Like the name suggests, WP8 will have many things in common with the desktop version of Windows 8. As previously rumored, the WP8 kernel won’t be based on WinCE, but Windows 8. Alongside the kernel, the security model, network, video and graphics technologies will all be coming from the desktop edition of the OS.

So what are the main new features of Windows Phone 8?

• support for multi-core processors
• support for 4 screen resolutions (up from one at the moment)
• NFC, including mobile payments and tap-to-share capabilities
• microSD expansion cards
• Windows 8 integration will allow developers to reuse most of their code when porting an app from the desktop to the Phone OS (although what isn’t clearly stated is if that refers to the Windows Phone-like apps in Windows 8, or ‘true’ desktop apps like the ones we use today on Windows 7)
• no more Zune desktop client – it will be replaced by a dedicated app for Windows Phone desktop sync
• Xbox Companion app will have a partner app on Windows 8
• Skydrive will enable seamless sharing between devices (think iCloud)
• 100,000 apps in the Marketplace by the time WP8 launches
• native code support for apps
• app-to-app communication (currently all apps are sandboxed)
• the camera will be based on lens apps – Microsoft providing a basic camera UI that can be skinned by manufacturers or overlaid with viewfinders from third-party apps
• DataSmart will aim to reduce mobile data usage – offering breakdown of data used, including in a live tile of its own, and actively attempting to give Wi-Fi connectivity precedence, automatically connecting to carrier-owned Wi-Fi networks when in range (which sounds like the only actually new thing here). The Local Scout feature inside Bing Maps will help with real-time location of nearby hotspots
• Internet Explorer 10 – again a similar version to its desktop cousin. Interestingly, it may even use a proxy for browsing, a la Opera Mini, reducing the amount of data required to view websites by a claimed 30%
• native BitLocker encryption – 128-bit full hardware accelerated disk encryption and always-on secure boot capabilities
• ‘line-of-business’ apps will be supported – these will be specific, proprietary apps deployed behind company firewalls

We have a few things that don’t quite add up though. Both sources quote the 100,000 number for prospective apps in the Marketplace when Windows Phone 8 launches. And that very well may happen. But will they all be compatible with WP8? Paul Thurrott of WinSuperSite says they will, PocketNow doesn’t mention this.

But what about updates to Windows Phone 8? Will existing Windows Phones all receive the update? Both sources have stayed intriguingly mum on this. Past rumors (started by Eldar Murtazin) said that in fact currently selling Windows Phones will not get updated to WP8. That would be very bad for Microsoft, even if there aren’t really that many WP devices out there right now. It would be bad because it would create the perception of fragmentation, which is a word that has gotten very negative connotations after being thrown at Android every day for the past few months.

Finally, there’s the Skype issue. PocketNow says that Skype will hook directly into the new operating system, allowing Skype calls to behave almost exactly like ‘real’ non-VoIP calls (remember Maemo?).

On the other hand, Paul Thurrott claims that Skype will still be a separate app (but better than now), and it won’t be properly integrated into the OS. It will therefore still be optional.

So it remains to be seen which way Microsoft will take the Skype client for Windows Phone. Skype now being owned by Microsoft you’d expect some tight integration to be in there, but on the other hand that would make carriers across the world quite angry we assume. So it’s a tough balancing act that Microsoft needs to perform in this regard.

Windows Phone 8 will probably arrive in shipping phones in the fourth quarter of this year (or maybe a little earlier, if Microsoft wants to surprise us) so there’s still plenty of time for us to find out all the details that were left out of these leaks. What’s certain is that this will be the biggest update to Windows Phone yet, and it may be the one that has the most impact. With Windows Phone 8, Microsoft will finally have a grown up smartphone operating system on the market (save for actual multitasking, perhaps). So hopefully it will manage to do a lot better, sales-wise, than its predecessors.

• Microsoft buys Skype, promises support for Windows Phone, Xbox and more
• Skype for Windows Mobile removed from Skype’s website
• Skype 3.0 Beta for Windows Mobile released and available for download
• Windows Phone 7 to be launched on October 21 in Europe. AT&T HTC Mondrian revealed in ads
• Skype will come to BlackBerry too

So then it makes sense that Windows Phone Tango will also apparently support 120 languages, up from the current 35. It makes sense, because of Nokia’s truly global footprint. You’re more likely to sell a phone in a country when the software is translated into the language spoken over there. And so if Nokia wants to make cheaper Windows Phones mainstream across the world, it would need this extended language support.

This information seems to come from Microsoft directly, more specifically from a speaker at a Windows Phone dev camp in India. The source blog post, up on WPSauce, has since been removed, which further contributed to the speculation that this is in fact real (and Microsoft asked for the post’s removal as presumably this information wasn’t supposed to be available already).

Another thing heard at that dev camp was that apps for the “next release” of Windows Phone can be written using C++ native code. However, it’s not entirely certain that by “next release” Windows Phone Tango was being referred to. Hopefully it was, since more development options are always good.

Via Liveside

• Nokia Lumia 900, Lumia 719, Windows Phone Tango and Apollo launch dates leaked by someone in Finland
• Nokia Ace with LTE and Windows Phone to be released by AT&T on March 18, Lumia 710 headed to Verizon
• Windows Phone Tango will hit in Q2 2012, Apollo in Q4, leaked roadmap claims
• Microsoft picks on Android and Symbian; Windows Mobile not going the open source way
• New Windows Phone 7 devices, including Asus E600, to be launched at MWC 2011

According to Forbes, a Microsoft spokesperson recently declared:

“While the Xbox Live experiences and games always work best on the Windows platform, we understand that some Xbox fans may be using other types of devices. To satisfy that need, we are working to extend a few of our Xbox experiences and titles to other platforms.”

Sure enough, there’s not specific platform mentioned, but since Android and iOS are currently market leaders, it makes perfect sense for Microsoft to have them in mind as a first option for expanding Xbox Live’s presence.

Microsoft has already launched an Xbox Live app for iPhone and iPad in December, but this doesn’t offer the full Xbox Live experience that users will get if the Redmond giant indeed decides to make the gaming network compatible with iOS.

• Microsoft Gaming System for your Zune, Xbox, PC and PDA
• Microsoft launches OneApp, helping feature phones to become smarter
• Confirmed: Angry Birds, Doodle Jump, Plants vs Zombies and more coming to Windows Phone 7
• New in WP7: Windows Phone Live – to sync and remotely control your smartphone
• #MWC10: Windows Phone 7 Series UI video preview

About 400 apps per day are currently approved, so we might see 100,000 apps in the Marketplace sometime in April (or even in March, if the number of submissions continues to grow – and it probably will).

There’s still a long way to go for Microsoft until its Marketplace reaches the number of apps currently available in Apple’s App Store (500,000+) or Google’s Android Market (400,000+). But with lots of new WP handsets promised by Nokia for this year, things are about to move in the right direction (not that they’re not moving right now, but they’re doing it slowly for the moment).

Via All About Windows Phone

• Almost 3,000 Windows Phone 7 apps available now, 15,000 WP7 devs registered
• Android Market reaches 20,000 apps, obviously still behind the Apple App Store
• The Android Market finally, officially has 100,000 apps
• Windows Phone Marketplace now has more than 50,000 apps
• Windows Phone 7 Marketplace now offering 6,000 apps

Right now, the Windows Phone bet isn’t a winning one. Not yet. And how could it be, since Nokia has launched only two WP handsets (Lumia 800 and Lumia 710), and announced a third one (Lumia 900) that doesn’t really bring anything new?

In any case, Nokia repeatedly said that it plans to introduce numerous Windows Phone handsets this year, some of them aimed at budget users.

Until we’ll see new Nokia WP devices, we’ve found out that Stephen Elop, the company’s CEO (as of September 2010), recently talked about the current situation at Nokia, and about competition. More exactly, in an interview with Pocket-lint, Elop declared:

“We don’t want fragmentation being introduced into Windows Phone because we are beginning to see how in a certain other eco-system that fragmentation becomes a problem.”

That “other” ecosystem is, of course, Android. Yes, Android fragmentation can be bothersome, although not really for the OS itself (or for Google), but for end users. And still, this doesn’t stop users from activating more than 700,000 Android devices each day.

I bet Nokia wouldn’t give a f*** about fragmentation if it would manage to activate even half of the number of devices that are currently activated with Android.

Elop also said that the “first priority, always, always, is to differentiate our experience from Android and iPhone. That is job one, two and three quite frankly.” Ok, good for you. But remember: different doesn’t necessarily mean better. In fact, until now, if we look at how well the Lumia 800 has performed sales-wise, it clearly doesn’t mean better. For the moment, Nokia’s Windows Phone handsets are just that: different, but without the power to attract the broad mass of consumers (who generally want either Android, or iOS on their next smartphone).

In another interview, this time with TechRadar, Stephen Elop defends the lack of multi-core processors from the first three Nokia WP handsets (they all use a 1.4GHz single-core Qualcomm CPU).

According to Elop:

“You don’t need a quad-core phone unless you want to keep your hands warm in your pocket. We’re believers in the experience so, fine you have this camera density and you have that camera density. Let’s put the pictures side-by-side and we’ll show which ones are better.”

HTC, Samsung and Apple are all working on quad-core smartphones that should be unveiled later this year. And I’m pretty sure that most users will always choose a quad-core smartphone over a single or dual core one (assuming these are all high-end devices priced similarly). That’s because, regardless of what Elop believes, selling products is not just about the experience, but also (and maybe more importantly) about the marketing hype.

Next week, Nokia will announce its Q4 and full year 2011 financial results. I’m eagerly waiting to see if it’s going to unveil the exact number of Windows Phone handsets sold. If not, this would be a confirmation of the fact that they simply didn’t sell well. But Nokia could have better luck this year, right? We’ll see.

• Elop says Nokia’s first Windows Phones are on track for Q4
• Windows Phone Marketplace now has a Nokia category
• Nokia Lumia 900 to be launched by AT&T in March
• Nokia Lumia 710 – some thoughts and hands-on
• Rumor: Nokia Lumia 910 with 12 MP camera will be available in Europe in May

However, as it happens sometimes, exclusivities don’t last forever. In fact, we’re hearing that AT&T’s Lumia 900 exclusivity will end 45 days after launch (the launch is expected to take place on March 18).

According to WinSupersite and a “a source at a rival wireless carrier”, T-Mobile, “probably Verizon” and “possibly Sprint” could also introduce a version of the Lumia 900 – most likely in the second half of the year. Reportedly, the new version of the 900 should come with a 12MP camera (instead of an 8MP one, like AT&T’s handset).

Sure enough, since this isn’t confirmed by any official sources, we should take it as a rumor for now.

The Nokia Lumia 900 (pictured above) in an upgraded Lumia 800, coming with a 4.3 inch ClearBlack AMOLED WVGA display, LTE connectivity, 1.4GHz single-core processor, and 16GB of internal memory.

• Nokia Lumia 900 to be launched by AT&T in March
• Nokia Lumia 900 with Windows Phone Tango to be launched in the US in early 2012?
• Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus, Nokia Lumia 710 and BlackBerry Bold 9790 coming to Vodafone UK in February
• Unlocked Nokia Lumia 800 with Windows Phone available at Amazon USA
• AT&T’s Nokia Lumia 900 can be pre-ordered in Microsoft stores now

Basically Microsoft is taking a different approach than Apple. While the latter is busy suing Android makers around the world, trying to get their products banned from sale, Microsoft is open to licensing the use of its patents. That, ironically, means that the more Android devices some companies sell (those who entered into agreements with Microsoft), the more money Microsoft makes.

Yes, it’s a twisted world, but that’s just the way it is. As for any details, they were, as they always are, secret. So we don’t know exactly how big that Microsoft Tax is. We can however estimate that it won’t have any visible effect on the pricing of high-end and midrange LG Android devices. However, when speaking about low-end offerings, the situation gets more complicated, for this patent fee may turn out to be a significant percentage of such a device’s cost. That could, in time, mean that similarly-specced Android smartphones won’t be sold as cheap as competing products.

However, again ironically, Microsoft isn’t taking advantage of this yet, for its Windows Phone mobile operating system only runs on upper-midrange handsets as of now. Perhaps in a few months we’ll see more affordable Windows Phones, running the rumored Tango release of the OS.

In the press release that announces Microsoft’s agreement with LG, the Redmond-based company boasts that over 70% of Android smartphones sold in the US are “receiving coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio”. Translation: over 70% of Android smartphones sold in the US are generating revenue for Microsoft. That’s an interesting situation to be in.

• HTC Android phones use Microsoft technologies, Microsoft licenses patents to HTC
• The Microsoft Tax is official: Samsung will pay royalties for each Android phone or tablet it sells
• Microsoft gets new Mobile head, sues Motorola over Android patent infringements
• Did Microsoft offer Nokia $1 billion to choose Windows Phone over Android?
• Nokia, Apple enter into patent licensing agreement, Apple has to pay up

That rumor, about Microsoft buying Nokia, or at least its smartphone arm, keeps popping up regularly, primarily thanks to Eldar Murtazin, the Russian journalist who leaked the Windows Phone-centric Nokia-Microsoft alliance established last year long before anyone even considered that it could happen.

Some time ago, Stephen Elop himself denied this rumor. But yesterday it came back. And now Nokia has denied it again, even if this time not through its CEO. Nokia UK got in touch with SlashGear and issued the following brief statement on the matter:

“We’ve put these rumours to rest a long time ago. The focus for Nokia is on executing on our partnership around Windows Phone and growing the ecosystem, and each company has the tools they need to do so”

Don’t, however, let this make you think that there’s absolutely no possibility of talks between the two companies regarding that sale. After all, most companies strongly deny any future deal, sale, or acquisition. Until, that is, they officially announce it. It’s just the way things work in the corporate space.

Also note that according to yesterday’s rumor, the discussions between Nokia and Microsoft aren’t finalized yet, but they might be after CES when executives from both companies will meet in Las Vegas. No company in the world would ever issue a statement saying something like Oh, yes, we are indeed in talks to sell half of the company, but we’re not sure the deal will go through yet, even if that may just be very representative of the Nokia situation right now.

As always, stay tuned and we’ll let you know when there are more developments.

• Nokia to start talking to Microsoft about phone unit sale next week
• Elop: Rumors about Nokia selling its mobile business to Microsoft are baseless
• Microsoft again rumored to be in talks to buy Nokia’s smartphone division, Elop to resign next year
• Adding few more pieces to Nokia Microsoft deal puzzle. Interview with Nokia’s EVP Dr. Kai Öistämö #MWC11
• Nokia, Microsoft to announce alliance tomorrow, possibly related to MS Office

Interestingly, most of these ‘Microsoft will buy Nokia’ rumors tend to come from the same source: Eldar Murtazin, the Russian journalist who has famously leaked the fact that Nokia was going to switch its smartphones to Windows Phone before anyone even considered that it could happen.

Despite not believing that at first, after it actually happened, I vowed never to simply dismiss anything that Mr. Murtazin says again. After all, Nokia switching to WP sounded quite preposterous at the time – yet it did happen. So if Microsoft snatching up Nokia’s smartphone unit sounds absurd right now – well, it may just happen.

Image via IntoMobile

And if it won’t, don’t start shouting that “Eldar was lying!” (as some people like to do). The two companies are talking about this, I’m sure. But those talks don’t always lead to action. So perhaps they’ll eventually decide not to go through with the deal. That doesn’t mean there were never any talks.

Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s take a look at what Eldar Murtazin actually said about this takeover (complete with my comments).

Nokia’s and Microsoft’s head honchos (including Stephen Elop and Steve Ballmer) will meet up in Las Vegas (CES is a great excuse apparently) and discuss the deal. It may even get finalized over there. If it goes through, it will happen in the second half of 2012, and will involve Nokia’s smartphone R&D, as well as two plants.

The Nokia brand wouldn’t be used by the new unit under Microsoft. Instead, Microsoft will presumably sell own-brand Windows Phones. This may have been a requirement by Stephen Elop (perhaps to not confuse consumers).

That’s because Nokia will continue to exist (sans smartphones, at first) and make and sell ‘dumbphones’ (featurephones). They’ll also have an updated device category which will in the future compete with smartphones (perhaps a new ‘smart’ OS born out of S40 or the likes).

Apparently it’s all up to Microsoft right now. If they decide to go through with the deal, it will happen. If not, it won’t. But Nokia seems to be pretty much happy with the state of what has already been negotiated. That said, Microsoft is still unsure if it actually needs hardware R&D and manufacturing plants in-house. However, it sure would like to get its hands on Nokia’s smartphone-related patents (to use against Android makers, undoubtedly).

Nokia’s new Chairman will be Risto Siilasmaa, who will replace Jorma Ollila. His main goal will be to finalize this deal and then find a CEO to replace Stephen Elop with. That’s because Elop will resign in 2012 (supposedly heading back to the Microsoft mothership if the deal goes through).

Microsoft partners aren’t happy with the state of Windows Phone, yet Microsoft still believes in it and would like it to be its next successful product, replicating the Xbox. Google’s acquisition of Motorola makes for a good example of hardware-software integration in this space, along with Apple of course. An example that Microsoft could decide to follow. After all, they’ve been copying (nay, emulating) Apple’s mobile unit in every other respect (just consider how locked-down the entire WP experience is, and don’t forget Zune), so going for that famous Apple tight integration next just makes sense.

Just like the Nokia-Microsoft deal over Windows Phone did. All of these things make a lot of sense for Microsoft. If you’re wondering if they’ve ever made any sense for Nokia, that’s a good question.

One way or the other, this year we’re bound to find out whether Elop was in fact a trojan horse planted inside Nokia just to make it cheaper so Microsoft could buy a part of it. That’s exciting.

• Elop: Rumors about Nokia selling its mobile business to Microsoft are baseless
• Nokia once again denies rumored smartphone division sale to Microsoft
• Nokia to start talking to Microsoft about phone unit sale next week
• The first Nokia Windows Phone (Sea Ray) unveiled by Stephen Elop?
• New Nokia Windows Phone 7 concept – would you buy this?

The 8107 update is a bug fixing release, which manages to squash an annoying one: the disappearing keyboard. Alongside that, it makes Gmail sync better, solves some location issues, revokes bad DigiCert certificates (a bit late, but anyway), fixes some Exchange Server 2003-related things, and finally voicemail notifications should now be more reliable.

Whether or not this update will make it to your particular Windows Phone basically depends on your carrier of choice. If you have bought your device unlocked, you’re pretty much guaranteed to receive it in the near future. If, however, you went through a carrier, it will decide when or if to push the 8107 build to you.

After all, there was another recent minor update to Mango (build 7740) which is still MIA in the USA. Thankfully (and naturally), 8107 includes all the fixes in 7740, so perhaps this one will get picked up by American carriers. One can hope.

Via Plaffo Via wpcentral

• AT&T HTC HD7S now receiving Mango Update
• Verizon rolling out Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update for HTC Trophy today
• LG E700 features IE9, might come with Windows Phone 7 Mango
• Windows Phone Mango coming next week?
• Three UK HTC Desire HD Android 2.3 Gingerbread update now rolling out

First of all, it will happen in ‘late March’. That bodes nicely with a past rumor claiming that the superphone will be in stores on March 18. Nothing as specific today, but it’s pretty clear that the Ace will be released in March. Apparently, the Ace will be a ‘hero’ device on AT&T, meaning that the carrier itself will be actively promoting the phone through ads and retail channels.

Nokia Lumia 900 (Ace) mockup (left) alongside the Nokia Lumia 800 (right)

Image via PocketNow

But that’s not all. To ensure that the Lumia 900 will be a success in the US, Nokia, Microsoft, and AT&T will pour a staggering total of $100 million into the phone’s marketing campaign throughout the second quarter of this year (so April to June).

We don’t know exactly how that sum will be split between Nokia, Microsoft, and AT&T, yet we’re willing to bet that Microsoft will be the main financial contributor to this campaign. After all, it’s in desperate need of a ‘hero’ device for the entire Windows Phone platform, especially in the US, and the Lumia 900 might just be it. So far, Windows Phone has a smartphone market share of just 5.4% in the US, so something clearly needs to be done.

This campaign and the Nokia Ace’s launch will undoubtedly also impact future similar endeavors for Windows Phones in the US. If the Nokia Ace is successful, then expect many more similar (and similarly-priced) marketing blitzes to follow. If not, then… well, we’ll see. Microsoft certainly has the money to keep throwing at the Windows Phone ‘problem’, so it’s not clear that it would give up so soon.

One way or another, Nokia’s big splashy re-entrance in the US market is about to happen very soon. Brace yourselves.

Via BetaNews

• Nokia Lumia 710 – some thoughts and hands-on
• AT&T Nokia Lumia 900 pre-orders no longer available in Microsoft stores
• Rogers Nokia Lumia 710 complete pricing revealed
• Rumor: Nokia Lumia 910 with 12 MP camera will be available in Europe in May
• Nokia Lumia 800 to be released in Australia in March (via Telstra, Optus and Vodafone)

We also reveal which phone we believe comes on top in this test, and draw some other interesting conclusions at the very end. One thing is for sure: all three are well rounded high-end smartphones that are interesting and unique in their own right.

Read on to find out more.

User interface

With Galaxy Nexus, iPhone 4S and Lumia 800 on hand, we’ve got all three major smartphone operating systems present in this test – Android 4.0, iOS5 and Windows Phone 7 respectively. It’s safe to say that the operating system is where the most striking differences will come out that will have big – if not the biggest – impact on your day-to-day experience using the smartphone.

Android 4.0, also codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) by Google, has seen a number of notable changes in the UI in an effort to make the OS more user friendly, and also to unify the mobile and tablet versions of this OS. The underlying structure of Android, including its greatest qualities, remained unchanged. In comparison to the other two players in this test, Android provides user with the richest customization options, most notably with the 5 homescreens that can be populated with useful widgets as well as application shortcuts.

Unlike Android, iOS visually changed very little since 2007 when Apple introduced the iPhone and revolutionized the touchscreen user interface on mobiles. There’s the horizontally scrollable grid of apps and folder, while an omnipresent bar with 4 shortcuts sits near the bottom of the screen.

It’s clear that Apple is still reluctant to wander even half-step away from the winning formula that has simplicity as one of its main draws. With iOS5, however, Apple managed to nab some successful ideas from competitors, most notably the ‘new’ notification center that combines all system and app events into a pull-down window that is extremely reminiscent to that on Android. The change is nevertheless very welcome in iOS5 and iPhone 4S, especially because it fits so organically with the rest of the OS, enriching the already solid user experience.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 follows closely iOS philosophy in simplicity but with its very own tiles inspired user interface. Nokia Lumia 800 ships with Windows Phone 7.5 update, codenamed ‘Mango’. The main idea of this mobile operating system revolves around having everything easily accessible in a vertical grid of live tiles that Microsoft calls Metro UI.

The tiles can be re-organized on the homescreen, and new ones can be quickly added from the application list. In terms of customization, however, WP7 is still quite basic and in a similar league with iOS5. However, if you especially look for a phone with a fresh approach to user interface, and large, easy to read fonts, then Windows Phone 7 is probably the way to go.

While Android remains clearly unbeaten in terms of offering the most freedom in tweaking the look & feel of the system, it also has the steepest learning curve among all three platforms. On the other hand, Windows Phone 7 with Metro UI is not only interesting to look at, but also provides the most intuitive user experience on a mobile phone so far.

Pre-installed apps & services

Android takes the most liberal approach from the three platforms as it allows a more or less traditional method of mass file storage. Just like using a flash memory stick, the user can easily move any kind of content to and from Galaxy Nexus mass memory without the need of dedicated desktop software (provided, you use a Windows PC). The disappointing part is that Galaxy Nexus memory is non-expandable since the phone lacks an SD card slot. The good news – in comparison to previous versions of Android on phones, ICS allows the use of all built-in storage space for app install purposes.

Aside from core Android apps, Galaxy Nexus also unsurprisingly comes pre-loaded with a range of different Google specific apps that most are already familiar with, like GMaps, Google+ or Google Books. There’s nothing else beyond that – after all, Galaxy Nexus is a ‘Google phone’ that is meant to provide a stock Android experience – the user is set free to mold the phone in accordance to his or hers liking.

The iPhone 4S is closely tied to iTunes ecosystem, and the desktop app is the central hub for syncing content wirelessly or via USB. Among pre-installed regulars like Google Maps, Safari web browser or music player, there’re also some new services from Apple including iCloud, iMessage and Siri.

As the name already implies, iCloud is cloud-based content management service that comes with free 5GB of virtual space for every iSO5 user. The service automatically backs-up and restores user content like contacts, photos, documents and apps, and thus is extremely useful if you own other iDevices with the same Apple ID. Another useful service is iMessage as it enables free instant messaging between iOS5 devices using Wi-Fi or 3G connection. Siri is the more novel feature that is sort of a personal digital assistant that can provide information (like current time, weather or maps directions), set up reminders, record notes (there’s a dictation feature) or play your favorite song on request. But whether Siri will become a serious asset to your mobile experience or ultimately end up as a gimmick – that will depend entirely on you. The built-in social networking integration in iOS5 is limited to Twitter only, so you’ll have to look into some 3rd party solutions for the complete set.

On Windows Phone, content is synced via USB or Wi-Fi connection using Microsoft’s Zune desktop software. Quite annoyingly, there’s no traditional mass storage mode, so transferring local files, such as photos or music, is a no-go without Zune. From notable pre-installed apps, there’s Nokia Maps & Nokia Drive to fill in your digital navigation needs, and XBox Live, that serves as the central hub for gaming on WP7 and syncs with your 360’s Avatar and Achievements.

Document viewing and editing is already built-in and handled by the free Office app. Thanks to SkyDrive integration, documents are also stored in the cloud (user gets 25GB of space for free) where they can be easily shared between the phone and computer. The email app is extremely straightforward to setup, and allows managing several inboxes from a single place. Built-on social networking features are also well covered, and you can setup Twitter, Facebook and Windows Live accounts that will automatically consolidate with your phonebook. While it might sound rather complicated, the execution as it turns out is pretty slick, but you do need to have use for social networks to really appreciate all those extra features.

From the perspective of built-in features, Nokia Lumia 800 with WP7 shows the strongest performance in this test – there’s barely any need for 3rd party apps to hit the ground running.

However, a developed ecosystem is important above and beyond, and this is where iOS5 on iPhone 4S shines with its cloud support that provides a truly engrossing experience.

Apps

A place where you can browse, buy and download third-party apps for your phone, the app store is an indispensable part of any working smartphone ecosystem. While the ecosystem is designed to keep you engrossed, it’s the constant supply of new apps that keeps the experience fresh and interesting.

Both the Android Market and Apple App Store excel with their incredibly rich libraries, and there’s very little sense in trying to highlight which one is the largest. Android Market has considerably more free apps to offer, while the App Store remains unbeaten in the number of quality gaming tittles, but even there Android is catching up fast.

Comparatively speaking, the most struggling here is Windows Marketplace. Apps and games are usually a great deal more expensive than on other platforms, and the selection, although improving at a steady pace, is nowhere near the app stores from Google or Apple. The importance of this might depend entirely on the user: if you plan on using just a select few 3rd party apps with your Nokia Lumia 800, then Windows Marketplace might even satisfy you completely.

A good idea would be to check the Marketplace website beforehand, to see what is actually there and what is missing. It could very well be that the particular app you know and love on another platform is also present on WP7. Or, at the very least, there’s a decent enough alternative available.

If you love exploring and trying new apps, then Android should be on top of your list. The redesigned Android Market provides a comprehensive overview of apps – new and old alike – and the background installs and updates on Galaxy Nexus happen so effortlessly it’s hard not to recommend Android over other platforms in this section.

Prices

When deciding smartphone to pick as your communications device for the next two years, the price is no minor consideration. , whether you get it for free with 24 monthly payments commitment, or shell out a hefty sum up-front. To help you decide – we checked the prices at which Nokia Lumia 800, Galaxy Nexus and iPhone 4S are available in U.K.

Operator prices in the table are in British Pounds, for the cheapest monthly plan on which you can get your smartphone for free, on 24 month contract. Unlocked prices are from Amazon UK.

Conclusions

As we mentioned early on, all three phones have something unique and worthwhile to offer. That, of course, only makes the final decision harder to make. But, if we absolutely had to pick an overall winner in this test, then it would be the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

The Google phone smashed its competition with a brilliant quality HD screen, impressed with the OS customization options and the vast amount of free apps in the Android Market. It was also the only phone that struck us with that old-school smartphone vibe that seems to be missing on other major platforms. At the same time, Apple iPhone 4S drew us in with its versatile 8 Mpix camera and very tight integration with other iDevices. And, finally, Nokia Lumia 800 won us over with its intuitive user interface, rich built-in features and attractive monoblock design.

It should be obvious by now that none of the phones are universally flawless, and careful deliberation of each platform’s weakness and strengths in the light of user’s priorities is required. Because it’s not just about the hardware that you buy – now the emphasis should be on the software and services that comes along with the phone.

If you already own a Mac, an iPad and watch your movies via Apple TV – the choice is obvious – the iPhone 4S. The new Apple phone will also be the best choice for those who like to explore an incredibly rich app ecosystem available for iOS devices, and who do not mind paying additional £100+ for the privilege.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the best choice if you like to tinker with your mobile device. Various launcher apps, third party firmware and tons of other customization options in an unfettered Google Experience device makes this phone a geek’s dream. It’s also for those who rely a lot on various Google cloud services. You simply won’t get a better integration of those features anywhere else. If you think that the bigger the display the better the device – Galaxy Nexus is also the best choice. But be warned – the screen real estate comes at a price. The Google flagship is huge, and one hand operation can be a challenge even for the biggest hands.

Nokia Lumia 800 is the best device if you are just moving into smartphones after dumping your good old feature phone, and wouldn’t mind saving £100 while still getting a first class smartphone experience. Windows Phone 7 OS is super simple to set up and use even if you are a complete newbie. It also has the best Facebook integration around. So, if you have a lot of FB friends, you won’t go wrong with new Lumia. The same for Microsoft Office and XBox integration.

Choosing which platform you will invest in – Android, iOS or Windows Phone – can have an enormous influence over what phones you will continue buying in the future. So it goes without saying – choose wisely – and, on top of all, enjoy!

• iPhone to get Google Maps with free navigation?
• Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs Nokia Lumia 800 vs iPhone 4S Comparison/Review. Part 1 – Hardware & Performance
• Nokia Lumia 710 – some thoughts and hands-on
• More info on iPhone 4.0 OS: multitasking via Expose-like interface
• Nokia S60 Devices to get touch interface next year

Now announcements are one thing, but sometimes it takes many months until a product actually ships after it’s been unveiled. That has in fact happened with the first version of Windows Phone, which was announced during MWC 2010 in February, and only shipped in October last year.

So naturally you may be wondering when exactly you’ll see Windows Phone Tango or Apollo in shipping phones. Worry not, for we now have that information, courtesy of a leaked roadmap obtained by WMPoweruser. And it also has some details about these upcoming releases.

Windows Phone Tango will hit the streets in the second quarter of 2012 (so before the end of June). It will be quite disappointing though, especially if you were expecting thousands of new features. Its focus, like we’ve heard countless times before, will be simply being able to run on lower-end devices. This was probably one of Nokia’s requests to Microsoft made back when they were discussing what would become the (in)famous February 11 announcement (when Nokia adopted WP as its primary smartphone operating system).

The previous leak did say something about Tango also bringing LTE support, but we don’t have confirmation of that today.

Windows Phone Apollo will arrive in the fourth quarter of 2012 (so before the end of December – though expect it to show up internationally in October-November, so it doesn’t miss the all-important holiday shopping season). There will supposedly be an increased overall volume of devices shipping with Apollo, which will undoubtedly be good news for the platform (unless they will all be identical all over again).

Apollo will also apparently bring us “competitive superphones”. It remains to be seen whether they will be competitive through specs, pricing, or a combination of both. Today’s top of the line Windows Phones usually come with specs seen in midrange Android offerings, so specs bumps will surely help Microsoft’s OS in perception at least. While it is true that more processor cores don’t always equal more performance, people love comparing numbers, and we’ve been hard-wired to think that more is always better in the tech world. So Microsoft just has to accept that and deal with it. That said, we do hope that Apollo will bring quad-core support too (dual-core support is obviously in), otherwise Windows Phones will still be inferior, on a pure spec basis, to the Android flagships you’ll see one year from now. It’s almost certain that all of those will feature quad-core CPUs.

Business phones will also arrive sporting Apollo. Or this version of the OS will better cater to businesses. That’s alright, since if RIM doesn’t come back to life next year, many businesses will be looking to switch platforms, and Microsoft has traditionally been strong in that area of the market (at least for desktop products).

So, will Apollo in Q4 2012 be too little, too late from Microsoft? Or will it help its new smartphone OS finally reach the mainstream? What do you think?

• Nokia Lumia 900, Lumia 719, Windows Phone Tango and Apollo launch dates leaked by someone in Finland
• Windows Phone Tango could support 120 languages, C++ native coding
• AT&T in talks with Nokia about carrying their Windows Phones
• AT&T Nokia Lumia 900 (Ace) specs leaked ahead of CES unveiling
• Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update coming in H2 2011 with HTML5 support?

Which means… absolutely nothing. People aren’t buying Windows Phones because they all look the same and they all work the same. And they’re too many identical phones. People are (anxiously) waiting for Nokia to pump out some more Windows Phones, because at least the Finnish company can come up with interesting designs.

Or maybe the app grid system, used by iOS and Android (and every other smartphone OS since the days of Psion), really is good. And people just don’t want to give that up for Microsoft. Or maybe people just hate Microsoft that bad.

Whatever the reason, Windows Phone isn’t doing well. The fact that its Marketplace has over 50,000 wallpapers, duplicate apps, and all kinds of spam is perfectly irrelevant. All the important apps have been there for a while, but nowdays even Apple fanboys will tell you that thousands of apps are useless without multitasking.

So congratulations Windows Phone! Keep at it. A bit of friendly advice for Microsoft though: perhaps your main focus should be the number of people buying Windows Phones, and not the number of apps in the Marketplace.

We of course have no proof that that isn’t the case. Especially since this bit of news wasn’t in any official PR from Microsoft, but comes courtesy of AAWP – the guys over there do the number crunching (not that we know why).

• Microsoft’s Windows Phone Marketplace now hosts more than 60,000 apps
• Windows Phone 7 Marketplace now offering 6,000 apps
• Almost 3,000 Windows Phone 7 apps available now, 15,000 WP7 devs registered
• Windows Marketplace opens for submissions on July 27; WM 6.0 and 6.1 will be supported
• Windows Phone 7 Marketplace now has more than 9,000 apps

The quick upgrade is due to Microsoft’s tight control over the Windows Phone OS. The same goes for Apple’s tight control over iOS and its quick release of upgrades. They keep a hardware standard and do not allow customization of the base platform. This leads to a quick and easy distribution of upgrades.

The downside to the quick update is the lag behind competing hardware. Windows Phones devices run on single-core processors and WVGA displays, while competitors use HD displays and dual-core processors. Although with the properly optimized software, the single-core processor doesn’t have too much of an effect, the WVGA screen doesn’t compare to the qHD and HD displays on high end Android devices. The downside to Android is that updates take light years longer to head out to devices if you aren’t using a one of Google’s Nexus devices. Both sides have their pros and cons. Anyways, kudos to Microsoft for the quick update and congratulations Dell Venue Pro users.

Microsoft

• 9 new Windows Phone Mango handsets to be announced tomorrow alongside 500 new OS features?
• Windows Phone Mango handsets from Samsung, HTC and LG expected to arrive in September
• Verizon rolling out Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update for HTC Trophy today
• T-Mobile’s Dell Venue Pro with Windows Phone 7 hits the FCC
• In 10 days, 20% of WP7 devices have received the Mango update

All you have to do is visit this website http://aka.ms/wpdemo on your mobile browser, and you will access an interactive HTML 5 web page that gives you a full tour of the operating system. It allows you to experience the tiles on your own home screen and even gives you a couple of demos of simple tasks such as checking your email or sending a text message.

It would be pretty sweet if this web page could actually convert your OS to Windows Phone Mango, but that feature is currently not available. Kudos to Microsoft for thinking outside of the box with a cool promotional HTML 5 demo of their own OS.

Gizmodo

• Verizon rolling out Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update for HTC Trophy today
• Microsoft confirms some Windows Phone Mango features
• Microsoft Windows Phone Mango officially announced, brings IE 9, Groups, Threads and more
• NEC’s “Bubble Talk” service enables voice message sending on the fly
• Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update coming in H2 2011 with HTML5 support?

According to this webpage, the offer will be also available if you’re buying online from Microsoft Store.

While it’s not specifically stated, the offer should include even the latest Windows Phone Mango handsets – like the HTC Titan, Samsung Focus S, Samsung Focus Flash, and HTC Radar 4G.

Sure enough, you’ll also find free Mango handsets at other locations on Black Friday – including at Amazon – but it’s good to see that in case you need to buy stuff directly from Microsoft you’ll have free smartphones there, too.

Via WPCentral

• AT&T’s Samsung Focus S and Flash will be launched on November 6
• Windows Phone 7.5 Mango updates coming in “the next week or two”
• HTC Titan and Radar with Windows Phone Mango available for pre-order in the UK
• AT&T intros three Windows Phone Mango handsets: HTC Titan, Samsung Focus S and Focus Flash
• HTC Titan, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and others now available at AT&T

The Lumia 800 will be launched by lots of major mobile operators, and some of them area readying attractive deals for the smartphone. For example, Orange UK will offer the Lumia 800 together with a free Xbox console.

To qualify for the free Xbox, you must be an “Orange pay monthly mobile customer on an existing 12, 18 or 24 month plan”, and you have to “upgrade to a Nokia Lumia 800 handset on an 18 or 24 month Animal plan.” The offer will be available from November 16 to November 30. You an find more details here at Orange UK.

The Lumia 800 is the Windows Phone Mango version of the MeeGo-based Nokia N9. It has the same hardware design, although some features have been changed, now including a 3.7 inch WVGA ClearBlack AMOLED display, and a 1.4GHz single-core processor.

The Nokia Lumia 800 will retail for about €420. However, mobile operators – including Orange – will offer it for free on select plans.

• HTC 7 Mozart and Nokia N8 show up on Orange UK’s website
• Pink Nokia Lumia 800 now available in the UK on Orange and T-Mobile, free from £25.54 per month
• Nokia Lumia 710 will bring More Windows Phone Mango to Orange UK
• UK: SIM-free Nokia Lumia 800 to be available on November 16 after all, but not everywhere
• Nokia Lumia 800 to be launched on November 16 in the UK

So Microsoft needs to do something for Windows Phone to start growing and eventually turn into a serious contender in the smartphone space. The deal with Nokia is one such thing, which benefits Microsoft a lot. Nokia will sell WP devices simply because of the fact that they have a Nokia logo slapped on them. People who have no idea what Windows Phone is will buy phones because they’re buying a Nokia.

Microsoft also plans to help market the new wave of Nokia and Samsung Windows Phones, at least in the UK, and it’s throwing hard cash at that.

Both of the above things are good. But one of the main problems of WP so far has been that, while high-end Windows Phones generally aren’t as expensive as the flagship Android devices or the newest iPhone, no WP device was ever priced in the lower-midrange, for example. Or cheaper.

That has something to do with Microsoft’s strict hardware requirements, and the truth of the matter is that even abiding by the minimum spec that Microsoft has put out, manufacturers simply couldn’t price their handsets any better.

That’s going to change, though. Microsoft expects some models running Mango to cost just $220 to produce, which is a far cry from the $400 minimum cost to produce the first batch of WP devices which came out last year. In 2012, Microsoft expects Windows Phones to be made for less than $200.

Do note that these are production costs. Sales will occur at higher prices, naturally, although your carrier may subsidize that amount for you and thus give you a phone for “free”.

What the above means is that Microsoft expects WP to finally cover the entire midrange of the smartphone space sometime during next year. That will clearly help the operating system’s market share go up. However, sub-$200 still isn’t “around $100″, which means that the low-end will still be an Android vs. Symbian affair even in 2012, with the former probably taking more and more market share away from the latter. To truly succeed, WP needs to become a mass market platform, and that appears to be possible no sooner than 2013 at this point. Of course, Microsoft has both the patience and the money to wait until then, so by no means does this mean that WP shouldn’t be taken seriously by its competitors, in the long run at least.

If you’re wondering why WP devices will be cheaper to make next year, it’s easy. Since Microsoft has kept the minimum spec the same since last year, it means that the cheapest WP devices will use silicon that’s two years old. And in this world, every chip gets cheaper as time passes and it has been mass produced.

Of course, Microsoft may also decide to have a new spec for lower-end WP devices, something which was rumored many times before. In that case, the dropping of the manufacturing price would be accelerated. What’s certain is that the Redmond-based company currently has no plans to allow non-Qualcomm processors into its Windows Phones.

Via Businessweek

• Motorola still leading the US mobile market, followed by LG and Samsung
• Ballmer: Windows Phone Mango handsets are “coming out this Christmas”
• Nokia gets £20m, Samsung £8m from Microsoft for Windows Phone promotion in the UK
• Windows Phone Marketplace now has more than 50,000 apps
• Shocker: Nokia officially adopts Windows Phone as its “primary smartphone platform”

While we don’t know when exactly the Finnish company’s Windows phones will actually hit the market, it’s quite possible that it’s going to happen just a few weeks after Nokia World – thus next month. According to the pricing list seen below, an unnamed Nokia Mango device will be indeed released in November (in Italy by TIM), alongside a bunch of other new smartphones, like the Samsung Omnia W, Samsung Galaxy Note, and HTC Sensation XE.

This mysterious device could be the Nokia Searay, which has also appeared on a T-Mobile Germany promo image. Or maybe the Nokia Sun, Nokia Ace, or Nokia Sabre – we can’t know for sure yet.

What we do know is that both Nokia and Microsoft will try hard to make their new handsets as competitive as possible. Let’s hope they won’t disappoint.

Via iPhoneItalia, WPcentral

• Nokia Searay with Windows Phone Mango spotted in T-Mobile promo image
• Nokia 710 spotted on developer site, will it run on Windows Phone Mango?
• Nokia 800(SeaRay) press shots leak
• Samsung Galaxy Note, Galaxy Tab 7.7 and Wave 3 coming on September 1
• LG Optimus Vu pictured next to Samsung Galaxy Note

According to a source speaking to Mobile Today, Microsoft will spend £20 million for a marketing campaign for Nokia-made Windows Phones. That’s not an earth-shattering amount, but it is big nonetheless. Other WP device makers such as Samsung may also get some free marketing from Microsoft, but Nokia will take most of it, since it is after all Microsoft’s ‘strategic partner’.

This undoubtedly was one thing that Stephen Elop, CEO of Nokia, and Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft (both seen in the picture above), extensively talked about before Nokia finally made its big February 11 announcement. That was when the company first told us about its big shift in strategy regarding smartphones, and how it intends to go ‘all in’ with Windows Phone.

Months have passed, and before the end of October Nokia will hold its annual Nokia World event, where it is expected to finally unveil its very first smartphone(s) running Microsoft’s newest mobile operating system. In order to capture some market share in the UK from Android, both companies will be ramping up their promotional spend. Nokia has apparently already commissioned its ad agencies to develop a campaign focused on Windows Phone Mango’s social networking features, as well as its apps and games. And that’s probably a good idea, since Microsoft and Nokia need to prove to people that the WP platform has enough apps to make switching to it painless for someone coming from Android or iOS. Microsoft’s money will likely go to “in-store marketing”.

Samsung is also expected to invest a lot in the promotion of its Omnia W smartphone running WP 7.5 Mango. The sum is believed to be around £8 million, with some or all of that possibly coming from Microsoft, although exact details are murkier than in Nokia’s case.

It’s quite clear that Microsoft would like this holiday shopping season to be the moment when Windows Phone truly enters the smartphone race, more than one year after its initial release. However, whether or not simply creating big and expensive ad campaigns will be enough to persuade people not to choose either Android or iOS remains to be seen. We’re guessing Nokia WP devices will sell in pretty decent numbers, especially thanks to Nokia’s brand image, but other manufacturers of Windows Phones may not see as good numbers.

• AT&T Nokia Ace (Lumia 900) will get $100 million marketing campaign
• Did Microsoft offer Nokia $1 billion to choose Windows Phone over Android?
• Ballmer: Windows Phone Mango handsets are “coming out this Christmas”
• Nokia Q2 2011 results: profit declines, only 16.7 million smartphones sold
• Microsoft: Windows Phone production costs will drop by half next year

These stats are courtesy of an app called “I’m a WP7″, which reports data from about 83,500 devices around the world. This quick update brings up the debate on why Android devices are so slow on getting OS updates. Only 39% of all Android devices are running on Android 2.3, the latest OS, a year after its release and ICS is rumored to be unveiled next week. It is difficult to compare the two since they have taken different approaches when manufacturing devices. Android manufacturers have chosen to focus on new hardware and push out updates to older devices slower. Microsoft on the other hand focuses more on updating all of the devices and less on pushing the latest hardware.

Now when your choosing a device, you have to decide whether you want to be guaranteed that you’ll receive the latest OS in a quick manner but on a lesser range of devices, or you can choose a device with the latest hardware on a broader range of devices and carriers. Kudos to Microsoft for getting the update out so quickly.

WPCentral

• Dell Venue Pro last device to be upgraded to Mango
• Acer Iconia Tab A500 and ASUS Eee Pad Transformer to get Honeycomb 3.1 in June
• AT&T HTC HD7S now receiving Mango Update
• Verizon rolling out Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update for HTC Trophy today
• Adobe Flash Player now works on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

This then is the day that the Microsoft Tax has become official. Unlike the (in)famous Apple Tax, which is just a way of saying that Apple products are more expensive than the competition, the Microsoft Tax is fueled by the company’s patents and is something that very soon will hit every company that makes any kind of hardware that runs Android.

Last year, HTC did what Samsung is doing now and signaled a rather grim future for Android device manufacturers. Back then some analyst estimated that HTC would be paying Microsoft $20-$40 per smartphone. Now Samsung is a much bigger company, and holds quite a few patents itself, so it was probably able to negotiate that down to, say $10 per device for phones (maybe a bit more for tablets).

It also looks like one of the methods by which Samsung drove the royalty per unit down was promising to invest a lot more than now in Windows Phone devices.

Which makes this a win-win for Microsoft. On one hand, it’s already making more money from Android royalties than from licensing Windows Phone, on the other hand it will get the increased support for its struggling mobile OS from one of the biggest handset makers around.

Alongside HTC, a bunch of smaller companies (at least small in the mobile world) like Onkyo, General Dynamics, ViewSonic, Acer, Velocity Micro, and Wistron have also already agreed to pay Microsoft. But Samsung is clearly the big fish in this pond. And with it caving, it’s clearly only a matter of time before all the other Android manufacturers will have to. Microsoft will sue them all, that’s for sure. The company has clearly shown that what it lacks in being able to compete with Android on software it is more than happy to make up in patent defences.

So that’s that then. Android isn’t free anymore.

The nice irony here is that Google (through Motorola, which it has recently acquired) may end up paying royalties to Microsoft for Android.

So what about Android? If this happened once, it’s bound to happen again. Many other companies hold many mobile-related patents, and these companies have chosen not to go after Android makers so far. But if they do, then Android may get even more expensive, potentially even costing around $60 per device. If that happens, then Android’s march to the midrange and low-end portions of the mobile market will be brutally halted. After all, you can’t sell $100 devices if you have to pay $60 in royalties for each one.

While that will probably not kill Android, it may break its incredible momentum. And leave an interesting opening in the market. The low-end and the midrange have historically been ‘won’ by Nokia, but in recent months, especially in Western markets, it has been replaced by Android offerings.

So what OS will take Android’s place? iOS? Probably not. Even if Apple starts selling a cheaper iPhone in more places than just the US, that will still be just one device, no matter how craved. BlackBerry OS? Hardly possible, since RIM itself recognizes that it’s on the way out. RIM is transitioning right now, and will have a whole new QNX-based phone OS soon. Perhaps that may take a chunk of the midrange market in the future, but not in the near future.

So what’s left? Exactly. Windows Phone.

Therefore, today’s announcement is actually a win-win-win for Microsoft.

Remember, this is the company that couldn’t care less about ethics, and is known for bullying businesses into using its products (or preinstalling their software). It’s just doing the same thing over and over again.

As for Windows Phone, whether or not it’s a better platform than Android will become irrelevant. And that’s exactly what Microsoft wanted. It doesn’t care about the moral high ground, or the methods used (which, though legal, do exploit the sorry state of the patent system). It wants Windows Phone to succeed.

And it very may well do that, because Microsoft has patents, time, and money. The first of those three we’ve seen in action. The company also has a lot of money to invest in Windows Phone, and it can wait. A lot. This isn’t impatient HP we’re talking about here. Windows Phone may not be a success today, but by this time next year? Who knows?

Of course, what I’ve painted above is one possibility. This is the predictable path. Things may turn out differently, and for the sake of Android and competition in this space (since WP and iOS are basically two sides of the same closed-ecosystem coin) let’s hope they somehow do.

PS: If you want to have a good laugh, read Microsoft’s surreal blog post on today’s news. Here’s a taste:

“We recognize that some businesses and commentators – Google chief among them – have complained about the potential impact of patents on Android and software innovation. To them, we say this: look at today’s announcement. If industry leaders such as Samsung and HTC can enter into these agreements, doesn’t this provide a clear path forward?”

• LG agrees to pay Microsoft royalties for every Android device it sells
• Nokia, Apple enter into patent licensing agreement, Apple has to pay up
• HTC promises Windows Phone 7 handset for late 2010 (again)
• HTC Android phones use Microsoft technologies, Microsoft licenses patents to HTC
• Nokia gets £20m, Samsung £8m from Microsoft for Windows Phone promotion in the UK

Verizon has just announced that they have started to roll out the Mango update for the HTC Trophy today. They have posted a page with instructions and some of the features of the update on their website. Once the update has arrived, you will need to install it with the Zune software on a Windows computer or  with the Windows Phone 7 connector on a Mac.

If you have already installed Mango on your device, let us know how the update process was and how you like it in the comments section below. We will keep you updated on the list of devices ready for a Mango update.

Verizon

• US Cellular HTC Merge Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread update now available
• Verizon HTC 7 Trophy Windows Phone 7 device may come in March
• AT&T LG Phoenix Android 2.3 Gingerbread update now available
• Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update coming in H2 2011 with HTML5 support?
• Verizon’s first Windows Phone 7 device might be the HTC Trophy

It’s an interesting idea that many tried. We’ve seen Modu mini-phone with “jackets”, LG Expo handset with the attachable projector and NTT Docomo’s separable phone. And we’ve seen even more interesting stuff in Palm’s R&D department.

Alas, none of them became a successful commercial product yet.

Now it’s time for Microsoft’s R&D department to try something new. A slider phone with multiple interchangeable accessories:

It looks like your usual slider, but the sliding keyboard part is detachable and can be replaced with gaming keypad, second display, additional battery and other things.

What’s more – those same accessories can be operated independently, in a detached mode. For example, acting as a second phone, gaming stick, or remote control, to operate your smartphone while it streams games and videos to an attached TV set.

There are many reasons why such combined devices, even when they look great on paper, do not find many interested customers. And Microsoft is not getting into phone hardware making business again anytime soon. So the chances for this kind of slider to become a device you can buy, are pretty slim.

But if Microsoft decides to provide a reference design for such slider to its hardware partners and then adds an accessory support to Windows Phone OS… Who knows, someone may build something interesting with this.

Via Microsoft USPTO filing

• Orange UK to kick off new mobile gaming initiatives for iPhone
• Lenovo i909 NES gaming phone with D-pad
• Sony Ericsson F305 motion-gaming phone gets official
• Windows Phone (7) Developer Tools beta now available
• LG Versa VX960 official specs, photos and launch date unveiled

Microsoft has announced via the official Windows Phone blog that Mango updates are expected “to start rolling it out in the next week or two.” That’s certainly good news for those currently owning a Windows Phone 7 device. All WP7 handsets will get the update, with no exception, although the exact timing will depend on manufacturers and carriers.

Until now, only five new Mango smartphones have been officially introduced: Fujitsu Toshiba IS12T , HTC Titan (pictured above), HTC Radar, Samsung Focus S, and Samsung Focus Flash (the two Samsungs haven’t been shown yet). More are on their way, of course, including devices made by Nokia, which should appear starting the fourth quarter of the year.

• HTC Titan, Radar and Sensation XE to arrive in the UK in early October
• AT&T intros three Windows Phone Mango handsets: HTC Titan, Samsung Focus S and Focus Flash
• Facebook for Windows Phone now plays nice with Mango
• Windows Phone Mango coming next week?
• AT&T’s Samsung Focus S and Flash will be launched on November 6

The applications will include Microsoft OneNote, Microsoft Lync 2010 Mobile, Microsoft Document Connection, and Microsoft PowerPoint Broadcast. They will be rolled-out to Symbian Belle smartphones (Nokia 600, Nokia 700, Nokia 701), as well to Symbian Anna smartphones that are about to be upgraded to Belle (N8, C7, E7, C6-01, E6 and X7).

According to Nokia, the update which brings Microsoft Apps will be offered starting late Q4 2011 – by that time, the Finnish company should also launch its first Windows Phone Mango handset(s).

Another update, apparently scheduled for 2012, “will introduce Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint as native applications for the first time outside the Windows platform.”

Via Press release

• Nokia 603 leaked. Symbian Belle update to start on October 26?
• Symbian Belle update will be out for existing Nokia smartphones in early 2012
• Nokia gives up on Symbian (the brand), promises Belle update for February
• Nokia’s Symbian Anna devices get a new bug fixing software update
• Nokia, Microsoft sign deal to bring Office Mobile to Symbian smartphones

The specs for this bad boy are unfortunately only rumors at this point: a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 SoC processor, 512MB of RAM, a front-facing camera, a 3.8″ SLCD display and a 8MP camera in the rear. The front-facing camera will likely include Skype integration.

The HTC Eternity is a high end Windows phone 7 mango device also expected to be announced at the September 1st event. No info on pricing or availability on either of these devices, but we will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

PocketNow

• HTC Omega (with Windows Phone Mango) shows up in hands-on photos
• HTC Windows Phone Mango handsets (Omega, Eterninty) to be announced on September 1
• HTC Titan (Eternity) and Radar (Omega) with Windows Phone Mango announced
• HTC Runnymede press shot leaks – it’s like a Titan with Android
• LG Fantasy / Miracle E740 with Windows Phone Mango appears in new photos

The Mazaa is running Widnows Phone 7.5 Mango – it’s the 7720 build, hence the RTM version of the OS. The new device looks a lot like the HTC Trophy (released last year with Windows Phone 7). One of the developers who’ve won the Mazaa posted several photos of it, with the mention that it’s quite faster than the HTC HD7 (also released last year with WP7 on board).

In case you’re wondering when you’ll be able to buy the HTC Mazaa, the answer is “never”, because Microsoft says this is just a developer phone. So, no, it will not be released by Sprint.

HTC (alongside Fujistu, Samsung and LG) will introduce Mango handsets for consumers starting September. Nokia will launch Windows Phone Mango devices, too (as I’m sure you already know), but only starting October.

Via WP Sauce

• HTC Mazaa leaks on its way to Sprint, may be the first WP7 world phone
• Facebook for Windows Phone now plays nice with Mango
• Nokia could show off new Windows Phone Mango handsets on August 17
• Windows Phone (7) Developer Tools beta now available
• LG E700 features IE9, might come with Windows Phone 7 Mango

Perhaps responding to the plethora of streaming services crowding the marketplace, Microsoft recently added streaming to their Zune Pass service, an all-you-can-eat option for their Zune Marketplace. While its user interface regularly garners critical praise, neither the Zune or Windows Phone 7 has made much of a dent in their respective markets. Will Zune Pass fare any better?

Mobile Platform

Windows Phone 7

Library Size

The Zune Marketplace–where Zune Pass users find, stream and download their music–hosts 14 million 320kbps DRM-free tracks. But the kid-in-a-candy-store emotions normally associated with an unlimited service like Zune Pass are tempered somewhat by the Zune Marketplace’s constant state of flux. Not all of its 14 million tracks are available at all times, so it is not uncommon to find an album you’d love to hear but is currently available. The novelty of all-you-can-eat also dulls a bit when the subscription ends, but the classic records you want to keep forever can be purchased (and really, if you love it enough to play it over and over, don’t you think the artist has earned your cash?). For the frugal users, Microsoft added a feature called “Keep 10,” which gives Zune Pass subscribers credit to download 10 of the tracks in their library permanently. The songs are theirs to keep, even after their subscription expires.

The Shuffle Test

Ed.- we took 10 songs shuffled from our iTunes library and checked how many each service had.

9/10 – Roxy Music – 2HB (Y), Big Star – Life Is White (Y), Sufjan Stevens – Jacksonville (N*), The National – Slow Show (Y), Daft Punk – Da Funk (Y), Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter (Y), Big Punisher – Dream Shatterer (Y), John Legend – It Don’t Have to Change (Y), Desaparecidos – The Happiest Place on Earth (Y), The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die (Y)

*Zune Pass’ library of available tracks rotates regularly; this track was in the Marketplace but not currently available.

Software (Stability)

While we found the Zune software to be mostly stable and reliable, we did have a a few issues. Occasionally the player would have problems showing the proper album art for the currently playing track; instead it showed the artwork for the next song in the playlist. It was unfortunate for the Zune player (and our ears) that songs downloaded from the store didn’t blend well during playback. There was an audible break between tracks as we listened to Bon Iver’s self-titled record; it fell well short of gapless playback. We did try our best to choke the app’s resources by building a massive pending downloads queue, but it handled it with ease.

Software (User Interface)

The Zune Pass service has the significant advantage of being built into a beautiful and intuitive media player. The Zune marketplace is an extension of the Windows Phone 7 UI and is seamlessly woven into the player (where’s the iTunes store integration in iOS’s music app, Apple?). The player is aesthetically pleasing; every transition and animation is smooth and visually impressive. If you don’t know what you want, you swipe right to left for featured releases, top albums, artists and tracks. If you’re hunting for a particular release, you swipe left to right to browse by genre, or click the search button to scour the entire marketplace.

It was a bit off-putting getting used to the Windows Phone’s UI elements, which rely heavily on long button presses, bringing up contextual menus for more detailed options. But once we did, it was simple and intuitive. No other mobile application we tested was cleaner, prettier or more fun to use.

Playback

We found the player’s streaming speed to be quite average, taking about 5-6 seconds over a 3G connection, and a second or two faster with a strong Wi-Fi signal.

Recommendations (Finding New Music)

Options for finding new music were limited to the obvious and mainstream, highlighting high-profile releases like Pitbull and Beyonce. The Zune marketplace features one release on the home page each week, and a few more on the next page. Further right-to-left swipes reveal the Zune Marketplace’s top artists, albums and songs. There were no social media options, no featured playlists or any other suggestions for new music. We found the omissions to be quite disappointing. There is in fact a “Smart DJ” feature that builds playlists based on the song and artist selected, but like many other attempts to compete with Pandora’s genome-based radio, it falls well short.

Offline Playback

The Zune Marketplace lets you download select songs to your Zune/Windows Phone 7. Most (but not all) songs can be marked for download and played through the Zune Player. Syncing can be done with the Windows Phone 7 Connector on a Mac or the Zune software on a PC. Amazingly enough, the Mac application is offered through the Mac App Store (it’s the only Microsoft application in the store) and syncs music via iTunes.

We had no problems downloading multiple tracks and albums from the Zune Marketplace. Downloads were passable over 3G and extremely fast over Wi-Fi. We were impressed that unlike other services, we could easily load up the download queue with a hundred or more tracks and the software didn’t miss a beat or lag even one bit.

Price

Free 30-second previews in the Zune Marketplace with no Zune Pass. $15/mo for unlimited access on Xbox Live, PCs, Zunes and Windows Phone 7 (with 10 free “Keep 10″ tracks per month).

The Verdict

It’s ironic that Microsoft–maker of the ubiquitous but oft-plagued Windows operating systems–would develop a piece of software as beautiful and intuitive as the Zune Player but struggle getting users to adopt it. The Zune Pass service, much like its player, is a well-designed music catalog and streaming service, and is seamlessly integrated into Windows Phone 7′s interface. Using the software is a dream, an experience not easily quantified in print.

But for the strides it makes in design elements and user experience, the Zune Pass and Marketplace falls short of most of its competitors in features, specifically those to help users find new music. There is no social integration (puzzling considering how social media is woven into most parts of WP7) and no user-submitted or artist/editor-curated playlists. The service was also a bit expensive, but we did love that they let you choose 10 songs per month to save permanently in your collection.

Zune Pass could have easily been at #5, below Napster, but we placed it where we did because we constantly found ourself choosing to use it over other services, simply because the user experience was so enjoyable.

Link: Zune Pass

For more on our mobile cloud music feature, and to read reviews of the other services, click here.

• Best Buy quietly launches Music Cloud
• RIM gives BlackBerry Messenger Music soft launch in closed beta
• Windows Mobile 7 to come with Zune?
• Mobile Cloud Music Showdown: Unwired View Reviews the U.S. Subscription and Locker Services
• Sony brings Music Unlimited to Android

However, Nokia may showcase some new phones earlier than October. The Finnish giant is getting ready to host a party together with Microsoft on August 17 in Cologne, Germany, promising “exciting actions and surprises” for “an evening to remember.”

The invite for the event – which will take place during the Gamescom fair – reads that participants will be able to win “3x Nokia with Windows Phone (as soon as available).” This could mean Nokia and Microsoft will have some Mango handsets to showcase in Cologne (maybe the Nokia Sea Ray will be unveiled again). But it could also mean they’ll have just mock-ups to present, or maybe not even that. In any case, I highly doubt that Nokia will officially announce Windows Phone devices at this event, as The Unwired speculates. It makes little sense for the company to announce products that its future depends on at a game fair.

Fujistu has already announced its first Windows Phone Mango device – the waterproof IS12T – and we’ve heard that Samsung, HTC and LG are all planning to introduce their Mango handsets in September.

• 9 new Windows Phone Mango handsets to be announced tomorrow alongside 500 new OS features?
• Windows Phone Mango handsets from Samsung, HTC and LG expected to arrive in September
• HTC Windows Phone Mango handsets (Omega, Eterninty) to be announced on September 1
• Ballmer: Windows Phone Mango handsets are “coming out this Christmas”
• Nokia 900 with Windows Phone Mango spotted, could be announced at Nokia World

Now a report from Taiwan claims that Samsung, HTC and LG also plan to release WP Mango handsets in September. Apparently, HTC will have “a number of Mango phones” with displays measuring from 3.8 to 4.7 inches. Said phones should be powered by single-core 1.5GHz processors from Qualcomm – and that’s all we know for now.

HTC is the company that launched the highest number of Windows Phone devices until now (five).

(Samsung Focus, which currently runs WP 7, but will be upgraded to Mango)

As previously mentioned, Acer, Dell, ZTE and – most importantly – Nokia will introduce Mango devices, too. Nokia’s first Windows phones are expected to be officially introduced in late October during Nokia World 2011.

• Compal to start delivery of Windows Phones to Nokia in September. 2 million units ordered for Q4 2011
• Nokia could show off new Windows Phone Mango handsets on August 17
• Windows Phone 7.5 Mango updates coming in “the next week or two”
• Nokia Lumia 800 with LTE coming to AT&T in 2012?
• Nokia 710 spotted on developer site, will it run on Windows Phone Mango?

A perfect example is the mobile industry. Every phone that comes out is either an iPhone Killer or a total failure. The same applies to the mobile operating system ecosystem.

Right now, in the minds of many tech bloggers around the world, there are two operating systems, and only two.  iPhone and Android. In reality, it is true that other platforms such as Nokia’s Symbian, WebOS, and BlackBerry might be suffering now, but are still far from their death beds.

Windows Phone 7 is a different story than both categories. Right now, the new Microsoft mobile initiative has insignificant market share of less than 5%, but according to almost all predictions, it is expected to make a difference in the landscape of mobile operating systems in the coming years.

The big question is, would you buy a phone that runs a Microsoft operating system after having used the mess that was Windows Mobile? Personally, if you had asked me before ever using Windows Phone 7, I would have, without hesitating, answered no. However, Microsoft has clearly internalized some of the feedback they received from Windows Mobile and reinvented their mobile offering from scratch.

A lot has been said about Windows Phone and its future, but the latest development is that Mango, the most recent update to the platform has just been released to manufacturing with a whole list of improvements that will enhance the overall Windows Phone experience. You can see the first Mango device, which is going to debut in Japan, in the video below.

This got me thinking about what it would take me to replace my iPhone with a Windows Phone device, and with the help of a little crowd sourcing on Twitter and Google+, I came up with the following list.

The following are five immediate and practical steps that Microsoft must implement in order to achieve any sort of success in the over saturated and uber-competitive mobile industry:

Apps

This is hands down the biggest factor in the success of the Windows phone platform. Take the Playbook for example. The hardware is top notch, the software is powerful, but the apps are M.I.A, and we know how many Playbook devices RIM has managed to sell. Microsoft’s top priority way ahead of anything else on the list, should be to make the lives of its developer community as easy and pleasant as possible.

As of now, the development environment of Visual Studio is indeed top notch, but if you have developed a Windows Phone app and tried to upload it to the Marketplace, you surely know how big of a headache it is. It’s as if Microsoft does not want you to upload apps. The verification process for you and your company is so painful and unintuitive; that developers have told me they almost gave up in the process.

However, the headache does not end there. Once your app is live, good luck promoting it. Now 25,000 apps is not 500,000 like the App Store but for some odd reason, unknown to anyone it seems, Microsoft seems to have chosen some big titles to promote under their own name, and a small independent developer does not stand a chance. This does not seem like a company struggling to succeed in a super competitive space.

The Cool Factor

Off the bat, I will say that the UI of Windows Phone is awesome. Except, if you ask 9/10 people about Windows Phone, all they hear is Windows, which means uncool. Microsoft has to push this platform with all its marketing might. I mean, the “Really” commercials were mildly entertaining, and Microsoft’s $500 million budget combined with Nokia’s $130 million budget to push Windows Phone is a good start, but Microsoft (and Nokia) has to try harder.

Lucky for Microsoft, they are not first in this market and they can learn lessons from some of their competitors. Have you ever heard someone refer to the Android platform as a whole by calling it a “Droid phone”? Yea, it is the same as someone calling MP3 players “iPods”.

You know why that happens? Because of marketing. Android and Verizon flooded the U.S with the Droid Does ads and guess what? They did the job and helped Android reach enough people to help the platform compete with iPhone. Microsoft, are you taking notes?

Unparalleled Hardware

While in today’s mobile world, hardware comes second on the list after apps and software, there is no denying how well a mobile device with unmatched specs can sell. I am talking dual-core processors (or possibly more), top notch screen resolution, a camera with a ridiculous amount of megapixels and LED flash, and all the possible sensors you can imagine.

On this front, I am fairly optimistic that Microsoft will fill these shows. Why? For two reasons. For starters, the first batch of Windows Phone 7 devices such as the HD7 and others were pretty darn impressive. However, the kicker is a small little Finish company that Microsoft is partnering with. If there is anyone that can wow us with their hardware in a very software-centric mobile era, it is Nokia. I am convinced this is what will happen by year’s end.

Subsidized Phone and Service

OK, here is something I did not think of and was suggested to me on Twiter by Rob La Gesse, a.k.a Scoble’s boss at Rackspace. He suggested that Microsoft has to focus on market share and not revenue. For this cause, Windows Phone app revenue should be used by Microsoft to subsidize handsets and even service. What better way to bring users by the millions than to give them a phone for free?

Far fetched? Definitely. But as Rob said to me on Twitter, desperate times call for desperate measures. As far as Micorsoft and Windows Phone are concerned, these are definitely desperate times.

How would this work? That is something that would require some creativity on the part of Microsoft, but Rob suggested, and I like the concept, that users would pay for an app in the Marketplace and Microsoft, instead of taking a cut like Apple does, will take that money to subsidize free phones or some kind of deals on free or discounted phone service. Would this require operator cooperation? On some level, absolutely, but in order to succeed in this space, Microsoft better have already recognized the essential nature of operational ties with mobile operators around the world.

Global Reach

In today’s market, iPhone and Android are growing fast but globally, Nokia still holds the crown. For Microsoft to make a difference here, the company is going to have to attack the market across all continents. Of course, the fact that Nokia smartphones will be running Windows will help their cause, but let’s not forget that Nokia’s dominance in emerging markets is not based on smartphones, but feature phones that have a very small margin of profit for the Finnish company. That might explain the numbers we heard last week about the Nokia Q2 results.

If Microsoft thinks it can beat Apple or Android in its home court and ignore the rest of the world, they are in for a big surprise. Windows Phone  devices are going to have to be in the displays of stores throught the US, Europe, of course, but the rest of the world is going to need some Microsoft lovin as well. It has to be a global push or it will quickly turn into a global failure for Microsoft.

All in all, I have high hopes for Windows Phone and Microsoft seems to have learned many lessons from their past mistakes. If the platform’s 25k apps are any indication of its future growth, which I believe they are, we can expect a serious explosion in the coming years, the likes of which should make Apple and Google worry and step up their game.

• Microsoft ups Windows Phone 7 free app submission limit from 5 to 100
• Nokia gets £20m, Samsung £8m from Microsoft for Windows Phone promotion in the UK
• Windows Phone Tango could support 120 languages, C++ native coding
• Microsoft: Windows Phone production costs will drop by half next year
• Microsoft Tag Reader is the company’s first Android app

Unfortunately, the IS12T won’t be available starting August, as previously rumored, but only “after September”. KDDI will launch the handset in Japan first.

The Fujitsu Toshiba IS12T is a beast of a phone. It’s waterproof and dustproof, and features a a 13.2 (!) megapixel camera, 3.7 inch WVGA display, and 32GB of internal memory. Plus, of course, all the new goodies that Windows Phone 7.5 Mango has to offer.

As you can see in the photos above, the new Mango handset will be available in black, pink, and yellow. We don’t know in which other markets besides Japan you’ll be able to buy it, and neither for what price. More info as we get it.

Via Fujitsu, KDDI

• Fujitsu’s Windows Phone Mango handset priced in Japan
• The world’s first Windows Phone Mango handset could be the Fujitsu IS12T
• Fujitsu Toshiba IS12T, the world’s first Windows Phone Mango device, launches on August 25
• Toshiba Regza IS04 is the world’s first 12MP Android phone
• Toshiba K01, K02 and L01 showcased in Japan

Nokia has sold a total of 88.5 million mobile devices in Q2, 20% less than in Q2 2010, and %18 less than in Q1 2011. Sales plummeted in Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and especially in Greater China (where only 11.3 million devices have been sold – compared to 23.9 million units in the previous quarter). Interestingly, sales grew in North America (25%) and Latin America (17%).

Unsurprisingly, smartphone sales haven’t been great, either: 16.7 million units were shipped in Q2 – 31% less than in Q1 2011, and 34% less than in Q2 2010.

Overall, Nokia reported net sales of 9,275 million Euros (-11% QoQ), and operating profit of 391 million Euros (-44% QoQ).

Stephen Elop, Nokia’s CEO, declared that the “Q2 results were clearly disappointing.” However, looking forward to the future Nokia has with Microsoft’s mobile OS, Elop said: “those who already have viewed our early Windows Phone work are very optimistic about the devices Nokia will bring to market and about the long-term opportunities.” Sure enough, that Nokia Sea Ray – supposedly the company’s first WP handset – does seem to have great potential. But its success will obviously depend on its price, and on the marketing campaign Nokia and Microsoft will set up for it (I’m quite sure the two giants will spend lots of money to market their products).

More info on Nokia’s Q2 results is available here.

• Nokia’s 2011 results are out. Less than 2 million Lumia Windows Phone handsets sold to date
• Nokia’s market share shrank to 37% in Q4 2008
• Nokia posts Q1 2011 results, signs definitive agreement with Microsoft
• Nokia posts Q1 2010 results. And no, Symbian^3 and Symbian^4 are not delayed
• Nokia stops smartphone sales drop in Q3, but it’s now No.3 behind Samsung and Apple

The handset seen in the video obviously runs Windows Phone Mango, and seems to be a prototype – this would explain the apparent lack of a front-facing camera.

Despite previous rumors to the contrary, the Sea Ray has three capacitive buttons (Back, Home and Search), which can be clearly spotted in the video:

As mentioned more than once before, the Sea Ray resembles the MeeGo-based Nokia N9. Which means it is a nice piece of hardware. And with Mango bringing lots of new features to improve WP7, the Sea Ray has lots of chances to become a great smartphone.

From what we’ve heard until now, the Nokia Sea Ray (or whatever it will be called eventually) should be officially introduced before the end of the year.

Via WPcentral, WPxap

• Nokia Windows Phone 7 Mango handsets already exist, no launch date given
• Nokia Searay with Windows Phone Mango spotted in T-Mobile promo image
• The first Nokia Windows Phone (Sea Ray) unveiled by Stephen Elop?
• Microsoft Windows Phone Mango officially announced, brings IE 9, Groups, Threads and more
• New Nokia Windows Phone possibly showcased in promo video

If Nikkei and Nanapho (both being Japanese websites) are correct in their claims, the handset, currently called Fujitsu IS12T / TSI12, should be released in Japan in August, via KDDI au – the country’s second largest mobile carrier.

The handset has already appeared at the FCC and the Bluetooth SIG, so if Microsoft manages to finish polishing up the new mobile OS, we may indeed see the IS12T hitting the Japanese market sometime next month.

According to Microsoft, the Fujitsu Mango device (seen bellow) is waterproof, and has “great capabilities in terms of the camera” – I assumed this might mean a 12MP camera, since Fujitsu has made 12MP camera phones before. The Japanese sources mentioned above say that the IS12T features a 3.7 inch display, but unfortunately that’s all we know for now.

Of course, August does seem a bit early for the world’s first Windows Phone Mango to arrive (even if only in Japan), especially since Microsoft repeatedly stated that the new platform would be released “this fall”. Moreover, Steve Ballmer recently said that Mango devices would be out “this Christmas.” But maybe he was talking about when Mango phones are coming to the US? Who knows… We’ll probably find out more on this soon, so stick around.

Via WMPowerUser

• The world’s first Windows Phone Mango handset: Fujitsu Toshiba IS12T
• Fujitsu’s Windows Phone Mango handset priced in Japan
• Windows Phone Mango devices from Samsung, Acer, ZTE and Fujitsu caught on video
• Fujitsu Toshiba IS12T, the world’s first Windows Phone Mango device, launches on August 25
• LG E700 features IE9, might come with Windows Phone 7 Mango

Take Samsung, Acer, ZTE and Fujitsu. WP Mango handsets from these companies have been showcased by Microsoft yesterday, during its Worldwide Partner Conference held in Los Angeles (and in case you’re wondering, the leaked HTC Eternity didn’t make it to this show for some reason). The devices are yet to be officially named, but they’ve been captured on video, so we do know a few details about them.

The Samsung handset, for example, is probably called SGH-i937, and looks a lot like the Android-based Samsung Galaxy S II (one of the hottest smartphones on the market right now – more than 3 million units have been sold in 55 days). This Mango phone has the Galaxy  S II’s  form factor, as well as its thinness. I assume it has the same internals, too, including a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, Super AMOLED Plus display, 1080p video recording and so on – but that’s just my guess.

Next we have a pink (yeah, I know) Fujitsu handset, which is waterproof – certainly a first for the Windows Phone platform. This Fujitsu device has “great capabilities in terms of the camera”, but sadly we don’t know what exactly that means. Maybe it sports a 12MP camera, like the Fujitsu F-03B, which is available only in Japan? We’ll probably find out soon if that’s the case.

The Acer WP Mango device (on the left in the photo below) seems to be the previously-seen W4, but we can’t confirm this just yet.

As for the ZTE handset, this may be a low-cost device (since the company is known for making low-cost phones). Again, we can’t confirm this. In any case, the phone looks quite nice:

Below you have the video from Microsoft’s conference, so you can see the new handsets in action for yourself:

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s CEO, recently said that the first Windows Phone Mango devices are “coming this Christmas”, but no one should be surprised if we see them hitting the market a few months earlier. Well, the world is waiting to see what Mango can do against Android, iOS and BlackBerry.

Via WMPowerUser, WinRumors

• The world’s first Windows Phone Mango handset could be the Fujitsu IS12T
• Fujitsu’s Windows Phone Mango handset priced in Japan
• The world’s first Windows Phone Mango handset: Fujitsu Toshiba IS12T
• Ballmer: Windows Phone Mango handsets are “coming out this Christmas”
• Windows Phone Mango handsets from Samsung, HTC and LG expected to arrive in September

Back in May, when the new platform was announced, Microsoft said that it would be available “this fall.”

However, speaking at a Microsoft event (Imagine Cup 2011) recently, Steve Ballmer didn’t use “fall” when discussing about the arrival of the second generation of Windows Phone handsets. He only said that they’re “coming out this Christmas.”

Here’s the full quote, taken from Microsoft’s website:

Windows Phone. You know, a year ago we didn’t have a phone in the market. Now, we’re charging forward with Nokia. We have the second generation of our phones coming out this Christmas, and people are starting to do things they had never imagined before. I love the applications that I saw for the Windows Phone from the people in this room, and the way you’re pushing that device, and using that device. It was really exciting for me.

Of course, the very first WP Mango devices may be actually released in October or November, but it looks like Ballmer isn’t sure of this yet.

Apart from Nokia, other important smartphone makers that will launch Windows Phone Mango devices are: HTC, Samsung, LG, and Dell.

Via Neowin, WMPowerUser

• The world’s first Windows Phone Mango handset could be the Fujitsu IS12T
• Windows Phone Mango devices from Samsung, Acer, ZTE and Fujitsu caught on video
• Nokia gets £20m, Samsung £8m from Microsoft for Windows Phone promotion in the UK
• Steve Ballmer: Windows Mobile 7 will come in 2010
• Nokia 710 spotted on developer site, will it run on Windows Phone Mango?

Right now, Windows Phone 7 supports only 5 languages: English, Spanish, German, French, and Italian. With Mango, 17 new languages will be added, including: Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Swedish.

Microsoft’s Zune software will also support these languages.

(WP Mango Home screen in Finnish)

(WP Mango Japanese keyboard)

You can find out more here at the official Windows Phone blog.

New devices running Windows Phone Mango should become available starting October (about three months from now). Current WP 7 handsets will not be forgotten, and should receive upgrades to Mango after the new OS is launched.

• Mobile web Gmail (for iPhone, Android) now available in 44 languages
• Google Translate for Android updated, now speaks translations in 24 languages
• Microsoft: Windows Phone Mango will support custom ringtones
• Verizon rolling out Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update for HTC Trophy today
• Windows Mobile 7 to come with Zune?

One of them is the ability to create custom ringtones – something that Windows Phone users have been asking since the first WP handsets were released (November 2010). Alice Luu, program manager for the “sound experience” on Windows Phone, has recently announced this on the official Windows Phone team blog.

According to this blog post, a custom ringtone on Windows Phone Mango can be any DRM-free MP3 or WMA file that’s smaller than 1MB, and shorter than 39 seconds. Users will be able to install the custom ringtones via the Zune software on their PCs.

WP Mango may (and probably will) also include a Save as Ringtone option in various apps – like voice recording apps.

In addition to custom ringtones, Windows Phone Mango users will also have access to a set of nine new native Microsoft ringtones.

As a reminder, Nokia, HTC, Samsung, LG, Dell, Acer, ZTE and Fujitsu should all launch Windows Phone Mango handsets later this year.

• Verizon rolling out Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update for HTC Trophy today
• Windows Phone Mango and Zune will support 22 languages
• Nokia Windows Phone 7 Mango handsets already exist, no launch date given
• “Zune phone” references coming straight from Microsoft
• Microsoft Windows Phone Mango officially announced, brings IE 9, Groups, Threads and more

According to DigiTimes and unnamed “industry sources”, Compal (one of the biggest Taiwanese ODMs) has already landed orders for some Nokia Windows Phone devices, which should be shipped starting the fourth quarter of the year – I don’t expect Nokia’s first WP smartphones to arrive earlier anyway.

So, that Nokia Sea Ray we’ve seen yesterday (pictured below) running Windows Phone Mango will probably be mass manufactured in Compal’s factories.

Nokia has worked with Compal in the past, also for a Windows product: the Booklet 3G – which may not be a great commercial success, but is (or at least it was for the 2009-2010 standards) a pretty good 10-inch netbook.

Interestingly, DigiTimes notes that Compal and Microsoft have directly signed a licensing agreement, which enables the Taiwanese company to use the Windows Phone platform and “build up a foundation based on it that will enable it to shorten time to market for customized smartphones, while expanding the pool of Windows Phone-based clients.” In other words, Compal will ready one or more reference designs (at standards set by Microsoft), and companies that are allowed to sell Windows Phone handsets – Nokia included – will come with their own-designed cases to make a final WP product.

But why would Nokia contract an ODM instead of making Windows smartphones in its own factories? Well, cost savings – that’s certainly one of the reasons. Nokia will definitely try to prices its first Windows handsets aggressively, to make customers turn away their heads from the multitude of cheap Android smartphones that have recently flooded the market.

Compal expects to ship a total of 4.5 million smartphones by the end of 2011, and I’m really curious to see how many of those will be Nokia-branded. Of course, we won’t know this until early 2012, when Nokia should publish its Q4 2011 and full year financial results.

It’s said that Compal will also make Windows Phone handsets for Acer (which, just like Nokia, is new in the Windows Phone game). One of the first Acer WP devices may be the W4 – not a high-end device, but that’s why it could be sold for a really attractive price.

• Unnamed Palm smartphones delayed, Motorola Alexander cancelled
• Compal to start delivery of Windows Phones to Nokia in September. 2 million units ordered for Q4 2011
• Motorola Alexander and Motorola Atila coming in Q1 2009
• 9 new Windows Phone Mango handsets to be announced tomorrow alongside 500 new OS features?
• New Windows Phone 7 devices, including Asus E600, to be launched at MWC 2011

A recent blog post on chevronwp7.com claims they will “soon be launching” an approved Windows Phone unlocking service. The post says the service will require a “small” fee (via PayPal) but claims it will be cheaper than the App Hub, the current solution for developers to submit apps and games. App Hub currently carries a $99/year subscription fee–similar to the iOS Developer Program—and also provides access to the Xbox live marketplace.

ChevronWP7’s Rafael Rivera, Chris Walsh and Long Zheng first developed a homebrew solution for Windows Phone late last year, but a phone call from Microsoft’s Brandon Watson resulted in the quick removal of the app from their site.

Rather than threaten legal action, Watson—the Director of Developer Experience for Windows Phone 7—chose to embrace the developers, citing a “mutual understanding” over the ultimate intention of such a solution. Rather than to create a solution for pirated software, both Watson and the ChevronWP7 team’s goal was a reliable tool to “sideload” homebrew (a.k.a. not officially supported) apps onto Windows Phones. Once the two sides came to agreement, the app was pulled and collaborative work on a Microsoft-supported tool began.

The move to embrace homebrew developers rather than oppose them seems like a wise one for Microsoft. By working with ChevronWP7, they were able to get them to kill their original app, which would have allowed software pirates to sideload pirated applications onto WP7 devices. In addition, they develop goodwill with independent developers, allowing them to act as a laboratory for mobile software without actually supporting it. And when a homebrew application becomes successful, they can always integrate its function into their OS, just like Apple.

via ChevronWP7 via ReadWriteWeb

• Windows Phone (7) Developer Tools beta now available
• Microsoft ups Windows Phone 7 free app submission limit from 5 to 100
• Microsoft pays mobile developers to create apps for Windows Phone 7
• Microsoft prepares WinMoDevCamp events for WM developers
• Windows Mobile 7 to come with app marketplace called “Skymarket”

In a brief statement, Nokia said “We are planning to close our channel structure and focus our resources on key trade customers.”

It joins planned closures of other online Nokia stores around the world, and appears to be a company-wide strategy by the firm. Particularly in the UK it makes sense, as most people generally go straight to the operator or online retailers to purchase a smartphone.

It also indicates a major slide in popularity for Nokia smartphones, with sales hit by the popularity of other competing platforms such as Android and the Apple iOS. Recent efforts such as the Nokia E6 and the N8 haven’t exactly set the world alight.

And of course, Nokia’s decision to combine with Microsoft in using Windows 7 as its main operating system must have had some effect, as Redmond’s marketing muscle may have left Nokia-only websites as somewhat redundant.

Whatever the case, it is a sign of how the mobile landscape is changing, with Apple’s online store going from strength to strength. Nokia may have to look towards Google, which itself shut down its own online store in favour of working with brands like HTC and Samsung to shift Android handsets.

• Apple and Google blow away RIM in US market share
• You can now try out Windows Phone on your Android or iOS device
• LG president says Windows Mobile is “rather unqualified in mobile interfaces”
• Nokia Lumia 710 now available in the UK and Canada, free with contract in the US
• LG agrees to pay Microsoft royalties for every Android device it sells

The company is selling three WP7 handsets for just one penny, via the official Microsoft Store. The handsets are: Verizon’s HTC Trophy, Sprint’s HTC Arrive, and T-Mobile’s HTC HD7.

What really nice is that the smartphones can be yours for $0.01 not only if you sign up for a new 2-yr contract, but also if you need an upgrade / renewal, or a new line. That’s something you won’t find at other retailers.

As a reminder, all the current WP7 phones will be upgraded to Windows Phone Mango, whenever this is released (sometime in September, or even later).

Via WPCentral

• Windows Phone Mango handsets from Samsung, HTC and LG expected to arrive in September
• LG E700 features IE9, might come with Windows Phone 7 Mango
• Windows Phone Mango coming next week?
• HTC Mazaa shows up running Windows Phone Mango
• Microsoft Stores offering free Windows Phones on Black Friday

Running Windows Phone Mango, the Acer W4 features a 3.6 inch WVGA display, HSPA (900/2100 or 850/1900 – perfect for AT&T, isn’t it?), Wi-Fi, DLNA, Bluetooth 2.1, a 5MP camera, 8GB of internal memory, and a single-core 1GHz processor. Upon seeing these specs, I immediately thought: hey, someone should remind Acer we’re in 2011 now, not in 2010. That aside, the W4 doesn’t look bad at all:

Most likely, the Acer W4 will be released sometime in the fourth quarter of the year, when many other Windows Phone Mango handsets – including some made by Nokia – should be out.

Via Zol, WMPowerUser

• 9 new Windows Phone Mango handsets to be announced tomorrow alongside 500 new OS features?
• HTC Radar and Acer Allegro with Windows Phone Mango announced in India
• Acer Allegro with Windows Phone Mango to cost only €299
• Facebook for Windows Phone now plays nice with Mango
• Windows Phone 7.5 Mango updates coming in “the next week or two”

Mobile-review’s Eldar Murtazin has showed off an unannounced HTC device that runs the brand new Windows Phone Mango, and has a camera that can take photos at a maximum resolution of 12 Megapixels.

The handset looks a lot like the HTC Trophy (launched in October 2010 with a 5MP camera on the back), so it may be a successor to it. It could also be just a prototype for testing Mango – if that’s the case, I don’t think we’ll see it on sale, ever.

The 12MP Windows Phone handset has been caught on video (see below). Unfortunately, there’s nothing about the phone itself in the video. All that talk – in Russian – is about the Mango update.

Eldar Murtazin mentioned that the quality of the 12MP camera found on this WP device is “not bad at all”, so we’re really looking forward to seeing how this pans out.

• Asus E600 with Windows Phone 7 caught on video
• Fujitsu’s Windows Phone Mango handset priced in Japan
• Windows Phone Mango devices from Samsung, Acer, ZTE and Fujitsu caught on video
• Rumor: Nokia Lumia 910 with 12 MP camera will be available in Europe in May
• Nokia C7 with Symbian^3 previewed by MR (yes, the unannounced C7)

According to Jo Harlow, Nokia’s executive vice president of smart devices (who was quoted by PC Mag), new Windows Phone devices should be launched “in a rhythm that might be every couple of months, every three months, something like that.”

With new devices being introduced at such a fast pace, we’ll likely see handsets of various forms factors and price points pretty soon (for example, we’ve heard that a Windows Phone E 71 / E6-like handset is in the making).

Nokia is also seriously considering manufacturing CDMA Windows Phone handsets for North America – which wouldn’t be a bad idea at all, since Verizon and Sprint serve about 150 million customers together, and may help Nokia sell a few smartphones.

Jo Harlow hopes that Microsoft’s strong relationships with US carriers will allow Nokia to make a splash on the US market.

As mentioned earlier this week, the first Nokia Windows handsets will run Windows Phone Mango (which comes with about 500 new features, so it should be a quite capable OS).

• Nokia to sell CDMA phones to fewer carriers, Verizon and China Mobile included
• Unwired Views for 2011. Florin: iPhone sales, MeeGo, WP7, Nokia Android phone
• HTC plans to ship 10 million 4G smartphones this year
• Windows Phone 7 for Verizon and Sprint? Not this year
• CDMA Nokia Lumia 800 lands in China in March, Lumia 710 and Lumia 900 to follow

“We already have Nokia handsets that run Windows Phone Mango in our labs.”

Unfortunately, no other details about this were given. However, Nokia itself has acknowledged that Mango “is the software that will be used on the first Nokia with Windows Phone device” on its official blog. It didn’t say when exactly this will be released.

(not a real Windows Phone Mango handset, just the Nokia X7 photoshopped)

Since we’ve heard that the first WP-based Nokia handsets would be the W7 and W8, these two may be the ones that are currently in Microsoft’s and Nokia’s labs, running Mango and being prepared for launch. Sure enough, the two companies may also work on handsets that no one heard of until now. We’ll probably find out more official details about this towards the end of the year.

• Nokia to launch new Windows Phones every 2-3 months
• Nokia 710 spotted on developer site, will it run on Windows Phone Mango?
• New Nokia Windows Phone possibly showcased in promo video
• Windows Phone Mango and Zune will support 22 languages
• Acer W4 runs Windows Phone Mango, doesn’t impress

Available starting “this fall”, Windows Phone Mango will reportedly “push the boundaries of the smartphone experience around communications, apps and the Internet.”

Here’s a list of some important new features found in WP Mango:

• Internet Explorer 9 with full hardware acceleration and support for HTML5
• “Intelligent” multitasking, letting users easily switch between applications, and allowing apps to run in the background
• Groups – contacts can be now grouped into personalized Live Tiles
• Threads, letting you “switch between text, Facebook chat and Windows Live Messenger within the same conversation.”
• Hands-free messaging – voice-to-text and text-to-voice support
• Deeper social network integration, including enhanced support for Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook
• Improved Bing search
• App Connect – applications are connected to search results, allowing them “to be surfaced when and where they make sense”
• Local Scout, bringing hyperlocal search results
• Linked email inbox

Current Windows Phone 7 users will be able to upgrade their devices to Mango for free. Until Mango is released – sometime this fall, as mentioned before – here’s a video preview of it (we don’t know what company made the handset seen here. It may be just a reference design device anyway):

All the initial Windows Phone 7 hardware partners will launch new phones with Mango, including 4G phones. There are also three new hardware partners: Acer, Fujitsu and ZTE. More on WP Mango will be unveiled in the coming weeks and months.

Via Press release

• Facebook for Windows Phone now plays nice with Mango
• Microsoft: Windows Phone Mango will support custom ringtones
• Ballmer: Windows Phone Mango handsets are “coming out this Christmas”
• Microsoft confirms some Windows Phone Mango features
• Microsoft launches OneApp, helping feature phones to become smarter