AT&T and Walmart on Nokia Lumia 900 pre-orders. Honestly, any time there are hot sales going on, Amazon usually gets itself into the mix, so it is no surprise that we just heard Amazon dropped the Lumia 900 down to a penny for new customers. Right now both the black and cyan versions can be pre-ordered from Amazon Wireless. New AT&T customers opening an individual or family account are eligible to purchase this handset for 1 cent.
Existing customers looking to extend their contract will be charged $119.99 and those looking to add a line to a family account will be charged $139.99. As we told you yesterday, Walmart is allowing existing customers to purchase the Windows Phone handset for just $49.99 with a new 2-year contract, so those of you in that category are better off with the Walmart deal. The no contract price is still $499.99, but most people can dodge sales tax by going through Amazon, so that may be an advantage for some.
CES 2012: Keynote Highlight - The Latest from Windows Phone:
Nokia is delivering its promise to put an end to battery drain issue with 12070 firmware update. The Lumia 800 users seemingly suffering from the poor battery performance on their newly received Windows Phone handset. Initially, users opinion with Lumia handset was not pleasant as they thought the battery issue is more of a hardware glitch than a software issue.
For Nokia, Lumia series handsets are luminary as this was their second chance to infiltrate the smartphone segment with the help from unapprehended Windows Phone OS. For Lumia series handset, Windows Phone market was raw and unknown territory for the Nokia. However, with tenacious intention Nokia jumped into the bandwagon to emerge as victorious. Of course, there is no match when it comes to pack in decent hardware in the handset.
Lumia 12070 Firmware Update:
Asides from battery issue and few minor issues, Lumia 800 handsets is doing wonders in the high-end smartphone segment. Last week, Nokia’s 12070 firmware got leaked which promises to bring the solution for batterygate issue. In addition, the update also brings camera white balance, bass improvement and few more surprising fixes.
The initial report of Lumia 800 12070 firmware is positive. Users are claiming to get triple battery life with this new firmware update. The update is being rolled out in Singapore and many other countries are expected to receive the update within a week or so.
12070 firmware solves following problems:
Battery drain issue Audio bass though headset Auto-white balance in camera Hardware button backlight issue at different brightness level Few unknown fixes
This is a good news for Lumia 800 users as they can now enjoy better battery life with 12070 firmware update. It is not known that when will everyone will receive the update. We will keep our eyes on all the happening for ya! We will update the blog as soon as we receive more solid evidence of the global 12070 firmware update. Nokia Lumia 800 demo:
We’re sure you’re probably still trying to get over the possibility of the Nokia Lumia 900 launching with AT&T for a mere $99.99, but the news regarding AT&T isn’t over just yet. And in fact, it appears we’re hearing some additional juicy news that should no doubt get many AT&T customers extremely excited in the coming months.
This time around, it’s in regards to that other 4G LTE Windows Phone – you know, the HTC Titan II that made its debut during CES. According to a leaked Q1 2012 roadmap obtained by BGR, it mentions that AT&T is tentatively planning to launch the HTC Titan II on March 18th for $199.99 with a 2-year agreement. Of course, at that price point, people will look at the possible $100 price attached to the Nokia Lumia 900, but still, it has some advantages – like having a wickedly larger display.
Meanwhile, it’s also being reported that the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD, Samsung Exhilarate, and the gorgeous Sony Xperia ion will all be coming out sometime at the end of Q1 – though, exact dates and pricing weren’t mentioned. Interestingly, we’re also being introduced to a new tablet from Sony that AT&T will be planning to launch in the future, however, it’s looking to be an HSPA+ enabled tablet as opposed to offering 4G LTE. Dubbed as the Crystal, the report indicates that AT&T will have it priced at $409.99, but it’s unknown if that is its on-contract or outright pricing – albeit, we’d figure it to be the former.
Well,It seems that AT&T has many things in store for Q1, which should no doubt keep AT&T customers very content. Knowing that the HTC Titan II will be sporting a $200. HTC Titan 2 Hands On:
Ever since Microsoft announced that they were buying Skype we have been waiting to find out when Skype would land on Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform. According to a recent report there is now a test version of Skype for Windows Phone available to download for Microsoft employees, and we will probably see Skype for Windows Phone launch later this month.
Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype in October pointed to an upcoming app for Windows Phone, not to mention Microsoft executive Joe Belfiore’s statement that a native Skype application will be ready for Windows Phone in Fall of 2011. Fast forward to present day and the Skype app for the platform remains to be seen. This time it’s Skype vice-president of products Rock Osterloh’s turn to comment on the integration of Skype to Windows Phone and he was quick to add the app is “coming out soon” in a CES interview.
Osterloh noted that Skype will not only be integrated to Windows Phone but also to other products such as Windows 8, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Lync. He refused to give further details on what kind of integration they are working on. Osterloh’s “coming out soon” comment regarding Skype’s release is open to interpretation of how soon it will be, but with Mobile World Congress scheduled next month, it could be soon enough.
Chalk up a win for HTC in the ongoing patent wars: the International Trade Commission handed a win to HTC. HTC’s products do not infringe on a patent held by FlashPoint Technology. FlashPoint had been an Apple subsidiary, had taken its patent case to the ITC in an attempt to quickly obtain an import ban against HTC's phones. This case originally started with two patents related to camera technology. FlashPoint asserted them against RIM, Nokia, and LG, as well as HTC. The other three companies settled out of court, and FlashPoint dropped one so they could concentrate in asserting “patent 769” against HTC. Unless the implementation of the cameras made by RIM, Nokia, and LG are significantly different from HTC's, we imagine those companies may feel a little sheepish now that they agreed to pay royalties.
HTC is surely relieved, although this is just one of many cases in this global sue-fest. This case highlights one difficulty with patents – they are often vague enough that it isn’t clear whether or not infringement is taking place, and the only way to settle it is with a lawsuit. Flash Point may still elect to sue HTC in a U.S. federal court, although those cases tend to take longer and be costlier. Not to mention the defeat handed to them by the ITC may inspire confidence about going in for another round.
AT&T’s gigantic (but hopefully not titanic in destiny) HTC Titan went up for sale online on Sunday just as promised and it’s got the biggest screen on a Windows Phone handset, a 4.7” SLCD panel nested in a sleek, under 0.39” (10mm), unibody design. The Titan underlines Microsoft’s big (literally) message conveyed with the six-storey high Windows Phone installation that lit up recently for a day on Times Square.
Apart from being big, AT&T’s HTC Titan is also pretty capable both in terms of pure processing power with a 1.5GHz single-core chip and in photographic terms with an 8-megapixel camera on the back and a 1.3MP front-facing snapper. Sadly, the big screen can’t match heavyweights like the iPhone 4S and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Nexus in terms of resolution and pixel density. Despite its 4.7-inches diagonal, the Titan has a resolution of 480x800, which wouldn’t be too bad on a small screen, but seems a bit underwhelming when applied to a 4.7” canvas.
Nokia Maps which was planned out to be initially a feature available only on Nokia Windows Phones, with only later availability arriving to other WP devices, has now been tweaked and reassembled to work with any existing Windows Phone.
The hack comes courtesy of XDA Developers, which have gotten their hands on the XAP file needed to run the app and kindly provided it, so everyone can enjoy Nokia Maps on their WP device.
If you were saddened when Nokia didn’t announce any immediate plans to bring their new Windows Phones to the states then cheer up a bit because a rumor is going around that Nokia is working with AT&T to offer an LTE-capable version of the Lumia 800.
The fine folks over at The Verge have learned that Nokia’s delayed entry into the US market with their slew of new Windows Phones could be because they want to hit the ground running with LTE-capable devices. At this moment, Windows Phone Mango doesn’t support LTE but with a few tweaks it could be possible.
Nokia believes that the Lumia 800 is the “first real Windows Phone.” It features a 3.7-inch AMOLED display with Nokia’s ClearBlack technology. Powering the device is a single-core 1.4GHz processor and 512MB of RAM. Around the back the Lumia 800 houses an 8 megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens and a dual-led flash. The camera can also record video in 720p HD. Take this rumor with a grain of salt but the idea of an LTE-ready Nokia Lumia 800 coming to the US is quite exciting. Hopefully this rumor holds water and we will learn more about Nokia’s plans soon.
Nokia, wow, it's been a journey and a half tracking all the highs and lows Nokia have encountered over the past few couple of years. Losing a monumental amount of smartphone market share and abandoning their prized Symbian in favor of Microsoft's new OS. On the plus, their decisiveness to move forward and even the strengths of their now abandoned MeeGo platform have to be commended. But we're not here to lament, no, lamenting is what we did when reviewing the Nokia N9. Now we are embracing change, embracing Windows Phone 7.5, embracing Stephen Elop's vision and embracing the Nokia Lumia 800. The Lumia 800 is currently not expected from any US carrier. It is somehow usable with AT&T's 3G network, supporting the 1900 MHz band but lacking the 850 MHz one.
Design:
With little in way of variance between the Nokia N9 and the Nokia Lumia 800, it's fair to say our over-riding impressions of both device aesthetics are similar, however if this was a competition, on physicality alone, the Nokia N9 would be the winner. You can compare the Nokia Lumia 800 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.
Starting with the screen, unlike the Nokia N9's Full WVGA480x854 display, the lower end of the Nokia Lumia 800 is re-tasked to function as three capacitive buttons, sacrificing on resolution (now WVGA480x800) and making the display roughly 7% smaller at 3.7 inches. What you do still get is the bevel edged Gorilla Glass fascia atop Nokia's Clear Black AMOLED display. It looks beautiful, as if AMOLED displays were made with Windows Phone in mind, with Live Tiles gliding vertically below the bevels and above the deep black beneath. This is emphasized by how responsive the Lumia 800 is, coupled with the glass offering a rich, cool sensation to the touch. If we never saw the Nokia N9, we would have been none the wiser. The Nokia Lumia 800 has a beautiful display. As we have seen it however, we also know it's not the best that Nokia can do.
Overall, the hardware works beautifully with Windows Phone 7.5, from the AMOLED screen with its Clear Black technology, through to the flat bottom sitting atop your little finger for one handed use. We can't wait to see what Nokia brings us when they make a piece of hardware with Windows Phone in mind from conception. Nokia N9 comparisons aside however and the Nokia Lumia 800 is a standalone triumph. Nokia Lumia 800 Review:
The Nokia Lumia 800 is the first Nokia Windows Phone, the first “true Windows Phone” in Stephen Elop's words, but what is it exactly that makes it special? An 8-minute documentary dedicated solely to the Nokia Lumia 800 takes us backstage with Stefan Pannenbecker, VP of Industrial Design at Nokia, Chris Linnett, Head of Lumia UX design and Kate Freebairn, Creative Director for Lumia UX design.
Basically, the three Nokians each speak about their area of expertise, starting from the pillow-shaped design manufactured in the company's “fabula” design language and going to the few apps that take on the tough task to distinguish Nokia Windows Phone from all the rest. The documentary also touches on the partnership with Microsoft, and the collaboration going on between these two companies.
You also get a peek at the early design studies and wax models of what would later become the Nokia Lumia 800/Nokia N9. Many would wonder, why Nokia chose plastic for these high-end models and the answer hides in reception. Unlike metal which would deteriorate the signal, plastic is RF-transparent and allows for the best reception, which is definitely an asset in an industry plagued with dropped calls and antenna problems.
A Samsung executive told Bloomberg on Wednesday that the Korean based manufacturer will ship its new Windows 8 tablet sometime in the second half of next year, giving us a clue as to when Windows 8 might be launched. The tablet itself will look familiar as it will be an updated version of the currently available Series 7 device that uses Windows 7. That means you should expect an 11.6 inch touchscreen on the Windows 8 tablet. According to Samsung's PC group head Nam Seong Woo, current Series 7 owners whose tablets are equipped with Windows 7 will get an update to Windows 8 although he didn't say if the update would be offered at a special price or the regular Windows update price.
Thanks to the new Windows 8 OS, the new tablet will feature more advanced motion sensors and the replacement of legacy BIOS with UEFI firmware. Samsung will also supposedly put Intel's Ivy Bridge processors, created using the 22nm process, to work under the hood while updating RAM. The new software, which Microsoft introduced in September, allows tablets to turn on instantly and last all day on a single charge while offering a new push notification system.
If you are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the HTC Titan, the largest Windows Phone to date, then your wait is almost over as November 20 has been pegged as the release date for the highly anticipated device.
The HTC Titan is a monster-sized smartphone. It runs on the latest version of Microsoft’s mobile OS, Windows Phone Mango. It features a large 4.7-inch S-LCD display and is powered by a single-core 1.5GHz processor as well as 1GB of RAM. While other platforms such as iOS and Android are incorporating dual-core processors in their devices (and soon to be quad-cores), Windows Phone performs quite admirably with the single-core that it has been given.
The back of the device has an 8 megapixel camera that can record video in 720p HD. Around front is a 1.3 megapixel camera that can be used to video chat using Skype once Microsoft integrates their latest acquisition into the mobile platform or the newly launched Tango application.
AT&T and Walmart on Nokia Lumia 900 pre-orders. Honestly, any time there are hot sales going on, Amazon usually gets itself into the mix, so it is no surprise that we just heard Amazon dropped the Lumia 900 down to a penny for new customers. Right now both the black and cyan versions can be pre-ordered from Amazon Wireless. New AT&T customers opening an individual or family account are eligible to purchase this handset for 1 cent.
