The Latest Windows Phone News

[Poke]

Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950 XL: the official images and promo video


http://www.phonearena.com/news/Micr...L-the-official-images-and-promo-video_id74451

If nobody wants to make Windows phones, we will make them ourselves." This doesn't really sound like pep talk from Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella, but that's exactly what he said in an interview not long ago. And make they did, skipping a flagship Lumia generation, and going from the current Lumia 930 straight to the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL as titles for its upcoming top-shelf Windows 10 Mobile gear.

 

[Poke]

The Lumia 950 vs. the competition: A battle of flagships

SD support up to 2TB..

http://www.engadget.com/2015/10/06/microsoft-lumia-950-vs-the-competitiongships/

The smaller of the new Lumias is quite the powerhouse on paper, but how does it stack up against the latest iOS and Android devices? At first glance, Microsoft's newest flagship, the Lumia 950, sure seems plenty powerful with its 1.8GHz hexa-core Snapdragon 808, 3GB of RAM and 5.2-inch Quad HD AMOLED display. However, we've got the face-off after the break with a side-by-side comparison between the Lumia 950,iPhone 6s and Nexus 5x so you can decide for yourself which one best suits your need.

 

[Poke]

Windows 10 Mobile begins its roll out this December

http://www.engadget.com/2015/10/07/windows-10-mobile-roll-out/

What, you thought the Microsoft news would end once the keynote from the Windows 10 Devices showcase did? Guess again because Redmond's latest operating system hits existing mobile phones starting in December -- the outfit said as much on its Lumia Facebook page. However, as Winbeta notes, it's going to be up to carriers to actually push the updates out to your handset.

 

[Poke]

Windows 10 Mobile updates to come from Microsoft after getting tested by carriers

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Wind...soft-after-getting-tested-by-carriers_id74676

Looking to hit Google's Android where it hurts, Microsoft announced today that the company will control software updates for the Windows 10 Mobile OS. The software giant is in the process of talking to the carriers about future updates. The plan is for the carriers to run their tests on Windows 10 Mobile updates, and then Microsoft will push them out. Besides the carriers, Microsoft will also rely on feedback from members of the Windows Insiders group to determine when a new update is ready to be sent out.

 

[Poke]

Microsoft quietly reveals new DT-904 Wireless Charger

http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-quietly-reveals-new-dt-904-wireless-charger

Just over a year ago - at the launch of its Nokia Lumia 730, 735 and 830 handsets - Microsoft alsounveiled the Nokia DT-903 Wireless Charging Plate. The DT-903 differed from the other desktop wireless charging pads that Nokia had previously offered, featuring a novel illumination system that signalled pending notifications on the handset, and which could even remind you when your device needed to be charged.

The DT-903 has remained on sale since then, but Microsoft is now preparing to launch a replacement branded with its own logo, rather than that of Nokia.

 

[Poke]

New Windows 10 Mobile devices make their debut in Japan

http://www.neowin.net/news/new-windows-10-mobile-devices-make-their-debut-in-japan

Last week, Microsoft unveiled its latest Windows 10 Mobile offerings by debuting the Lumia 550,Lumia 950, Lumia 950 XL. While these handsets will start penetrating the market sometime in the near future, they won't be the only offerings when it comes to Windows 10 Mobile devices.At a Windows 10 Mobile event in Japan, various companies showed off their upcoming devices in support of Microsoft's latest mobile OS. Some of the manufacturers that were on hand included: NuAns, Acer, VAIO, FREETEL and more. While a majority of the announced handsets will most likely not be making their way to the United States or other countries, it's still good to see that Japan is at some level embracing Microsoft's latest mobile OS.

 

[Poke]

Acer Liquid Jade Primo (with Windows 10) will be released in December

Looks like a nice device.

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Acer...ndows-10-will-be-released-in-December_id75014

Last month, Acer unveiled its first Windows 10 smartphones: the Liquid M330, and the Liquid Jade Primo. While we already had information on the price and release date of the M330 (which is a low-end device), Acer didn't say anything regarding the launch and price of the more advanced Jade Primo. Well, not until today.

The Liquid Jade Primo was just announced in the Philippines, where it's going to be available starting December. Acer will sell the handset unlocked for around $410 (18,990 PHP in local currency

 

[Poke]

Evidence of a Microsoft Surface Phone reportedly found

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Evidence-of-a-Microsoft-Surface-Phone-reportedly-found_id75138

The rumors have long held that Microsoft is indeed working on a Surface Phone, but it hasn't really gotten much beyond rumors and speculation. This time though, a reporter is claiming to have seen evidence at Microsoft's headquarters directly proving that a Surface Phone is still in the works. Unfortunately, we just have the word of the reporter to go on.

 

[Poke]

Windows 10 Mobile continues to grow, now on 5.7% of all Windows phones

http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-10-mobile-continues-to-grow-now-on-57-of-all-windows-phones

The latest tracking stats for Windows Phone have been released by advertising network AdDuplex, which monitors usage across its network to create a detailed monthly breakdown of Microsoft's mobile ecosystem. The reports capture a snapshot of worldwide usage across one 24-hour period - in this case, October 25.

 

[Ronnie-]

I have been using the latest preview build for Win 10 Mobile on my HTC one windows device, and I must say, it is really really good.

The app store has made big strides in the past few months as well it seems.

 

[SatLink2205]

The big feature I am most looking forward to having a hands on experience would have to be Continuum. The way it was displayed and demoed during their reveal event got me piqued. From the early reports from people using Windows 10 on their gadgets, Windows Phone has taken leaps and bounds. Now, if only other app manufacturers can be bothered to support the platform to help it grow even more.

 

[Poke]

Microsoft releases Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview build 10586 to the Fast ring

http://www.neowin.net/news/microsof...-insider-preview-build-10586-to-the-fast-ring

As with Windows 10 for PCs, build 10586 is expected to be the final Insider Preview - effectively the 'RTM' build (although Microsoft no longer uses that terminology) of the OS - before its official launch. Windows 10 Mobile will make its first 'real world' appearance on the company's new Lumia 950 and 950 XL flagships in the coming days, before it begins its rollout to other devices next month.

It's perhaps not surprising, then, that Microsoft's Gabe Aul says that 10586 "is a really great build", but before you install it, be sure to check out all of the known issues, as he warns:

@GabeAul Please make sure you read the post - there is an issue that some of you are likely to hit. Back up before installing!

 

[Poke]

Edge browser on the Surface Phone is benchmarked by HTML5TEST?

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Edge-browser-on-the-Surface-Phone-is-benchmarked-by-HTML5TEST_id75906

The website for HTML5TEST, a benchmark used to test browsers, reveals that Microsoft has been prepping the Surface Phone. The browser test was on version 12 of Edge, the new name that Microsoft has given its browser. The version of Windows 10 Mobile employed on the phone was 10240, an older pre-release version of the platform. The dated version of the Edge browser used, along with the older version of the OS, would indicate that Microsoft has been working on the Surface Phone for some time.

Back in August, we told you that the Surface Phone will be released early next year with a 5.5-inch Clearback AMOLED display, carrying a 1440 x 2560 resolution. One part of the rumor that seems strange is that an Intel Atom X3 SoC will reportedly be under the hood. This chip previously has been announced for entry-level handsets, not to drive high-end models with a QHD display.

 

[Poke]

Microsoft starts shipping the free Display Dock for U.S. Lumia 950 XL buyers

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Micr...lay-Dock-for-U.S.-Lumia-950-XL-buyers_id76218

If you purchased a Microsoft Lumia 950 XL from Microsoft, you might have already received notification that the free Display Dock you've ordered is on the way. The dock allows users to engage the Continuum feature that turns their Microsoft Lumia 950 XL into a computer. Using the Display Dock, users connect a mouse, a physical keyboard, an external hard drive and a computer monitor to their phone.

To snag the Display Dock, which is free for a limited time from Microsoft, you need to open the Lumia Offers app that is pre-installed on your Lumia 950 XL. Make sure it is updated to the latest version of the app. Open it and claim the free Dock. Microsoft will then send you a promotion code that you can use when checking out of the Microsoft Store. The code will take $99 off of the purchase price, effectively making it free. The Microsoft Store has posted that the Dock will arrive in 3 to 7 business days, which explains why many of you have received a notification that it is being shipped.

 

[Poke]

SyncPhone is a Windows 10 handset with a 5.4" display, Intel Atom CPU, 8GB RAM and 20MP camera

http://www.neowin.net/news/syncphon...isplay-intel-atom-cpu-8gb-ram-and-20mp-camera

We have covered in great detail Microsoft's latest smartphones, the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, but it seems that some are looking a bit further down the road in hopes that a 'Surface Phone' will emerge from the labs at Redmond. Now it looks like Nurve Technologies have stepped up and heeded the call with a campaign to build a beastly Windows 10 smartphone.

 

[Poke]

Microsoft's 'Surface Phone' allegedly releasing in 2016

http://www.neowin.net/news/microsofts-surface-phone-allegedly-releasing-in-2016

Microsoft’s first purpose-built Windows 10 flagship devices are beginning to arrive in markets worldwide, and despite being the first high-end Windows Phones to come from the firm in recent years, they may not be the 'ultimate' devices we've been waiting for. While the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL are remnants of its Nokia acquisition, Microsoft has supposedly been working on delivering its first mobile device to originate from Redmond.

According to Windows Central, Microsoft's latest collaboration with Intel to build a high-end mobile handset has been abandoned, but in its place, an interesting alternative is in the works from the Surface team. The phone is supposedly tagged internally as ‘Panos's Phone’, named after Microsoft’s overseer of devices, Panos Panay. Obviously this is still an internal nickname for the device, but points towards what we can expect from the handset later down the line. The device is rumored to have the official codename of 'NorthStar'.

Currently little information is known about the phone, but if a similar setup to a Surface tablet is envisioned, the prospect of onboard Intel technologies is likely. If this deems true, the concept of Win32 applications arriving on a Windows 10 Mobile device may become a reality.

The earliest we can expect to see ‘Panos's Phone’ is August 2016, which falls alongside the alleged release for Windows 10’s second major update, codenamed ‘Redstone’. A slightly later release window of Fall 2016 is also a possibility, one year after the release of the first Windows 10 Mobile flagship devices.

 

[Poke]

Microsoft's Windows phones should be able to run Android apps, says ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Micr...s-says-ex-Microsoft-CEO-Steve-Ballmer_id76360

Despite that he's no longer at the top of Microsoft, ex-CEO Steve Ballmer remains involved with the tech giant - actually, he is the largest individual investor over at Microsoft. That's why he was present at the recently-held meeting of Mircosoft shareholders and he expressed his criticism about certain practices over at the tech giant.
According to the former chief of the tech giant, Microsoft should once and for all put the kibosh on the still-existing "app gap" that Windows is suffering from by embracing Android. No, Ballmer did not have in mind Microsoft Lumia handsets running vanilla Android; he suggested that Windows for phones should be able to "run Android apps". Ballmer's claims were the result of his dissatisfaction with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's response to a question regarding the absence of some key apps for Windows 10 for phones.
Windows should be able to "run Android apps"
However, if the latest rumors rumors are to be believed, this might not be happening anytime soon - Microsoft's Project Astoria, which was allegedly conceived to bring Android app support to Windows 10 for phones, is reportedly canceled. Reportedly, Project Astoria suffered from technical difficulties and/or security issues, which hindered the development of the emulation tool. Interestingly though, the tool that will enable developers to port iOS apps to Windows 10 (known as Project Islandwood) is still alive and kicking.
Ballmer also had a rather extreme opinion on one of Microsoft's grander undertakings of late - the development of universal apps that should work on PCs, mobile devices, and Xbox consoles. "That won't work," the ex-CEO assumed.
Yet, the thing that aggravated Ballmer the most was most likely the fact Microsoft kept mum and did not release the profit margins for its cloud-based and hardware businesses. The ex-CEO claimed that this is a rather important metric that should have been shared before the shareholders, as it would have revealed the profitability of the company's cloud services. The reason for Ballmer's desire to get more info on the matter is the usually lower profitability of Redmond's cloud business in comparison with the software one. The ex-CEO went even further, claiming that the reported annualized revenue run rate of $20 billion by the end of 2018 is nothing more than "Bullsh!t". “They should report the revenue, not the run rate,” Ballmer claimed.

 

[Poke]

Microsoft can now push updates to Windows 10 Mobile without carriers

http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-can-now-push-updates-to-windows-10-mobile-without-carriers

Mobile updates have become something regular for most devices but unfortunately, one of the issues that we all have to deal with is waiting for these updates to arrive on our phones. Luckily, Microsoft has been working hard at a solution for this and as a result, we might see updates arrive sooner on our Windows 10 Mobile phones.

Until now, whenever Microsoft wanted to push out a new build of Windows Mobile 8.1 or lower, they had to submit this build for testing so that mobile carriers could test this on devices. This is done by mobile carriers to test if these devices work without issues on their networks, as it's possible that new builds introduce issues like battery drain or connection drops on their networks.

Unfortunately, this is something that can take up to several weeks or months to get a build approved, after which the rollout can happen. However, the past has shown that in some cases builds never get approved and are thus never rolled out.

In order to solve this, Microsoft has decided to remove the 'radio stack', which is the part of the software that is responsible for communicating with mobile networks, from the core of its operating system. Because of this, mobile carriers should now only test builds when the radio stack itself changes, though the mobile carriers still have a final word about rollouts of an update.

 

[Poke]

Leaked image shows 4 color variations of the Lumia 850

http://www.neowin.net/news/leaked-image-shows-4-color-variations-of-the-lumia-850

Earlier this month an unofficial render of Microsoft’s Lumia 850 surfaced online, showing what the next mid-range Lumia device may offer. While originally said to be a canceled project, images are now circulating that suggest the device is still on its way.

When the speculative render appeared online, profound leakster @evleaks claimed that the real device, codenamed ‘Honjo’, has a gold trim and highlights when opting for the white model. The handset shares a similar resemblance to Microsoft’s latest flagship devices, bearing the iconic style of recent Lumia handsets.

To back his claims, new images have now appeared from China, giving a better look at color variations of the device at launch. The image indicates that four color schemes will be offered, each with a unique metallic trim. As mentioned previously, the white-colored device will have the option of gold highlights, but the image suggests that a rose gold variation will also be offered. The black handset will come with a vibrant copper or traditional steel colored trim.

While no official announcement of the device has emerged from Redmond, the image claims that the device will release sometime in 2016.

Source: Baidu via GSMArena

 

[Poke]

Microsoft delays its Windows 10 Mobile upgrade to early 2016

http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/18/10550820/microsoft-windows-10-mobile-upgrade-2016

Microsoft had previously promised to deliver its Windows 10 Mobile update to existing Lumia devices this month, but the company is delaying its roll out. In a statement, Microsoft says the Windows 10 Mobile upgrade will now begin early next year to select devices running Windows Phone 8 and 8.1:

"This November we introduced Windows 10 to phones including brand new features such as Continuum and Universal Windows Apps with the introduction of the Lumia 950 and 950 XL. The Windows 10 Mobile upgrade will begin rolling out early next year to select existing Windows 8 and 8.1 phones."

Microsoft still isn't confirming which devices will get the upgrade, but the company previously said "it is our ambition" that the "majority of Lumia smartphones" get the update. Devices will require 8GB of storage, so that means some handsets like the Lumia 530 will be left out. Microsoft released the final version of Windows 10 Mobile alongside its Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL launch earlier this month. The software maker now plans to regularly update the operating system, alongside the PC version of Windows 10.