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Category: Windows Mobile

Original Windows Mobile 7 UI demoed – Before the change to Windows Phone 7

In the leaked video you can see what the Windows Mobile 7 UI would have looked like, if Microsoft hadn’t decided to scrap the plans of a new Windows Mobile, and go with a whole new design that we today know as Metro UI on Windows Phone 7 Series.

The Metro UI seen in Windows Phone 7 Series is much more user friendly than what the WiMo7 UI. I think it was a good decision to start the whole work from scratch, which led to the fact that we today are waiting for Windows Phone 7 Series.

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Jonne Eilimö | February 21, 2010 09:20 | 0 comments

Fennec Alpha 4 now available for Windows Mobile

Mozilla just released a new development version (Alpha 4) of their Mobile Firefox Fennec browser for Windows Mobile.

New in this release:

  • Improved interactions with the software keyboard
  • Fixed painting artefacts from panning
  • Faster .exe installer option
  • More responsive “fuzzy” zoom
  • Option to become default browser
  • Opening downloads from download manager fixed
  • Password echoing
  • Improved panning/scrolling performance
  • Improved start-up time
  • Numerous bug fixes
  • Improved painting performance
  • Improved UI polish
  • Improved kinetic panning with directional locking
  • Ability to scroll frames
  • Improved zooming support

The 10.2MB file can be downloaded here.

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Jonne Eilimö | February 19, 2010 10:08 | 0 comments

HTC HD mini compared with HTC HD2 – Pictures and video

Neowin has made an interesting comparison between the recently announced HTC HD mini and the older and bigger HTC HD2. The HTC HD mini packs these features:

  • 3.2″ capacitive touch screen with a HVGA resolution (320 x 480)
  • 600MHz CPU
  • 512MB ROM and 384MB RAM
  • 5 megapixel auto focus camera
  • A-GPS
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g
  • Windows Mobile 6.5 with HTC Sense
  • HSPA/WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz
  • GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

So basically this is a HTC HD2 but with a less powerful processor, and a smaller screen. Neowin also commented on this and said that they where experiencing small lag issues with the Sense UI. More pictures and a video after the break.

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Jonne Eilimö | February 18, 2010 10:51 | 0 comments

Windows Phone 7 Series compared to WiMo 6.5 and WiMo 6.5.3

Engadget has gathered a pretty informative list on the differences in current and coming Windows Mobile / Windows Phone versions. As you can see, there has been some massive changes to the Windows Phone 7 Series OS.

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Jonne Eilimö | February 16, 2010 09:40 | 0 comments

Windows Phone 7 Series UI – Hands on video

4:27 long hands on video of the Windows Phone 7 Series UI by Neowin. Based from what I have now seen, this little thing will be big. The phone used in the video is by an unknown manufacturer.

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Jonne Eilimö | February 15, 2010 22:37 | 0 comments

Windows Phone 7 Series photo shoot

Long Zheng from iStartedSomething has posted a nice set of photos of the earlier today announced Windows Phone 7 Series.

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Jonne Eilimö | February 15, 2010 22:20 | 0 comments

Windows Phone 7 Series announced

Microsoft today did what everyone was expecting and announced Windows Phone 7 Series. What everyone didn’t expect, is that they have developed this from scratch. White a complete UI and code revamp, Microsoft has made something different that we haven’t seen before. The UI is unique and looks good, specially designed to be used on a phone with a touchscreen.

Here is what CEO Steve Ballmer had to say:

It’s the biggest launch we have done in the phone space. I think everyone is going to stop and say wow, they are really upping their game.  I think we have done a very good job but it’s a very competitive market out there.

Apple has done a nice job. But the smartphones today all kind of look the same.  Everybody went ahead and kind of copied the user-interface approach of Apple and people will say Windows phone 7 Series is different, the way we integrated Bing, Office, Xbox and Zune.

Every Windows Phone 7 will come with three buttons on the front: ‘Start’ for quick access to the menu, ‘Search’ and ‘Back’.

We still have to wait for the phones with Windows Phone 7 Series on it until late this year.

More pictures after the break.

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Jonne Eilimö | February 15, 2010 19:35 | 1 comment

Windows Mobile Started edition to be announced at MWC

Neowin has learned that Microsoft will announce a new Windows Mobile edition on Monday at Mobile World Congress. The new version will be called Windows Mobile Starter edition, and will be based on Windows Mobile 6.

Named Windows Mobile Starter Edition the software will be targeted at OEMs building devices for new and emerging markets. Based on Windows Mobile 6, Starter Edition will come in two versions, one with Office Mobile and one without. Windows Mobile Starter Edition will also support 2G (GSM), 2.5G (EDGE, GPRS) and CDMA (Rev A, EV-DO Revision A) or TD-SCDMA. It’s not yet clear whether 3G (GSM) will be supported.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Microsoft is looking to broaden Windows Mobile licensing to a wider audience. Microsoft recently announced a partnership with MediaTek to drive growth in smartphone sales for emerging markets over the next 12 months. MediaTek has worked with Microsoft to couple its hardwarewith the Windows Mobile 6 software. Neowin believes this is one of many working relationships that Microsoft will form to push Windows Mobile 6 or Windows Mobile Starter Edition to emerging markets over the next year.

We will know much more tomorrow, and during the coming week.

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Jonne Eilimö | February 14, 2010 10:44 | 0 comments

Homescreens compared – Android, iPhone, Windows Mobile and webOS

A homescreen comparison between Android, iPhone, Windows Mobile and webOS. The phones compared in the video are iPhone 3GS, Google Nexus One, HTC HD2 and Palm Pre.

Video after the break.

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Jonne Eilimö | February 13, 2010 21:46 | 0 comments

T-Mobile will reveal something new about the HTC HD2

T-Mobile will let us know something new about the HTC HD2 during the coming week. No-one knows what this means now, but could it be the extra RAM or Windows Mobile 7..? We sure will know soon enough :)

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Jonne Eilimö | February 13, 2010 21:07 | 0 comments

Steve Ballmer’s attendance at Mobile World Congress now official

We have previously written/speculated that Steve Ballmer will attend Mobile World Congress starting next Monday, and today Microsoft confirmed that “Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer to Host Windows Phone Press Conference”. Here is a take from Microsoft’s site:

REDMOND, Wash. — Feb. 10, 2010 —

What: On Feb. 15, 2010, Steve Ballmer will host a press conference to discuss Windows® phones at Mobile World Congress 2010.

Who: Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft Corp.

When: 3–4 p.m. CET

Where: The Garden Room

Catalonia Barcelona Plaza

Plaza Espana 6-8

08014 Barcelona, Spain

How to View: The live webcast will run at http://www.microsoft.com/news/windowsphone. An on-demand version will be posted after the event concludes.

How to Access B-roll: Broadcast-quality footage from Mobile World Congress, including sound bites from Steve Ballmer and highlights of the press conference, will be available via satellite at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. EST.

U.S. Domestic Feed

Feed #1: 11:30–11:45 a.m. EST

Re-feed: 3:30–3:45 p.m. EST

Galaxy 19 Transponder 15 (C-Band, Analog)

Downlink Frequency – 4000 Vertical

This also confirms the info that they will make a live webcast of the event, and show it on European and US satellite TV.

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Jonne Eilimö | February 10, 2010 19:09 | 0 comments

Microsoft’s Mobile World Congress announcement to be streamed and broadcasted

Microsoft will stream, and broadcast on satellite TV the announcement at Mobile World Congress. That, and the fact that Steve Ballmer will host it, means that the announcement is going to be about something important.

The stream will be available at http://www.microsoft.com/news/windowsphone, and on satellite TV(Eutelsat):

Timing: 1630-1645 UTC
EUTELSAT W3A 7 deg East TXP B1 CHANNEL 9MHZ SLOT 1L9 (D1)
UPLINK FREQ.: 14314 MHZ POL Y BY E-120
DOWNLINK FR.: 11014 MHZ POL X
SD 625 16:9 50Hz DVBS QPSK 6.6665Ms/s FEC 7/8,
RoF 0.35 (11_SD MPEG2 422 10.7514 Mbps)
OP MODE: HIGH QUALITY
AUDIO:1 SOUND MONO
AUDIO:2 SOUND MONO

[via]

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Jonne Eilimö | February 10, 2010 13:48 | 0 comments

Windows Mobile 7 details emerge – No multi-tasking?

With Mobile World Congress only a week away, a new batch of info on Windows Phone 7 has popped up on blogs over the world. PPCGeeks leaked the following info about the new OS:

  • WP7 will be announced at MWC, and there will be a demo, but this will be just the UX
  • MIX will have specific developement focus sessions on WP7
  • WP7 supports both Sliverlight (out of browser) and XNA
  • Silverlight is version 3.0, with elements of 4.0 plus mobile specific features such as sensors etc
  • XNA apps can be developed using XNA GameStudio 3.1
  • SL apps developed using Expression Blend 3.x and VS2010
  • MS will release a mobile version of VS / Expression which will be free, and VS2010 / Expression Pro will have a free add-on
  • WP7 will have an equivalent of .NET CF embedded into SL, but no SQL.
  • WP7 will have isolated storage which is accessible using LINQ
  • The UX of WP7 is based upon a theme called “METRO” and is similar to Zune HD, but with a completely new “Start” screen.
  • No multi-tasking (applications will pause when in the background, however they will support notifications using the MS Push Notifications environment)
  • No .NET CF backwards compatibility, however a proportion of the data and business logic in .NET CF could be ported
  • MS were confident to have devices ready for Sep 2010
  • No MS manufactured device, however much tighter control of manufactring process, so as an example each device has a 3D processing chipset, and
  • MS provide all of the device drivers. So no platform builder. This enables OTA updates and simplified model for ODM’s
  • Marketplace will support buy and try before you buy, as well as an API
  • ODM / OEM will not be able to modify the “Start” screen, so no more HTC Sense / TouchFlo etc.
  • MS are actually ahead of schedule which will surprise the analysts / journalists
  • Browsing experience is currently faster / better than iPhone 3G, and they are aiming towards 3GS.
  • Browser is based upon desktop IE7 codebase, but with some IE8 functionality
  • No in browser Flash or SL
  • WP7 has full integration with XBOX Live, and ability to purchase games
  • WP7 will use the Zune software for music, videos, photos sync
  • WP7 only supports app installation through service based delivery i.e. marketplace, so no side-loading
  • MS will provide a hosted push notifications environment

The most important points being that there will be no multi-tasking, and that the browsing experience is better than on the 3GS, and that Microsoft is “aiming towards 3GS”.

[via]

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Jonne Eilimö | February 7, 2010 18:14 | 0 comments
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