Articles about Windows Phone

What's that ditty about the kid so nasty that when ransomed the kidnappers end up paying the parents to take him back? That kind of describes Microsoft's platform problem -- paying developers $100 per app submitted and accepted for either the Windows 8 or Windows Phone 8 store. Surely Apple and Google don't need to take such a rash approach.

You think I'm going to rake Microsoft, right? Not in the least. This is exactly what the company should do -- jumpstart the ecosystem. With smartphones and tablets choking the life out of PC sales, Android and iOS huge stores of applications, Windows Phone's tiny global market share and Windows 8 marking a major desktop architectural transition, Microsoft must do something. This short-term program is sensible and appropriately timed.

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It is officially that time of the year -- when grown men call in sick to sit home and watch younger men and women play basketball. In other words, it's March Madness time. While you are watching those games, and possibly cursing your bracket choices, Microsoft would like to have a bit of your attention.

While the company's first big Microsoft mobile viral campaign, known as Smoked by Windows Phone, seemed to pop up everywhere and get all sorts of attention, the latest campaign has kept a much lower profile.

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Microsoft is under heavy fire from disgruntled folks across the web after revealing that Windows Phone 8 will only be supported for 18 months, with the end date July 8, 2014. The news shocked many, generating debate and speculation about what happens after the deadline passes.

In a Twitter post that followed shortly to calm the waters, Microsoft tries to reassure users that the end may not be as near as it seems. The software giant states: "As we’ve said, one benefit of moving to the Windows core is that Windows Phone 8 is upgradeable". Microsoft therefore suggests that current devices running Windows Phone 8 can in fact be upgraded to an upcoming iteration of the smartphone operating system.

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Microsoft is rolling out an updated Skype app for Windows Phone 8 devices featuring integration with the People Hub. The latest move comes nearly two weeks after the software giant teased a similar feature for Outlook.com, which touts Skype integration as "coming soon".

Skype integration with the People Hub is available for devices running Windows Phone 8 version 8.0.10211.204 and newer and is automatically enabled after installing or updating the app. The new Skype app also brings support for HD video calls, video calls in landscape or portrait mode, and additionally allows users to use both cameras.

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Tell me if you can't make the connection here. China is the world's largest market for PCs and during 2012 passed the United States to claim the top spot in smartphones, too. About two thirds of all handsets going into China are smartphones, and there is a long-documented trend in emerging markets where people skip the PC and go right to mobiles as their first connected devices. Handset sales are way up and now IDC says PC shipments are way down going into the People's Republic and will contribute to larger-than-expected decline in global personal computer shipments. You follow where this is going?

IDC says February PC shipments fell below forecasts. The analyst firm had expected a 7.7 percent year-over-year decline for first quarter but now predicts double-digit drop instead. China, which accounted for 21 percent of global PC shipments last year, is a major, but not the only, reason. The analyst firm identifies Chinese New Year, budgets cuts and anti-corruption campaigns as factors, while ignoring the most obvious: Shifting buying patterns.

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The price difference on AT&T, between the HTC Windows Phone 8X and the Nokia Lumia 920 has always been somewhat contradictory. The US mobile operator has offered the former in 16GB and 8GB trim for $199.99 and $99.99, respectively, while for the latter AT&T requires users to pay $99.99 in 32GB storage trim.

Considering that both smartphones share the same operating system, Microsoft's Windows Phone 8, but the Lumia 920 adds more to the equation through an extensive list of exclusive apps and hardware features, like wireless charging, it begs the question: Why is the Windows Phone 8X more expensive? As it turns out, it is not. Well not anymore.

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After screwing early adopters from upgrading their devices to Windows Phone 8 and offering the lesser-featured Windows Phone 7.8 instead, Microsoft has revealed that it will provide updates over an 18-month period for WP7.8 users, with support to officially end on September 9, 2014.

As Windows Phone 7.8 started to rolled-out earlier this year, with Nokia announcing the upgrade spree in late-January, its lifecycle will be cut out later than Windows Phone 8's mainstream support. Support for that OS started on December 14, 2012 and ends on July 8, 2014, two months after its lesser sibling.

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Finnish smartphone maker Nokia has announced new software updates for the company's Lumia 920, Lumia 820 and Lumia 620 Windows Phone 8 devices, touting improved performance, stability and features as the main highlights.

Nokia has revealed that the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 will receive the "1232.5957.1308.00xx" update, which apart from the generic "further performance and stability improvements" includes enhanced adjustment and stability for the the automatic display brightness and display during calls, respectively.

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Every once in a while I find myself having to reinstall the operating system from scratch on my laptop. Unlike previous occasions when I would contemplate choosing between Windows 7 and Windows 8 as the default OS, this time around something rather strange has happened. Instead of having to deal with conflicting thoughts, and even remorse, I installed Windows 8 and never looked back. I now wear my "Windows 8 user" tag proudly and not with regret.

If you asked me whether I really want Windows 8 not much longer than two months ago I would have said that "I love and miss Windows 7" -- and for good reasons at the time. My complaints mostly focused around the Modern UI, which was designed with tablet use in mind and not for users like me (and likely you as well) that are accustomed to Microsoft's operating systems on more traditional devices like full-fledged PCs and laptops. So what changed?

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Finnish phone manufacturer Nokia’s latest Window Phone 8 handsets, the mid-range Lumia 720 and the entry-level Lumia 520, will go on sale in the UK from the 1 April, but would-be purchasers can pre-order the devices now.

Contract-free prices will vary slightly depending on the retailer (naturally). Clove will be selling the Lumia 520 for £169.99, while the Lumia 720 is priced at £299.99. Unlocked Mobiles has the Lumia 520 for £159.98 and the Lumia 720 for £294.98. For comparison, in the US the Lumia 520 costs $185 and the Lumia 720 $338, both before taxes.

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If you're the sort of person deeply rooted in Google services, at first glance migrating to Windows Phone 8 from either Android or iOS can be a total drag. The information giant has released a single app so far, which can be used to search the web, but nothing else. Luckily, there are plenty of third-party alternatives to choose from that offer decent and sometimes superior experience for Google users.

But finding the right replacements can be tricky, as the Windows Phone store features more than 130,000 apps and a simple search query returns many results of variable quality -- some great, some not so great. To make your job easier, I've prepared a list of Windows Phone 8 alternatives to traditional Google apps, ranging from Google+ to Google Maps, Google Reader and even YouTube.

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This morning, with no fanfare, Microsoft rolled out its Lync 2013 app for Windows Phone. Lync is a Skype-like product that is bundled with some versions of Office, but is geared towards an enterprise audience. Corporations can run a Lync server to keep better control over the service, but users can also communicate with outside people by using Skype from within Lync, as the two services are becoming better integrated.

The new Windows Phone 8 app offers VOIP, messaging and other communication features. Lync had previously been available for Windows Phone, but was not supported in the new Microsoft mobile operating system until today.

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For many of you this may not sound like a very big deal -- an app that allows you to buy computer parts from your phone may sound ho-hum. But, when that app comes from Newegg then it may get your attention. The retailer is perhaps one of the favorites on the web for those looking for everything from hard drives to RAM to all sorts of Radio Shack-style accessories.

Today, the company rolled out its official, fully-supported Windows Phone 8 app. Version 1.4 is the first to offer full support for the new Microsoft mobile operating system -- "This is the Newegg.com mobile application. The app allows Windows Phone users to search, shop, read reviews and make purchases", right from the retail giant. This is not the first Newegg app for Windows Phone and there are still a few missing pieces in the puzzle. Sadly, it still lacks some features. For instance, Lockscreen notifications and even a double-wide tile are both lacking. Then again, the new app does bring fast-app resume and it is super quick on loading, per early tests.

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Little over two weeks ago Microsoft took down the "opening soon" digital cardboard sign and officially introduced Outlook.com into the wild as a stable product. And if you're already a user or if you have seen the commercials, then you already know that the email service delivers Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter integration, among other supported cloud services.

But there's one that is still missing, and a very important product integration at that -- Skype. In mid-May 2011 Microsoft purchased the popular voice, video and text chatting service for $8.5 billion, a not so small chunk of change by any means. Naturally, in the cloud-connected era, integration with the software giant's cloud products is the next logical step, especially in the midst of heavy competition from Google which, for instance, includes Google Talk integration with Gmail.

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Nokia targeted hipsters with #2InstaWithLove a couple of days ago, and now the Finnish smartphone manufacturer has shifted its focus onto narcissists. Nokia Glam Me allows users to take enhanced self-portraits for later adulation and, obviously, sharing across various social networks.

There's a catch though. In order to take advantage of the benefits that Nokia Glam Me touts, one has to own a compatible Lumia smartphone running Windows Phone 8. And, for the best results, users might want to look towards a higher-spec'd model in the front-facing camera department, like the Lumia 920 or the recently-introduced Lumia 720.

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