Microsoft could be making a Surface phone, Nokia says

Microsoft surprised everyone by launching its Surface tablet, taking on its hardware partners at their own game. Since then, there have been plenty of rumours about a possible Surface phone, with the device apparently entering the testing phase at the end of last year. And now it seems Nokia is getting a little antsy, suspecting Microsoft will step on its toes.

ZDNet reports that in a filing with the SEC (US Securities and Exchange Commission -- a federal regulator), Nokia wrote not only did it suspect Microsoft of making a mobile, but that it could be "detrimental" to the Finnish phone firm's business interests. Sounds like a storm brewing.

"Microsoft may make strategic decisions or changes that may be detrimental to us," Nokia wrote in the filing. "For example, in addition to the Surface tablet, Microsoft may broaden its strategy to sell other mobile devices under its own brand, including smart phones.

"This could lead Microsoft to focus more on their own devices and less on mobile devices of other manufacturers that operate on the Windows Phone platform, including Nokia."

This is a world away from Nokia CEO Stephen Elop's previous claims that he would welcome Microsoft as "a stimulant to the ecosystem". Nokia does sound a little paranoid, but then this is a security filing, so I suppose it's to be expected.

It's even considering what would happen if Microsoft put the kibosh on its mobile OS, Windows Phone 8. "If Microsoft reduces investment in that operating system, or discontinues it, our smart phone strategy would be directly negatively affected by such acts."

Come on Nokia, I'm sure it'll be alright.

While we have heard about Microsoft testing a phone, that doesn't mean it'll release the device. The company tests all sorts of products without putting them up for sale. Still, a Microsoft mobile would shake things up a bit. And this is business, I'm sure the Redmond company isn't here to make friends.

[Source: CNET]

BlackBerry CEO: We Won’t Sell $50 BlackBerry Devices

BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins recently said that his company does not have any interest in selling devices in the $50 range. We’re a bit shocked, mainly because the company already does sell handsets priced well below that mark. They are, admittedly, the company’s older BlackBerry 7 devices. Still — Heins has reiterated his intentions to compete aggressively in emerging markets, such as China, where competing handsets are often sold well below that price point.

“Understand where you are playing and resist being talked into segments that you know will not serve your purpose and will not result in shareholder value,” Chief Executive Officer Thorsten Heins explained to Bloomberg. “You will not see us getting into the 50-, 60-buck phone segment. This is not BlackBerry.”

Au contraire. Sprint has two BlackBerry devices selling at $19.99 and $0 with a contract, AT&T is selling three devices under $30, Verizon has one priced at $49.99 and T-Mobile is selling one under $50, too. I understand that those are with a contract, so perhaps Heins specifically means that he won’t be selling unlocked, contract-free devices at that price point.

I think, perhaps, Heins’ statements are a bit misleading. BlackBerry may not sell unsubsidized phones at the $50 price point. In fact, the company’s Z10 costs about $800 in India unlocked. But we’re wondering how BlackBerry plans to make its big emerging market push without selling low-cost devices.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Chinese ministry says Google 'controls too much' of its smartphone market

China and Google just can't seem to get along. The country's ministry is the latest to take issue with el Goog, stating that it has too much control within the smartphone industry because of its Android OS and is discriminating against local rivals. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced this in its recent white paper, adding that the country had the ability to craft its ownmobile OS if it wanted to. According to the document: "While the Android system is open source, the core technology and technology roadmap is strictly controlled by Google." It goes on to describe how the Mountain View crew had apparently delayed sharing source code with Chinese companies developing their ownoperating systems. The paper also took the opportunity to praise homegrown stars like Baidu, Alibaba and Huawei for their own systems. In short, it looks like an amicable relationship is still a while off.

[Source: Engadget]

BBC iPlayer comes to Windows Phone, not quite an app

Do you want the short version or the long version? Short version: iPlayer is coming to Windows Phone.

Still here? Then here's the long version. The BBC today announced that Windows Phone would join iOS, Android and BlackBerry as the latest mobile operating system to support iPlayer, via a dedicated live tile.

That means you'll soon be able to watch catch-up and on-demand TV shows and films from Auntie Beeb on your Windows Phone phone, whether it's running Windows Phone 7.5 software -- like the Nokia Lumia 800 -- or Windows Phone 8 -- like the Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC 8S.

It's not technically an app, but a shortcut that gets its own coloured square, or live tile, leading directly to the iPlayer online player. The launch date is yet to be confirmed. 

iPlayer is already available on iOS, Android and even Blackberry, but they've historically given Windows Phone the cold shoulder, with the Beeb repeatedly denying Microsoft's OS the privilege.  

It seems that the BBC has had a change of heart however, with iPlayer joining big names like Spotify, Twitter and WhatsApp in entering the Windows Phone world. Windows is still lagging a long way behind established app stores like Android's Google Play and Apple's App Store though.

Meanwhile Auntie's online player goes from strength to strength as it continues to expand to new platforms. Last year more than 2.5 million people per month watched or listened online by one device or another.

[Source: CNET]

Next version of Windows Phone on course for Christmas 2013

While Microsoft isn't ditching its users all over again -- like the Windows Phone 7 fiasco -- it is busy preparing the next major version of the Windows Phone operating system, with a new job posting confirming that it will be launching in time for Christmas.

"This is a great time to join, as we're completing our current release [and] are getting ready for our next release targeting the holiday of this year," the ad says. 

Other recent job postings have confirmed that Microsoft is working on the Windows Blue strategy for both the desktop and Windows Phone operating systems. If the next major release of Windows Phone is due to be released towards the end of the year, that could mean the phone version is on a different schedule to the desktop version, which has a mid-2013 rumoured release date.

Windows Phone 8 has already seen one update, dubbed 'Portico' -- known internally as General Distribution Release 1 (GDR1). Portico brought minor features such as always-on Wi-Fi and ability to reject calls with an SMS, but there are more of these sort of updates on the way before the next major version of the OS.

Mary Jo Foley, of our sister site ZDNet, reported last week that the rumoured HTC 'Tiara' Windows Phone was running on a later version of the Windows Phone OS, known as 'GDR2'. This is again only meant to be a minor improvement to Windows Phone 8, and will be delivered before Windows Phone Blue. Her sources have confirmed that there is also a GDR3 on the roadmap, which is due to arrive before the next major update.

Windows Phone 7.8 is also rumoured to be getting an update -- although much of this is not known, except from an alleged roadmap from Nokia.

The guy in charge of Windows Phone's development, Joe Belfiore, has said the team hasidentified a bug which was causing the live tiles to stop updating, which is presumably going to be fixed in an upcoming update -- because what's a Windows Phone without its live tiles?

Microsoft did not have a press conference at Mobile World Congress last week, unlike last year when it revealed more information about Windows 8. The company has also recently been very quiet on the future of any of its products -- with only the Surface Pro's availability announced by the firm in recent months.

Greg Sullivan, a senior marketing manager at Microsoft, explained to Pocket-Lint the reasoning behind the company's recent quietness about the future of the Windows Phone platform. "We are taking a different approach on announcements this year," he said.

Microsoft has learnt from its previous mistakes of announcing a product and then waiting six months to detail it more, before waiting a further five months to release the devices to consumers, Sullivan said.

It's understandable that Microsoft wants to keep the momentum going with Windows Phone, especially now given it is starting to gain some traction. At Mobile World Congress Nokia also announced that the Windows Phone Store had hit 130,000 apps and 1 billion downloads, which isn't too shabby for the underdog OS -- although it did reach those numbers significantly slower than its rivals.

[Source: CNET]

BlackBerry Issues Update for BlackBerry 10 with Battery Life, Camera Improvements

BlackBerry announced on Friday that it published its first update for the company’s newBlackBerry 10 operating system.

Build 10.0.10.85, a 150MB download, includes several enhancements, including improved performance for third-party applications, a fix for Gmail calendars, improved call-log tracking in BlackBerry Hub, camera enhancements for low-light shooting, performance enhancements within the browser for handling video and improved battery life.

BlackBerry Z10 owners can apply the update by navigating to settings > software updates> check for updates.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

BlackBerry Opens BlackBerry Live Registration

BlackBerry on Friday announced that developers and partners can now register for its annual BlackBerry Live developer conference, formerly known as BlackBerry World. The conference kicks off on May 14th and continues through May 16th at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida.

Pricing starts at $449 if you register by March 22, otherwise you can register for $599. BlackBerry is also offering companion passes for access to breakfast and the welcome reception for $199. A certification exam is available for $75 and an education package that includes a two-day training course and more costs $799. Attendees who attended specific past events can save up to $150, too.

We’re hoping to hear more on BlackBerry 10, especially on the apps and hardware front, and additional information on the company’s full-QWERTY BlackBerry Q10 smartphone.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

EE rolls out 4G LTE in nine more UK towns and cities

Sole UK 4G LTE carrier EE (Everything Everywhere) has announced that it's switched on 4G coverage in a further nine towns and cities across the country. From today, EE customers in Barnsley, Chorley, Coventry, Newport, Preston, Rotherham, Telford, Walsall and Watford will be able to pick up LTE reception on supporting devices. Four months after it first rolled out 4G, EE's total market count stands at 37.

The network plans to have 4G coverage in 65 towns and cities by the end of June, by which time it may face competition from the other mobile operators. Following the recent wrap-up of the 4G spectrum auction, Three, O2 and Vodafone will be looking to roll out their own LTE services in late spring and early summer.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

Will Large Screen Smartphones Wipe Out Tablets?

We have been seeing a major push in smartphones lately, especially smartphones with a large screen. Large screen smartphones are nearly as big as a small tablets now. At the moment, there is a massive trend for companies to make and push out phablets (phablet = a screen size of 5 inches or more). We have been seeing a lot of these new devices being released at MCW 2013. Below, I have listed some of my favourite devices, that really do stand out. 

Mobile phones or phablets are all well and good but if your in an area with poor or no signal and are looking for a better solution then a set of Mototrbo radios would be advised.

  • LG Optimus G Pro - This beast is a phablet that has a 5.5 inch full HD IPS screen with a 1920x1080 resoluto and 440ppi.

  • Nokia Lumia 720 - This is one of the many new smartphones that Nokia have released at MWC. However, I really like this particular smartphone because it has a stunning unibidy type of design. You can wirelessly charge it, and it has 8GB of internal storage.

  • ZTE Grand Memo - This is another very large screen phone. The screen size is 5.7 inches. It runs Android version 4.1.2. This phablet also has a 13-megapixel camera on the rear with a 1-megapixel on the front.

  • Fujitsu Arrows X - This is a new flagship smartphone from Fujitsu. It's rocking a Tegra 3 CPU, with 2GB of RAM. It has a 5-inch 1080p screen with a finger print scanner!

Will a large screen smartphone eventually overtake a tablet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. 

Visa Partners With Samsung to Bring PayWave to Next Generation Samsung Devices

PayWave, Visa’s mobile wallet app, will be preinstalled on the “next generation” of Samsungdevices, Visa confirmed on Monday. The platform is part of the “Visa Ready Program,” which allows companies (banks, carriers, manufacturers) to connect to Visa’s network. To that end, future Samsung owners will be able to use NFC to take advantage of the system for mobile payments.

Unfortunately, The Verge suggests PayWave likely isn’t coming to the states, though Visa didn’t outright say so in as many words. Visa said it’s more focused on markets that have less “heavily operator subsidized models,” so take that for what it’s worth. We can certainly expect Verizon to skip out—if it does come to the U.S.—as the company has its own solution and has previously shunned Google Wallet.

Seeing as the next generation of Samsung devices will receive the PayWave treatment, perhaps we’ll see it first on the Galaxy S IV. That we won’t know until March 14.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Huawei and O2 bring Windows Phone to the masses as Ascend W1 debuts

Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, is announcing today that its powerful entry-level Windows Phone smartphone, the Ascend W1, will be on sale exclusively with Telefónica O2 UK from March 7.

The Huawei Ascend W1 will be available in store and online for £119.99 on prepay and for free on contracts from £13.50 per month. It will be available in ‘Electric Blue’ from March 7 and in ‘Electric Pink’ also from March 18. The Ascend W1 will be supported by a significant ATL marketing campaign across UK media.

The Ascend W1 is designed for hectic modern lives; for users to make the most of their precious time by giving order and access simultaneously to their social and business worlds. It combines latest smartphone hardware and functionality with the innovative Windows Phone 8 operating system to enable quick and easy access to people, information and entertainment.

The Windows Phone 8 start-screen lets you customise and pin Live Tiles with topics of personal interest, providing real-time updates that are uniquely yours. Additionally, a dynamic lock screen allows you to select the photos or updates most important to you and have them ready at a glance, even when the phone is locked.

The Ascend W1 brings this powerful experience to a broader audience, and underpins it with great hardware. Its bright 4-inch IPS LCD 480 x 800 touchscreen has a low reflective IPS LCD display with full lamination technology, providing brilliant visibility under different lighting conditions. Its 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcommprocessor and Adreno 305 GPU combine as a powerful engine for immersive video streaming and game-play.

In addition, the Ascend W1’s 1950mAh battery provides the longest standby time of smartphones in its class. It also features a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, and includes 4GB on-board memory, expandable to 32GB with a micro SD card.

The Ascend W1 is a smart and stylish alternative for consumers looking for great technology at the right price.