The Q10’s physical keyboard may be the most notable feature in the new lineup, but the Z10 is BlackBerry’s best shot at taking a share of the more prominent (at least for now), touchscreen market. So can the Z10 measure up to some of the its biggest contenders? More »
If you got in on Windows Phone early—in which case, bless you, brave one—you may have been a little miffed when you found out that your shiny old Lumia wasn’t going qualify for Windows Phone 8. Lucky for you, the next best thing is finally here: Windows Phone 7.8. Here’s how to get it. More »
Talk of Microsoft finally deploying Windows Phone 7.8 has been building to a crescendo — and we’re glad to confirm it’s more than just noise. The more customizable home and lock screens, Marketplace improvements and numerous under-the-hood upgrades are rolling out to all of Nokia’s Windows Phone 7.5 devices, starting today and continuing through February. The company hasn’t confirmed who goes first, although AT&T’s Lumia 900 is believed to be part of the earliest wave. Other upgrades will depend on carrier timing, if you’re using a locked phone, but the plan to push 7.8 is still good news for those who’ve wanted to keep their early Lumias as current as possible.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia, AT&T
Source: Conversations by Nokia
There’s been hints of a Windows Phone 7.8 update looming for the AT&T-spec Lumia 900, but little sign of a real timetable. As it turns out, owners hoping to move beyond 7.5 might be satisfied very quickly. Engadget has obtained an AT&T memo that claims the upgrade is rolling out on January 30th — as in, tomorrow. We don’t see any tweaks mentioned beyond what Microsoft itself said last year, although any update would most likely include Nokia-specific extras on top of the official package. We’ve reached out to AT&T, Microsoft and Nokia, and we’ll let you know if they provide tangible details. Whatever their answers, we’ll know the truth before long.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia, AT&T
Doom & Destiny is well known for being a Role Playing Game on the Xbox console, and it seems that its latest outing is on a far more portable and less bulky platform – that is, the Nokia Lumia. First rolling out in 2011, Doom & Destiny on the console has proven itself to be rather successful, having picked up four stars out of five from players in over a thousand reviews and ratings from players themselves. How does the game translate to the mobile platform?
Very well, it seemed, as the Windows Phone version also more or less received its fair share of praise. For those who first gave Doom & Destiny a go, you will realize that this does have its fair share of Japanese elements to it, in fact, some might even wonder whether they have gone through a time machine and are having a go at a Final Fantasy title that hails from the 16-bit. You will start off with a group of four friends who love RPGs in the game itself, which can be rather ironic since you are playing one yourself. Still, playing on a touchscreen display does have its disadvantages compared to an actual physical controller since some part of the screen will always be blocked. Doom & Destiny is available for owners of the Nokia Lumia 800, Lumia 900, Lumia 820 and Lumia 920.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Wii U Miiverse Coming To Mobile This Spring, Angry Birds Rio Free On iTunes, 
Most of the bigger streaming music services have both a free tier for casual listeners and a paid level for truly committed music fans. Nokia doesn’t want to be the exception to the rule. It’s launching Nokia Music+, a paid version of its existing platform. Paying €4 per month ($4 in the US) gives perks that you’d normally expect from a more expensive alternative like Spotify or Slacker’s premium tier: the upgrade ratchets up the audio quality, adds lyrics, allows unlimited skips in Mix Radio and enables as many downloads for offline play as the phone can hold. Aren’t you suddenly glad that you picked up a 32GB Lumia 920? Not that you’ll always need it to tune in — Music+ adds web streaming for anything with a suitably capable browser. Nokia hasn’t said just which countries beyond the US will get the more advanced service, but it should make a formal debut within the next few weeks.
Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio/Video, Internet, Mobile, Nokia
Source: Conversations by Nokia
Nokia has announced some new features today for its Mix Radio song discovery service. Most notably, the company outed Music+, a premium music service that give users unlimited skips and downloads for only €3.99/month, or $5.37 in US dollars. Customers will also get higher-quality music streaming, access to lyrics, and a desktop app.
Nokia says that Music+ is “the only smartphone music service out there offering access to millions of songs out of the box without the need to sign up, sign in, or suffer adverts.” Yes, that’s right, Nokia’s music service has never been ad-supported, so you’ll be able to browse in piece for roughly the price of a Starbucks coffee per month.
Currently, Lumia owners are stuck with Nokia’s free Music app, which came to the US back in September. It’s certainly not an awful service by any means, but having the ability to skip songs an unlimited number of times is always fantastic, as well as downloading music and having access to various features like lyrics and desktop use makes it all worth the cheap monthly fee.
Music+ will be available to users sometime “in the next few weeks” according to Nokia, and while they say that pricing wil differ by territory, most customers can expect to pay around €3.99, which is slightly more expensive than Pandora One, but it’s also under half the cost of Spotify Premium, which is a great deal by any means.
Nokia announces Music+: premium features for €3.99/month is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
According to the folks over at The Verge, Nokia is geared to provide Verizon with a flagship Lumia Windows Phone codenamed the Laser. The information is said to come from individuals who are familiar with Verizon and its 2013 plans. The device is said to be a version of the Lumia 920, and will be rolled out later this year, although no specific time frame was provided.
Also according to the sources, Microsoft will be involved “heavily” with the handset, backing it as Verizon markets it alongside other high-end devices running other platforms. As part of its involvement, Microsoft is rumored to be shelling out a marketing budget for bringing Laser to the public’s attention after its launch.
Verizon declined commenting on the rumor, and nothing official has been provided. As with all information that comes from unnamed sources, one should take the information with a large grain of salt. Still, it validates rumors that have circled for a fair bit of time now in regards to a Lumia 920-esque handset destined for the carrier.
This follows a rumor that surfaced yesterday about a Nokia handset codenamed EOS that will run Windows Phone and feature PureView branding. If rumors are to be believed, the handset will feature a sensor similar to the 41-megapixel unit in Nokia’s 808. It’s said to be headed to AT&T later this year, but likewise, it’s just speculation at this point.
[via The Verge]
Nokia Laser rumored to be flagship Lumia for Verizon is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Don’t get me wrong, HTC’s Windows Phone 8X is great and all, but the rest of Verizon Wireless’ Windows Phone lineup (think the Nokia Lumia 822 and Samsung’s ATIV Odyssey) is a bit lacking in the oomph department.
If a new report from The Verge’s Tom Warren holds true though, that may not be the case for too much longer. According to sources within Verizon, the carrier is gearing up to release a flagship Nokia Windows Phone with a spec sheet similar to the Lumia 920.
There’s precious little other information about this device aside from the fact that it’s apparently codenamed “Laser,” and that Verizon reportedly plans to throw its considerable weight behind the device (unlike the case with the ATIV Odyssey, the poor thing). What exactly that means for Verizon is still unclear, but I can hazard a guess or two.
I chatted with a high-level Nokia representative at Microsoft’s San Francisco Windows Phone 8 event who told me that strong retail partnerships with the country’s carriers was a priority for the Finnish company. That said, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Verizon retail workers getting some extended hands-on time with a forthcoming Windows Phone; after all, an informed retail sales force is key to Nokia moving units to those who don’t spend their days feverishly scouring tech blogs. AT&T also spends a considerable chunk of change on advertising the Lumia 900 when that was the hot new Windows Phone, and Verizon may well be doing the same (the fact that Microsoft is said to be chipping in some funds for advertising certainly doesn’t hurt).
Oh, and just in case you were hoping against hope that the Laser name actually sticks, you can probably stop now. The moniker was used for a Pantech dumbphone not too long ago, which means the chances of strolling into your local Verizon store and picking up a hot new Laser are pretty slim.
The Verge is reporting that Verizon is finally getting a version of Nokia’s flagship Lumia 920 phone. The phone is reportedly called the “Nokia Laser” (REAL TIMELY, GUYS). More »
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