Windows Phone 7 Marketplace, Detailed in Brief Video

As we’ve found out yesterday, Microsoft recently introduced an online app store for its new mobile platform, Windows Phone 7. Known as the Windows Phone Marketplace, the service should be a rival for the Apple App Store and Android Market. Till then you can see it detailed in the video below:

The Marketplace is accessible from the WP 7 Home screen and allows the user to purchase games, business software, podcasts and much more. You’ll buy apps using carrier billing or credit card and there’s even a try before you buy option in there. Once you select your favorite game, for example, you’ll see its ratings and screenshots taken from it.

The online store’s interface is intuitive and it only takes 2 taps on the handset’s touchscreen to purchase software. After this is done you can add the new app to your Start screen, for easier accessing. Carrier branded stores will also be integrated into the Marketplace.

[via wmpoweruser]

Posted in Mobile Software, Windows Mobile | Comments

iPhone Air Chinese Clone is Very Thin, Very Fake

If you’re looking for the next generation of iPhones, all we can show you for now is the next generation of iPhone mockups. Dubbed the iPhone Air, the handset shown in the image below is a very thin clone of the phone made by Apple, but lacking most of its functions.

The original iPhone is 12.3mm thick in case you didn’t know, but the Air is able to reach a stunning 8.5mm and it even comes with a user interface ripped from the original model. Trademark infringement shouldn’t be an issue, since this is China we’re talking about. iPhone Air also comes with WiFi and EDGE, but we’re sure that it lacks the App Store support and much more.

Our guess is that this is a dual SIM phone and, as you can see, it uses a web browser with an icon that copies Internet Explorer. The product goes for $117, too much if you ask us…

[via mobilecrunch]

Posted in Cloned Phones, iPhone | Comments

Google Announces New Nexus One, Compatible With AT&T and Rogers 3G Bands

Google might have found out about the poor sales performance of the Nexus One, so they want to expand, thus launching a new version of the Nexus One, compatible with more bands. This GSM unit comes with support for AT&T and Rogers Wireless 3G/UMTS connectivity. It supports 850/1900/2100 MHz bands and it goes for the same price of $529.

We remind you that the original model supported the T-Mobile-friendly 900/AWS/2100 MHz bands, so this is a welcome addition. This decision opens the market to more types of users, although we haven’t heard of any subsidy option.

T-Mobile is still offering the device, with rumours that HTC is shipping CDMA versions of the Nexus One, getting ready to sell them on Verizon.

[via Slashgear]

Posted in AT&T, Google, HTC | Comments

Opera Mini 5 and Opera Mobile 10 Final Versions Introduced

Opera Software has just announced the release of the final versions of the two most famous mobile web browsers, Opera Mini 5 and Opera Mobile 10. They’re available on most mobile devices out there, providing a great experience and saving a lot of money for folks with expensive data plans. Go to m.opera.com/ to download the software on your phone.

Right now, Opera has 50+ million users, who will be able to get the full web experience on their devices through the new browser. Easy to download and free, the software boosts the browsing speed, while Opera Mini’s compression technology will reduce the amount of data used to load pages by up to 90%, thus keeping your monthly bill decent.

Opera’s interface is great, sleek, simple and makes great use of functions like Speed Dial, tabs, a password manager and more. Opera Link will allow the user to sync his bookmarks, notes and Speed Dial settings to the computer, so the info will be available anywhere, anytime. Opera Mini 5 is available on all handsets using Java technology, BlackBerries and WM plus Android devices (beta only for the last two).

Opera Mobile 10 can be downloaded and used on Windows Mobile and Symbian S60 devices.

[via Opera]

Posted in Opera | Comments

Samsung S3370, Affordable Touchscreen Phone With Entry Level Specs

Samsung has recently announced that it plans on launching a new affordable touchscreen handset, known as Samsung S3370. The new model looks like it would fit in the Corby family, although it doesn’t, as far as we know. Its feature list includes 3G connectivity, the TouchWiz UI, Bluetooth and a 2.8 inch QVGA display.

A camera is also present at the back and you should know that this phone was recently approved by the FCC, but without 3G, so we won’t be seeing it in the US too soon. No launch date was mentioned for this unit, as for the price, we’ve heard it should be around EUR 100.

[via Unwired View]

Posted in Samsung | Comments

HTC Legend Available Exclusively to Vodafone Customers in the UK

HTC Legend will be available in the UK exclusively via Vodafone, that’s not willing to share HTC Hero’s successor with other local carriers. Meanwhile, as we’ve informed you here, the device is already sold in Eastern Europe, Romania through local retailers for almost $600. We bet that you can get a much better price in the UK, specially due to contracts.

Reasons to buy this smartphone? Sleek unibody design, a bright AMOLED display, brushed metal finish, Android 2.1, Sense UI, tons of memory, all the connectivity and sensors you can imagine and much more.

[via phandroid]

Posted in HTC, Vodafone | Comments

Samsung Shows First Windows Phone 7 Series Handset

After briefly checking out prototypes of the ASUS and LG Windows Phone 7 Series devices, it’s time for Samsung to show such a smartphone. This happened during MIX10, courtesy of Microsoft, also unveiling its Windows Phone Marketplace and extra info concerning the new mobile platform.

The Samsung WP 7 handset looks pretty neat and reminds us of an Omnia HD i8910, at least design-wise. Reportedly, the newcomer sports a bright display and a great camera. We expect a Super AMOLED screen to be on board, plus a camera to match the performance of the Omnia HD, so 8 megapixels, autofocus and HD recording should be a go.

Word has it that the Samsung Windows Phone 7 Series device will hit the market before the year end, but till then you can check out a video showing all three handset running the new Microsoft platform, after the break:

[via Unwired View]

Posted in Samsung, Windows Mobile | Comments

Microsoft Brains Leaving Windows Phone 7 Team to Make Apps for the Platform

The Windows Phone 7 apps are already getting the hype of their life, even if the WP Marketplace isn’t even launched yet, so the App Store should start feeling a little competition about now. We’ve recently learned that a bunch of Microsoft employees working on Windows Phone 7 are leaving the team and starting companies that make apps FOR the platform.

Leading the new wave of departures is Microsoft Program Manager Mel Sampat, one of the people responsible with the Windows Mobile blog and the Calendar interface in WP 7. He left MS and founded mist labs, a company that will help big firms port their iPhone apps over to Windows Phone 7, while also making a couple of new software as well.

It’s also likely that mist labs will make apps for other platforms, too. Mel Sampat is accompanied by 6 more former Microsoft employees, who want a piece of the upcoming profit pie. How much time do you think it’ll take for the Windows Phone Marketplace to reach the level of the Apple App Store?

[via mobilecrunch]

Posted in Microsoft, Mobile Software | Comments

Palm Revamps webOS Advertising Strategy With New Ad (Video)

We all know that webOS is quite a neat platform to play with on your Palm handset, but their advertising is poor to say the least. Now, Palm changed direction, as far as promotion is concerned, moving on from the creepiness of the first ad with the almost witch-like lady to something more active and “fly”:

There’s also a new slogan for webOS devices: “Life moves fast. Don’t miss a thing”. As you can see, the ad focuses on notification and contact management, so the slogan fits the spots perfectly.

Also, we have to mention that the commercial is not bad at all, but still it’s far from Apple’s way of doing things, or Nokia’s brilliant approach.

[via mobilecrunch]

Posted in Palm, marketing | Comments

Microsoft Unveils Windows Phone Marketplace for WP 7 Series

As you might already know, Microsoft’s MIX10 event has kicked off and this was the perfect occasion for the Redmond giant to unveil its brand new Windows Phone Marketplace for Windows Phone 7 Series. The app store is set to debut together with the new platform and the phones that run it.

WP Marketplace offers support for credit card purchase, operator billings and even includes ad supported content, something Google and Apple are very familiar with. A try-before-you-buy scheme is also scheduled to be applied to this service, a bit similar to the one in Android Market.

The new Marketplace looks very neat and resembles the new mobile OS a great deal, providing a panoramic view and allowing the user to browse categories and titles with ease. Featured items are also easily viewable, as well as ratings, reviews, screenshots and pricing. Frequently used items are also kept close to the user thanks to the intuitive UI.

More details can be found in Engadget’s piece over here.

[via engadget]

Posted in Microsoft, Windows Mobile | Comments