cause of the reboots.

The issue materialized earlier this month when some users of Windows 8 devices complained of spontaneous reboots and e-mail sync issues. ZDNet's Mary … Read more

Microsoft's first Windows Phone 8 update dubbed Apollo Plus?

It's been kind of odd that no code name for the successor to the Windows Phone 8 operating system had leaked -- until November 26 (if the rumors are right).

Here's a quick refresher on code names. The Windows Phone team has been all about the o's. Windows Phone 7 OS was code-named NoDo. Then there was Mango (Windows Phone 7.5). A minor interim update arrived next, code-named Tango. And Windows Phone 8 OS was code-named Apollo. Joe Belfiore(o), manager of the Windows Phone Program, said awhile back that the team was finished with code … Read more