Hasta La Gadget!

Microsoft is in the advanced stages of closing its acquisition of Nokia’s handset business, but in the meantime Nokia is reportedly working on Android devices. How does Microsoft feel about that? “They’ll do some things we’re excited about, and some things we’re less excited about,” said senior executive Joe Belfiore, to a room of chuckling journalists and analysts.

“We have a terrific engineering relationship with Nokia,” he noted. “We’ve done a bunch of excellent collaboration [on] products…We’re proud of the work we do together.”

Nevertheless, as many have rumored, bolstered by some apparently leaked images (such as the ones here), Nokia has also been spinning other plates, with the WSJ reporting that the so-called Normandy device coming as soon as later this month.

Why? As Natasha pointed out the other day, this wouldn’t be an official Android device but a forked version, along the lines of what Amazon and many Asian handset makers have created. The idea here would be that it could use the device to target specifically lower-end users who are not reachable at the lowest price points of Nokia’s Lumia devices, but are looking for a “smarter” device than the Asha line from Nokia. The handset, the WSJ reports, has been in the works from before the deal with Microsoft was set, and points to how, with with many engineers and others leaving Nokia through layoffs, there are still some wildcards in the pack.

Image: Evleaks

Based on all the teasers and rumors, we guess many have come to expect that at MWC 2014, Nokia will officially reveal the Nokia X. The handset does not sport the most powerful specs, leading us to wonder is this truly how Nokia wants its swan song to be like? Well rumors have suggested otherwise and claimed that Nokia has multiple Android handsets planned for 2014. Now  thanks to additional reports, it seems that we can expect at least two more Nokia Android handsets after the release of the Nokia X. (more…)

Two More Nokia Android Devices Planned For 2014 [Rumor] original content from Ubergizmo.

Mobile World Congress is upon us again, the cellularly-centric Barcelona show expected to see Nokia reveal its first Android device, Samsung its latest Galaxy flagship ahead of the iPhone 6 … Continue reading

Earlier it was reported that the Nokia Lumia Icon had officially gone on sale and interested customers would be able to get their hands on the device via Verizon’s website. However there are alternative places where you might be able to get the handset, which is either via the Microsoft Store online, or head on over to a physical Microsoft retail store. Why would you do that when you can go straight to Verizon, you ask? Well it seems that Microsoft has decided to make the Lumia Icon a tad more attractive as the company will be throwing in a free Nokia wireless charging plate worth anywhere between $30-$50.

This offer is valid from now until the 16th of March, so if you are still on the fence about the handset, perhaps this will change your mind. However like we said earlier, this deal will only be valid for customers who purchase it via Microsoft’s retail outlets (either physical or online), so that’s something to take note of as Verizon will probably not offer you the same deal. In fact this is a pretty good deal as wireless charging can come in handy, especially if you don’t like having to keep plugging and unplugging the charger cable on your phone. So, any takers?

Microsoft Throwing In Free Wireless Charger With Lumia Icon Purchase original content from Ubergizmo.

It is not secret that the Nokia Lumia 520 is one of the more popular Windows Phone handsets, despite the fact that the hardware specifications of the device is not exactly what you would consider to be “high-end”. So we suppose the appeal would be the fact that it is priced affordably, and comes with relatively decent specs for its price, making it a value for money purchase. In fact we have heard claims on how it is the best-selling Windows Phone device and last we checked in November, the Lumia 520 clearly dominated the Windows Phone market with 26.5% market share.

However now that we’re in February of 2014, is the Lumia 520 still holding up? Or has other Windows Phone handsets since managed to steal back some market share for it? Well thanks to recent figures released by advertising provider, AdDuplex, if anything, they have found that the Lumia 520’s market share has actually grown. Like we said earlier, in November of 2013, the Lumia 520 had a market share of 26.5%, but with February’s figures, it would seem that in the past few months, that market share has actually increased and the Lumia 520 now commands 33% of the Windows Phone market share. If you were to combine that with the Lumia 521 (T-Mobile’s version of the Lumia 520, which was one of the most used Windows Phone handsets stateside as well), it would essentially mean that its market share is at 36.6%! Pretty impressive, don’t you think?

Lumia 520 Still Dominating Windows Phone In 2014 original content from Ubergizmo.