Windows Phone

LG has no plans for Windows Phone 8 handsets

BARCELONA, Spain--LG has no immediate plans to sell a Windows Phone 8 handset, CNET has learned.

The Korean consumer electronics manufacturer remains open to using Microsoft's mobile operating system, but doesn't see a huge demand for the product.

"We want to give customers what they ask for," an LG representative told CNET.

LG's reluctance to embrace Windows Phone 8 underscores the difficulties that the platform faces with both consumers and vendor partners. LG was one of the early partners that signed on with Microsoft, releasing the LG Quantum in the first wave of Windows Phone … Read more

Spotify debuts music-streaming app for Windows Phone 8

Spotify released its music-streaming app in the Windows Phone 8 store today, according to the Windows Phone blog.

The app is still in beta, which means Spotify isn't done tweaking it just yet, but people can try it out. Users can stream Spotify songs over Wi-Fi or a 2.5G or 3G connection, according to the app's description.

The app lets users make playlists, browse friends' playlists, or download songs to play later when there's no Internet connection. Plus, the phone app syncs with your PC, so your playlists will stay consistent on both. Spotify said its … Read more

Microsoft and Huawei debut Windows Phone for Africa

Microsoft and Huawei announced today that they're partnering to bring a new Windows Phone to Africa. The two companies are targeting the continent, which is one of the fastest growing technology markets in the world but has seen few smartphones to date and whose majority of users still rely on feature phones.

"We believe there has never been a better time to invest in Africa and that access to technology -- particularly cloud services and smart devices -- can and will serve as a great accelerator for African competitiveness," president of Microsoft International Jean-Philippe Courtois said today … Read more

iPhone wins 51 percent of U.S. smartphone sales, says report

Apple's iOS continues to outshine Android, at least in the United States, according to data released today by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

For the final quarter of 2012, the iPhone won 51.2 percent of all U.S. smartphone sales. In second place, Android soaked up around 44.8 percent of U.S. sales, leaving Microsoft's Windows Phone with 2.6 percent.

Apple's flagship platform also scored well in Japan, proving tops among two-thirds of Japanese smartphone buyers.

"Apple's continual improvement is thanks to both the iPhone 5 and older models attracting various customer groups, from … Read more

Google removes Maps redirect for Windows Phone

As it said it would, Google has removed a redirect that prevented Windows Phone users from accessing Google Maps via the mobile version of Internet Explorer and that instead sent them to Google.com.

The redirect generated headlines last week, with various news outlets suggesting that it was not about poor functionality on the part of mobile IE (as Google maintained) but was more about competitive behavior on the part of Google that ironically was beginning to resemble past behavior by Microsoft.

Google, of course, just dodged an antitrust bullet from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, and it continues to face an investigation by the European Union.… Read more

Hands on with Huawei's Ascend W1, a Nokia Lumia clone

LAS VEGAS--Coming in big with two extra-large Android smartphones wasn't enough of a splash for Huawei here at CES. This morning, the Chinese networking provider and handset-maker launched the Huawei Ascend W1, its first-ever Windows 8 phone.

The first thing that struck me, both when I first saw the press images and when I finally got three of the models in my hands, is how similar to W1 looks to Nokia's Lumia 900 and 920.

There's the same block shape with squared-off corners and a glossy display set onto bright colors. In fact, Huawei's W1 (as it's known in the U.S.) … Read more

Sprint to sell Samsung and HTC Windows Phone 8 devices

Sprint announced today that it will unveil two Windows Phone 8 devices by this summer -- one from Samsung and another from HTC.

The mobile carrier made the announcement with Microsoft at the Consumer Electronics Show today.

"Sprint has had a strong relationship with Microsoft for many years so we are excited to reinforce our commitment to the Windows 8 platform by sharing the details and timing for our first Windows Phone 8 smartphones," Sprint senior vice president of product development and operations Fared Adib said in a statement. "These smartphones combine a robust new operating platform … Read more

Qualcomm's keynote at 2013 CES: Join us Monday, 6:30 p.m. PT (live blog)

Qualcomm isn't exactly a household name, but the wireless chipmaker should be a little more familiar after CEO Paul Jacobs' keynote at the 2013 CES at 6:30 p.m. PT (9:30 p.m. ET) on Monday, Jan. 7.

CNET will be there to cover it live with a live video stream and blog with news updates as they happen.

You can catch the live blog and video stream here:

CNET's live coverage of Qualcomm's 2013 CES keynote.

Jacobs nabbed his speaking slot from longtime CES participant Microsoft, which declared 2012 to be its last show. … Read more

Google to make Maps accessible to Windows Phone users

Google says that it will no longer block Windows Phone users from accessing Google Maps and that the blockage was about ensuring a good user experience, not about intentionally interfering with a rival product.

The blockage generated headlines, with various news outlets suggesting that it was not about poor functionality on the part of the mobile version of Internet Explorer but was more about behavior on the part of Google that, ironically, was beginning to resemble past behavior by Microsoft.

Google, of course, just dodged an antitrust bullet from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, and it continues to face … Read more