HTC has just announced the new HTC HD7s, A successor to the HD7 which has only a minor improvement in tow, which actually turns out to be a major improvement. The HD7s adds a Super LCD to the mix making the display even more eye-friendly and much better in drastic situations. Thic change will also improve the battery life of the unit and make using the device a better experience.
Our Sources at HTC India say this device will hit as a quiet Update in June-July 2011 in India. Pricing Similar to the existing model is expected.
Microsoft has let out the new update for the Windows Phone 7 Platform, and it brings a lot of welcome features.
March 2011
OS version: 7.0.7390.0
Copy & paste. You asked for it—now it’s here. Just tap a word and drag the arrows to copy and paste it on your phone. You can copy text from emails, text messages, web pages, and Office Mobile documents, and paste it anywhere you can type. To learn more, see Copy & paste.
Faster apps and games. Nobody likes to wait. That’s why we’ve whittled down the time it takes for apps and games to start up and resume. It’s all part of our focus on getting you to the things you love, easier and faster.
Better Marketplace search. We’ve streamlined Marketplace search to make it easier to find specific apps, games, or music. Press the Search button in the Apps or Games section of Marketplace and you’ll see only apps or games in the results. Press Search in the Music section of Marketplace to search just the music catalog.
Other Marketplace improvements. We’ve improved the stability of Marketplace while you download apps. We’ve also improved the experience of downloading apps larger than 20 megabytes, upgrading from trial apps to paid apps, using a credit card with an address outside the United States, sharing links to apps via email, sorting Xbox LIVE games by release date, and creating an Xbox LIVE account from within the Games Hub.
Wi-Fi improvements. We now display your phone’s Media Access Control (MAC) address in Settings. (You might need this info if you try to connect to a Wi-Fi network that uses MAC address filtering. To learn more, see Connect to a Wi-Fi network.) We’ve also removed the limit on the number of Wi-Fi profiles that you can store and reduced the time it takes to start your phone if you’ve stored lots of Wi-Fi profiles.
Outlook improvements. We’ve improved the experience of viewing iPhone photo attachments you receive from a non-Exchange-based email account (such as a Google Mail, Hotmail, or Yahoo! Mail account), using the Global Address List (GAL) when connecting to Exchange Server 2003 using Exchange ActiveSync, and working with email display names that contain brackets (for example, “David Alexander [Contoso]”).
Messaging improvements. We’ve improved the experience of receiving Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages if your phone uses a PIN-locked SIM.
Facebook integration. We’ve improved the experience of syncing Facebook accounts.
Camera improvements. We’ve improved the stability of switching between camera and video modes.
Audio improvements. We’ve improved the experience of using a Bluetooth headset to make calls when you’re playing music or videos.•
Other performance improvements. This month’s update also includes software from several phone manufacturers that improves the performance of specific models. Naturally, if you don’t have one of the affected models, we won’t install this portion of the update on your phone.
While this may me confirmed on many levels, it still remains to be clarified. Bloomberg claims that it has two sources involved deeply in the process citing that there is a flow of $$ from Redmond to Espoo which is in excess of $ 1 billion, directed towards the manufacture of mobile phones holding the MS phone OS. It calls for Microsoft to pay a portion of the agreement before the final merger this year along-with Nokia sending cash in the other direction for device licenses.
Talk about holding the key and the lock in the same hand, still wondering why Nokia didn’t choose Android?
Pictures of what looks to be a Sony Ericsson prototype running Windows Phone 7 have recently surfaced. “Julie” the name that was given to a sliding prototype WIN 7 handset when SE was named Manufacturer at the WP7 event last year. It is becoming more and more apparent that manufacturers are keeping their options open in terms of Mobile OS selection and the demand for Windows Phone 7 Devices is far more than anyone would have anticipated. The only problem that remains to be showcased tis the difference in the hardware manufacture process. While all manufacturers are in an ability to provide similar hardware, what a manufacturer does better is what will set them apart in the coming future. Lets wait and watch.
Nokia was announcing its Microsoft alliance at the Mobile World Congress today, and in a Q&A session related to Symbian the Company’s CEO Stephen Elop Said
“We have fresh new products [on the low end] that we’re introducing into the Indian market that have features like dual-SIM.”
That means Nokia doesn’t essentially want to get rid of Symbian altogether but use it in budget phones, that will target the India’n market especially.
This is possibly the only thing Nokia needs to revive its standing in our country, as a mass market product, the masses are in for Dual Sim phones! The interesting thing to see however is that weather or not Nokia will be able to give a product that beats the quality of the existing Indo-China companies. And Symbian is definitely better than the generic Chinese OS on each of those devices.
Folks over at Engadget have caught hold of an image that showcases the upcoming Windows Phone Device from Nokia. At the announcement Nokia said that engineers from both Microsoft and Nokia have already spent a lot of time together developing on this. This could mean that, this may as well be the first phone from the Nokia-Microsoft alliance.
So, Nokia has joined hands with Microsoft to develop future products, what does this mean? We have the details and will be shedding light on the insides and out of the alliance and what it does for us.
To start off, we expected Symbian to either be completely re-invented or be completely exterminated. Nokia choose the latter, they probably thought it was much easier than to invent an OS in a market that was way ahead of them. This alliance comes with the death of Symbian in a slow and steady manner. In the presentation created by Stephen Elop (ceo of Nokia) t it’s clear that Symbian which is claimed to be a “franchise” OS that Nokia will “harvest” and will be taken over by Windows Phone on Nokia devices just as soon as Nokia and Microsoft can complete the transition.
The transition as Nokia and Microsoft stated, would go on through 2011-2012, and by 2013 Nokia will be shipping only Windows Phone 7 or 8 or whatever version Microsoft throws out to the world. In simple words : Nokia will only ship Windows Phone devices 2013 onwards.
“Nokia expects 2011 and 2012 to be transition years, as the company invests to build the planned winning ecosystem with Microsoft. After the transition, Nokia targets longer-term: (1) Devices & Services net sales to grow faster than the market. (2) Devices & Services non-IFRS operating margin to be 10% or more.”
Stephen Elop says that he expects Nokia to ramp up the transition this year and be ready to ship Windows Phone 7 devices in significant volume in 2012.
With the arrival of Windows Phone to Nokia devices, there are substantial changes that will go on in Nokia’s infrastructure. When Elop was asked by a concerned Finnish reporter, “What happens to Finland,” Stephen responded that a successful Nokia is good for Finland but there will be “substantial reductions in employment” in Finland and around the world. That does mean a lot of frustrated Nokia employees, and a lot of anxiety for them. This may also be a great blow to investors or stock holders, as this may ruin Nokia’s market value on the long run.
Nokia has also been on the Qt warpath for years after purchasing the developer framework from Trolltech back in January of 2008. While Qt will continue on as the development framework for Symbian and MeeGo, Microsoft will give for free Windows Phone Developer Tools (Visual Studio 2010, Expression, Silverlight and the XNA Framework) to developers interested in the platform and exclusively developing for it. Qt will not be adapted for Windows Phone 7 APIs.
Whatever said and done, We personally believe, Nokia’s focus on hardware development will improve the outcome and toss Nokia back up on the anticipated phones / devices list. Also we believe Nokia will be launching a tablet later this year. A tablet that will run a mix of operating systems and an interesting hardware speck at a price that will remain unrivaled. There are only good things to see from Nokia now (or at-least we want them).
Elop also expressed the fact that, Nokia will be allowed to alter anything in the WP7 platform, including layouts and skinning. But, Elop also mentioned that Nokia likely won’t make extensive use of this freedom to tailor Microsoft’s OS. This is a major shift for Microsoft, who forbade HTC from skinning Windows Phone 7 with Sense, the proprietary skin from HTC.
Read the Q&A below from the post announcement session.
No specific announcement for when we’ll see the first Nokia Windows Phone. Ballmer mentioned that the engineering teams have spent a lot of time together already.
Elop confirmed that Nokiawill not be moving to Silicon Valley or anywhere else.
Ballmer said that the partnership is “not exclusive” but some things that Microsoft is doing with Nokia are “unique” allowing Nokia to differentiate itself in the market. Elop added that it’s important for the Windows Phone 7 ecosystem to thrive, which means that multiple vendors must succeed.
Elop didn’t believe that Nokia could create a new ecosystem around MeeGo fast enough.
Nokia will “substantially reduce” R&D expenditures while increasing R&D productivity moving forward.
Nokia did consider adopting Android but decided that it “would have difficulty differentiating within that ecosystem” and the “commoditization risk was very high — prices, profits, everything being pushed down, value being moved out to Google which was concerning to us.” Microsoft presented the best option for Nokia to resume the fight in the high end smarpthone segment.
Elop clarified that MeeGo will ship this year but “not as part of another broad smarpthone platform strategy, but as an opportunity to learn.” Something that sounds very similar to position Nokia took with its so-called “experimental” Maemo-based N900 last year. After the first (and apparently, only) MeeGo device ships this year, the MeeGo team will then “change their focus into an exploration of future platforms, future devices, future user experiences.” Trying to determine the “next disruption” in smartphones.
Responding to “hope for a broad MeeGo-based ecosystem,” Elop said that Nokia simply wasn’t moving fast enough to effectively win and compete against Apple and Google. Windows Phone makes it a “three-horse race,” something that Elop says is pleasing to the carriers he’s been speaking with.
Nokia has different options for its tablet strategy including using something from Microsoft or something that Nokia has developed internally.
Watch the Video of the whole event below
Click on the Next Link Below to read Press Releases
Nokia and Microsoft have finally Announced Nokia – Windows Phone 7 devices. But in this “Strategic Alliance” a lot more is going down, namely linkages in Bing, Xbox Live and Office products.
Check out the Full PR Below
Nokia and Microsoft Announce Plans for a Broad Strategic Partnership to Build a New Global Mobile Ecosystem
Companies plan to combine assets and develop innovative mobile products on an unprecedented scale.
LONDON – Feb. 11, 2011 – Nokia and Microsoft today announced plans to form a broad strategic partnership that would use their complementary strengths and expertise to create a new global mobile ecosystem.
Nokia and Microsoft intend to jointly create market-leading mobile products and services designed to offer consumers, operators and developers unrivalled choice and opportunity. As each company would focus on its core competencies, the partnership would create the opportunity for rapid time to market execution. Additionally, Nokia and Microsoft plan to work together to integrate key assets and create completely new service offerings, while extending established products and services to new markets.
Under the proposed partnership:
•
Nokia would adopt Windows Phone as its principal smartphone strategy, innovating on top of the platform in areas such as imaging, where Nokia is a market leader.
•
Nokia would help drive the future of Windows Phone. Nokia would contribute its expertise on hardware design, language support, and help bring Windows Phone to a larger range of price points, market segments and geographies.
•
Nokia and Microsoft would closely collaborate on joint marketing initiatives and a shared development roadmap to align on the future evolution of mobile products.
•
Bing would power Nokia’s search services across Nokia devices and services, giving customers access to Bing’s next generation search capabilities. Microsoft adCenter would provide search advertising services on Nokia’s line of devices and services.
•
Nokia Maps would be a core part of Microsoft’s mapping services. For example, Maps would be integrated with Microsoft’s Bing search engine and adCenter advertising platform to form a unique local search and advertising experience
•
Nokia’s extensive operator billing agreements would make it easier for consumers to purchase Nokia Windows Phone services in countries where credit-card use is low.
•
Microsoft development tools would be used to create applications to run on Nokia Windows Phones, allowing developers to easily leverage the ecosystem’s global reach.
•
Nokia’s content and application store would be integrated with Microsoft Marketplace for a more compelling consumer experience.
“Today, developers, operators and consumers want compelling mobile products, which include not only the device, but the software, services, applications and customer support that make a great experience,” Stephen Elop, Nokia President and CEO, said at a joint news conference in London. “Nokia and Microsoft will combine our strengths to deliver an ecosystem with unrivalled global reach and scale. It’s now a three-horse race.”
“I am excited about this partnership with Nokia,” said Steven A. Ballmer, Microsoft CEO. “Ecosystems thrive when fueled by speed, innovation and scale.The partnership announced today provides incredible scale, vast expertise in hardware and software innovation and a proven ability to execute.”
Please visit www.nokia.com/press for press materials.
The New York Times is reporting, that, in a strategic shift of Platform from Symbian to either Android or Microsofts Windows Phone 7. The Finnish giant has chosen the latter. It was high time when the company drops its hopes on the only thing slowing down once a superpower in the mobile phone trade. Symbian was/is and may remain outdated, period. The company’s move may come as a welcome to its investors worldwide and to the millions of its users globally.
There is a high chance and it’s entirely possible they could be ramping up to do that again, sharing apps and services between Windows Phone 7 and Symbian / MeeGo.
But, the biggest question lies in the concept of Nokia becoming another hardware-only manufacturer, and surviving in a market that is already ahead in leaps and bounds, with self sustaining companies like Samsung, HTC and even LG. It is becoming more and more difficult to predict the future of this legend. Nevertheless, there is still hope, with the new changes coming to Symbian this year. What may be the most exciting year in the history of Technology has just begun!
You have a Jailbroken iPhone/iPod/iPad? Do you love the new Metro UI from Microsoft Windows Phone 7? Then this bit of information might just make you very very excited! Don’t get naughty!
The video below previews a beta version of a Theme designed by Wynd, The theme is called OS7 and is fairly easy to Install. Check out the video Below and head on over to the source link to try it for yourself.
If you have the HD2 you might be quite aware that both Windows phone 7 and Android can be easily ported to the device. But, developers have successfully managed to dual boot the two OSs from the same SD card.
Is your Windows Phone device randomly sending and receiving data , Microsoft is aware of it. Apparently, there’s a “third party” that’s responsible for the misbehavior, and Redmond’s already reached out to help ’em make the necessary fixes.
The Full Statement
“We have determined that a third-party solution commonly accessed from Windows Phones is configured in a manner that potentially causes larger than expected data downloads. We are in contact with the third party to assist them in making the necessary fixes, and are also pursuing potential workarounds to address the configuration issue in case those are needed. At this point in our investigation, we believe this is responsible for most of the reported incidents.
We are investigating additional potential root causes for the remainder of the reports.
A small (low single-digit) percentage of Windows Phone customers have reported being affected.
We are continuing to investigate this issue and will update with additional information and guidance as it becomes available.”
Okay so you got your new Windows Phone 7 Device, You must be real excited to get the device online access the market place and download cool apps for your Phone. But, as soon as you try to login with your LIVE account the device says , Activation failed :
Activation Required
An activation code is required before we can finish setting up your phone. Please contact customer service. You can skip this step and do it later.
Here is how you fix it, Well it worked for us anyway.
Step 1
Since most customer support networks are horribly backed in INDIA, Microsoft India had no clue whatsoever about activation of Windows Phone 7.
So we placed a call to Microsoft UK
The Number is +44 08448002400
Step 2
Make sure you placed a call during business hours – 9AM – 7PM (GMT)
Choose option 2 and then option 7
Step 3
Tell the support executive that you need to activate a windows phone 7 device to a live account and politely ask him to generate a code for you. Tell him/her that the device was bought in the UK.
Give your details and wait for him to generate the code.
Once he gives you the code make sure to write it down properly (all in CAPS)
Step 4
Enter the code and enjoy the Live experience.
If the code does not work call back and request a new one.
We tried calling MS USA prior to UK, but, their menus seemed much more complex and we couldn’t get through to the right department.
Hackers have finally managed to get Windows Phone 7 working on the HD2. This new rom has just been released by DFT (Dark Forces Team).
If you’re an HD2 owner just aching for a taste of Microsoft’s newest OS then now’s your chance. Video of the ROM in action after the break. Along with a video and instructions showing hacked access to Live services has now been posted. See theproof below.
Looks like an android port may not be far. i.e. WP7 dual boot on Desire HD anyone?
