Hasta La Gadget!

Bryan Biniak, VP and General Manager of Global Partner and App Development at Nokia, was in London today for the UK launch of JobLens, so we took the opportunity to sit down with him and talk Windows Phone 8, the basket in which Nokia has entrusted all its eggs. Being Microsoft’s brother-in-arms, Nokia’s heavily involved in building out the platform and, despite an increasing number of high-profile apps making the jump, the general health of the WP8 store was the main topic of discussion. Unsurprisingly, Biniak was keen to report the app catalogue and with it, competitiveness, is growing fast. There are still gaps to be filled, however, and if Biniak’s claims are to be trusted, all the apps most common to iOS and Android home screens are headed to WP8 in the near future:

We’re not having a single conversation with anybody, of any material application that’s out there, that isn’t going to be coming to the platform. It’s not a matter of if — I had those conversations, the “if” conversations, before — all of our conversations now are “when.”

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia, Google

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Hipstamatic’s Oggl app and sharing service is coming to Windows Phone 8, we learned at Nokia’s Lumia 925 launch event. We didn’t get to play around in the app — the WP8 UI we saw on stage was but a preview, as the native app (read: not a port) is still in development. We’re assured Oggl will be ready by the time the new Lumia launches, but it won’t be a Nokia exclusive, so anyone with a WP8 handset will be able to use the food filter and (over)share their lunch choice on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram. We don’t know whether the regular dollar-per-month (or $10 per year) service fee will apply, but we’re told you’ll be able to swap cash for more filters and effects on top of the base selection.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

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It feels like only yesterday we told you HSN would be the first retailer offering T-Mobile’s Nokia Lumia 521, and although the place hasn’t changed, the date has. The Lumia 520 variant wasn’t expected to be available through HSN’s online store until tomorrow, but in a bit of good news to kick off your Friday, the order page is now live. An off-contract handset will set you back $149.95, or four payments of $37.49. The next confirmed date we have for availability is May 11th at Microsoft and Walmart stores, so if you’re looking to bag one of the budget Windows Phone 8 handsets before then, head to the source link and hit the virtual checkout — not only may stock run dry, but HSN could’ve accidentally pulled the trigger early and hide the page when orders start rolling in.

[Thanks, Tim]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, T-Mobile

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Source: HSN

It feels like forever since Microsoft announced Windows Phone 8 back in June, but the mobile OS is finally here and with it comes the inaugural volley of compatible handsets. The first one to cross our desks is the global, unlocked version of HTC’s Windows Phone 8X, a device we first saw in September. Unlike other current flagships, this phone breaks the bigger-is-better trend by providing a full set of high-end specs in a relatively compact package — combining a 4.3-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display, Qualcomm dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor and NFC in a sleek and colorful package. Does the 8X have what it takes to carry the Windows Phone 8 torch? Is this a bona fide flagship despite its reduced footprint? Has HTC designed a better handset than its existing Android superphone, the One X? Find out in our review after the break.

Continue reading HTC 8X review: Windows Phone 8’s compact flagship

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, HTC

HTC 8X review: Windows Phone 8’s compact flagship originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon is one of the more common proponents of silly Android device names, in part through its insistence on that “Droid” prefix for some hardware. When its smartphone badges practically demand a pause for breath, you know there’s a problem. Android Central‘s purported copy of a Minimum Advertised Pricing list could show that there’s hope for the carrier yet. The chart shows the HTC DLX (6435LVW) skipping the rumored Droid Incredible X name in favor of Droid DNA — and that’s it. No superlatives, no arbitrary “4G LTE” tags to remind us of the network we already know we’re using. The 5-inch phone might have even been a reasonable launch, as the MAP shows a $200 contract price that would potentially take effect just before Thanksgiving.

Want more? Other smartphones are on the supposedly leaked MAP list as well, primarily focusing on Windows Phone 8 gear: the as yet unconfirmed Nokia Lumia 822 shows up with a $100 price and a mid-November release window, while Verizon’s take on the Windows Phone 8X is present with a $200 price and similar timing. Those who’d rather go for a Samsung phablet than HTC’s aren’t left out, either. The Verizon edition of the Galaxy Note II is on the list with a $300 price and availability that starts immediately — rather convenient, that.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Verizon

Verizon’s HTC DLX may be called Droid DNA, Windows Phone 8 devices get tentative prices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 14:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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