Nokia

Nokia to pack 41-mp camera into Windows Phone, report says

Nokia could be planning to bring its true 41-megapixel PureView camera to a Windows Phone handset this year, according to a new report.

The company is working on a device, codenamed EOS, that will come with its full PureView camera, The Verge is reporting today, citing people who have knowledge of Nokia's plans. The device will be the first Windows Phone from Nokia that comes with the company's genuine PureView camera.

Although Nokia throws the "PureView" name around rather casually, the true, high-end camera has really just been available in its Symbian-based Nokia 808 PureView handset. … Read more

Nokia lets customers build custom Lumia 820 cases

Nokia Lumia 820 owners will be able to create their own cases for the handset.

Nokia today announced that it's now releasing 3D templates, case specs, and recommended material guidance to help Lumia 820 owners produce their own shell to replace the removable case on the back of the handset. Nokia has offered several cases for customers to choose from, but didn't allow owners to develop their own.

In order to actually create the cases, however, users will need to have access to a 3D printer. With 3D printing, users can input material and churn out their creation.… Read more

Surprise, surprise: Nokia's Q4 rides high on Lumia sales

Nokia is so excited about its fourth-quarter performance that today it announced preliminary financial information to let shareholders know how well it performed.

During the fourth quarter, Nokia's Devices & Services operation not only exceeded expectations, but delivered "underlying profitability." The struggling company said that the division's mobile phones unit delivered better-than-expected results, with 86.3 million total unit sales. Nokia's Windows Phone-friendly Lumia line generated 4.4 million unit sales, and the company's Asha line of handsets for emerging markets tallied 9.3 million units sold.

"We are pleased that Q4 2012 … Read more

India tax officials raid Nokia facility

A Nokia facility in Chennai, India, was raided earlier today by country tax authorities.

According to Reuters, which was first to report on the incident, Nokia confirmed to the news service that a raid was conducted on an office in the southern India city and that the company is cooperating with the probe, but declined to provide further details. An Indian tax official told Reuters that the raid relates to allegations of possible tax evasion against the smartphone maker.

The tax default is believed to be around 30 billion rupees ($543 million), the official told Reuters.

Technology companies commonly find … Read more

How Microsoft became a control freak with tablet makers

Microsoft wasn't taking chances.

The company was about to introduce one of its biggest operating system releases, and it needed its hardware partners to develop products that could genuinely rival the iPad and Android tablets.

Microsoft took control of partners working with the new Windows RT software that ran on low-power chips normally used for cell phones. It held regular meetings with the small group of companies in its development program and dictated to a large extent what the devices looked like. Details were everything. Microsoft even told one company to move the location of its Windows home key, … Read more

RIM's patent payment to Nokia starts at $65M

Research In Motion is making an initial payment of $65 million to Nokia as part of the settlement of the patent dispute between the two companies.

The payment was disclosed in RIM's most recent 6-K filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and was first spotted by All Things D.

RIM and Nokia announced the settlement on December 21, saying that RIM has agreed to make a one-time payment to the Finnish phone maker along with "ongoing payments" for the right to use Nokia's patents. At the time, they did not disclose the value … Read more

Nokia Lumia 920, 820 update patches iffy performance

Nokia announced today that, along with Microsoft, it will roll out a software update that address user complaints about battery life, Bluetooth connection, and startup.

Starting today, the over-the-air update will cover the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 for all AT&T customers in the U.S. and Rogers subscribers in Canada.

Among the changes, Nokia says, users will see:

More efficient and reliable Bluetooth connectivity More efficient and reliable startup sequence Enhancements in imaging performance and battery management Enhancements in messaging Additional platform updates and enhancements

CNET has asked Nokia when and if Lumia 822 and Lumia 810 … Read more

Nokia puts color first with new Lumia 620 Windows phone

PARIS -- Nokia announced a new lower-end Windows Phone today, the $249 Nokia Lumia 620, hoping customers will be drawn to its rounded corners and bright colors when it launches in January of 2013.

The Lumia 620 is a 3G model with a 3.8-inch screen, 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, a back camera that'll shoot 720p video, a 5-megapixel front camera for video chat, near-field communications (NFC) technology, and loudspeakers, the company said. But Marko Ahtisaari, Nokia's executive vice president of design, put the new colors front and center as he unveiled the phone at the LeWeb … 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