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AT&T has halved the price of the Nokia Lumia 900 in the US, asking under fifty bucks for the Windows Phone 7 handset. Launched back in April at an already competitive $99.99 with a new, two-year agreement, the cost of entry with the Lumia 900 is now $49.99; however, in the intervening period there have been revelations about Windows Phone 7 handsets’ future that may dissuade some buyers.

Microsoft officially announced Windows Phone 8 last month, but at the same time confirmed that owners of existing devices wouldn’t get an upgrade to the new platform. Instead, they’d get a halfway house measure – Windows Phone 7.8 – with the same UI but none of the underlying advantages or, indeed, the commitment to future upgrades beyond that point.

That leaves the Lumia 900 as something of an evolutionary dead-end, a fact which may well have encouraged AT&T to halve the price of the smartphone. The Finnish company is unsurprisingly working on new WP8 Lumia devices, but they’re not expected until later in 2012.

Still, if you’re looking for a Windows Phone today and you’re unwilling to wait, the Lumia 900 is probably your best option. Check out our full review here, and then head over to see what you’ve got to come in our Windows Phone 7.8 preview.

AT&T halves Nokia Lumia 900 price (but will WP7.8 scare buyers off?) is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Early Lumia 900 adopters might feel spurned knowing that their devices won’t get any near-future upgrades beyond Windows Phone 7.8, but AT&T and Nokia are hoping that some new customers just need a little incentive to forgive the OS ceiling. As of now, the Lumia 900 has taken a permanent price cut to $50 on contract, whether it’s one of the early color options or pretty in pink. Although the price drop might not take power users’ eyes off of the Windows Phone 8 prize, it could make the Lumia 900 a low-hanging fruit for more than a few newcomers.

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia and AT&T cut Lumia 900 price to $50, sweeten the Windows Phone 7.8 pot originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Jul 2012 11:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking for a new game to load up on your brand new Lumia 900? Well, you’re in luck. EA Games has released its 2D platformer, Mirror’s Edge for Nokia Lumia phones today. While it’s not the first person action game that’s currently out on the PC, it’s the side scrolling version that’s been out on for the iPhone and iPad for some time now. I haven’t played the Windows Phone version of the game before but if it’s anything like the iOS version, it should be a blast.

The game puts you in control of a character named Faith, a runner who has to transmit messages while evading government surveillance. Users make use of swiping gestures that let you run, jump, slide and fight enemies. Definitely for fans of games like Canabalt. Mirror’s edge is available now from the Windows Marketplace for $2.99. Give it a shot and let us know what you think. The game is only for Lumia phones and for people living in the US for now but we can expect it to change in the future.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Windows Phone Marketplace hits 100,000 apps, Final Fantasy makes its way onto Windows Phone devices,

As part of a restructuring plan, Nokia will shut down two of its four regional sales offices in China in order to better deal with their presence in the smartphone market. According to the Wall Street Journal, Chengdu and Shanghai offices will be closed while operations in Beijing and Guangzhou will be expanded. Job cuts will definitely be a part of the restructuring, and as many as 10,000 jobs may be eliminated globally.

The reorganization comes as a result of market share gains by both Apple’s iPhone and Samsung devices, which resulted in another quarterly loss for the fourth time in a row. Nokia had shipped over 2 million Lumina smartphones running the Windows Phone OS in the first quarter globally, while Apple had shipped over 35.1 million iPhones.

Remaining committed to Windows Phone, others running Android has been moving in on Nokia’s market share. If the company wants to pull itself back up on its feet, a strong presence in both China and Norther American markets will be necessary. Samsung is currently the global leader in smartphones, but other Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE have been moving on in, making it all the more difficult for Nokia to compete.

[via Bloomberg]

Nokia to close two China offices as part of restructuring plan is written by Elise Moreau & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

There’s a hole in Nokia’s heart and it goes all the way to China. Following news this past April that a massive restructuring effort was underway for Espoo’s Asian operations, comes word that offices in Chengdu and Shanghai have been closed amidst declining market share. That’s according to the Wall Street Journal which says the layoffs are targeted at the company’s Chinese sales division — an area Elop’s made clear is essential for growth — as Nokia’s presence in the region has dwindled to 11 percent in Q1, a sharp drop from its more robust 30 percent share last Q2 2011. And with increasing competition from rival OEMs, the layoffs are expected to continue while the house that Lumia’s attempting to rebuild gains its footing.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Nokia shutters two Chinese offices as part of strategic reorganization in the region originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 09:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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