Hasta La Gadget!

PROBABLY NOKIA’S NEW WINDOWS PHONE 8 DEVICES.

But seriously, Microsoft very publicly revealed the future of its Windows Phone platform a few months back. At the time Nokia though, didn’t have much more to announce than some conciliatory apps for all the people whose Lumias wouldn’t work with Windows Phone 8.

Now it looks like Nokia and Microsoft are finally ready to talk hardware. The two companies jointly sent out invitations to a press conference in New York on September 5, and while the invite doesn’t provide much insight into the day’s proceedings, you don’t need to be a mind-reader to figure out it has something to do with Nokia’s new batch of Windows Phone 8… phones.

The multiple tile sizes in seen in the invitation are a clear sign that WP8 (or WP7.8) is involved, and it just so happens that Nokia World is also slated to kick off in majestic Helsinki that same day.

In case you were wondering, the last time Nokia World rolled around the Finnish company officially pulled back the curtains on its first two Windows Phones, the Lumias 710 and 800. What better opportunity is there for Nokia to reveal its swanky new handsets? Of course, neither Nokia or Microsoft has specifically said any of this, but the timing is just too perfect to be anything else. If I’m wrong, I’ll make and eat this ridiculous hat and document the whole damn process.

Nokia is still struggling to penetrate the United States with the help of Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, but reports have suggested that the company is poised to launch new handsets at Nokia World on September 5th. Stephen Elop, CEO of Nokia, dropped a hint in a recent interview that Windows Phone 8 devices from the manufacturer would be coming “relatively near term,” according to a report from Reuters. Elop didn’t deny rumors of a September 5th launch either, so the first Windows Phone 8 handsets may be a few short weeks away.

Elop also confirmed that Nokia was committed to the Windows Phone platform, with the company having no plans to abandon the operating system. The company has had limited success in the United States so far, but Elop remains confident that it can continue to compete by sticking to Microsoft’s operating system, saying, “In today’s war [between] Android, Apple, and Windows, we are very clear, we are fighting that with the Windows Phone.”

The market seems to have responded well to Elop’s comments too, with shares rising 7.5%. The company is still facing financial difficulties, however, posting a $1 billion operating loss for the second quarter of 2012. Net sales increased slightly, and the company managed to ship four million smartphones Lumia Windows Phone over the three month period.

A report late last month indicated that Nokia plans to unveil two new Windows Phone handsets at Nokia World on September 5th, the Luma 910 and 920. The details surrounding the devices aren’t clear, but they’re said to be running Windows Phone 8. Microsoft representatives will also reportedly be on hand in order to further demonstrate consumer oriented features of the refreshed operating system.

Nokia committed to Windows Phone, new handsets coming soon is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We already know that Windows Phone 8 will bring high-definition screens to the platform, and LTE has been available for a while, but which company will be the first to bring the two technologies together? TmoNews has managed to spot some references to one of Samsung’s upcoming Windows Phone handsets, the SGH-T899, which will be reportedly be running a 4.65-inch screen with a 1280×720 resolution along with support for LTE.

That confirms Samsung’s Windows Phone 8 plans, first spotted in court documents relating to the trial against Apple at the end of July. Two handsets were listed in the court document, the Odyssey and the the Marco, with the Odyssey said to feature the same 4.65-inch Super AMOLED 720p display along with a dual-core Snapdragon S4 1.5Ghz processor and LTE connectivity. 1GB of RAM would also be onboard, as will an eight megapixel camera capable of shooting 1080p video.

The Odyssey looks like it’s heading to T-Mobile USA, in that case. The Marco, meanwhile, looks like it’s destined for AT&T, with a smaller 4-inch WVGA AMOLED screen, but the same dual-core 1.5Ghz processor and LTE connectivity. The Marco would also come with a five-megapixel camera and a two-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls. The Odyssey will feature NFC as well, something that the Marco won’t have.

Details of Samsung’s lineup may be clearer than before, but customers will have to wait until Windows Phone 8 launches in the next few months before they can get their hands on the phones. Reports suggest that Nokia may unveil two new handsets at Nokia World, with Microsoft representatives also on hand to detail the consumer oriented features of Windows Phone 8.

Samsung SGH-T899 Windows Phone heading to T-Mobile is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Another Monday is in the bag folks, so give yourselves a pat on the back. We’re starting things off tonight by having a look at the latest iPhone rumors. Current whispers are telling us that pre-orders for the next iPhone will become available on September 12 – the same day that Apple is expected to reveal it – and that it’ll become available at AT&T later on in the month. We also caught a glimpse of the reported logic board in the next iPhone, and it seems that this new logic board is leaving room for a larger battery and LTE capabilities.

In other news, one of Apple’s studies claims that people buy Android phones largely out of a feeling of loyalty to their carrier, and it seems that the iPhone maker licensed out patents to Microsoft while Samsung declined to bite. Fisker has made a new statement about the Karma that spontaneously caught fire in California this past weekend, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 was given a release date in the UK. RIM is looking to get rid of NewBay as it seeks fast cash while BlackBerry 10 development continues, and Samsung has announced that a new black Galaxy S III is coming soon.

Sad news for Nintendo fans living in Europe today, as Nintendo pushed the Wii U’s release date back to December. We had a couple pieces of news about Motorola today, some of it good, some of it not so much. The Motorola PHOTON Q 4G LTE is releasing on August 19, but Motorola Mobility announced today that it will be laying off 20% of its workforce. Electronic Arts is eyeing Windows Phone 8, and Amazon is looking to capitalize on the back to school frenzy by putting its tablets on clearance.

Researchers at the University of Warwick have come up with a way of making fat-free chocolate that apparently tastes like the real deal (yes, really), and President Barack Obama shared some words of encouragement with the NASA Curiosity team earlier this morning. He even promised continued support for what NASA is doing, and that is definitely a good thing. Speaking of space, it seems that the Google Earth satellites have discovered something very interesting: additional Egyptian pyramids. The ARM-based IdeaPad Yoga has been revealed as Lenovo’s Windows RT tablet, and it would seem that the LG Optimus Vu is arriving in the United States before the end of September.

The Neo Geo is getting another shot at life with the Neo Geo X Gold, the Steam Community is about to undergo a makeover, and App.net hit its crowd-funding goal with just two days left to go. That does it for the day’s news, but be sure to check out this freshly-posted review of the Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 by Chris Burns. Enjoy the rest of the evening, everyone!

SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: August 13, 2012 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Electronic Arts has revealed that it is in talks with Microsoft to bring mobile games to Windows Phone 8. The new mobile OS is scheduled to launch later this year, and Electronic Arts apparently wants to have a presence when it does. This is something of a surprise, considering that Microsoft has struggled to gain an significant audience with its mobile efforts so far.

Despite that, EA sees potential in Windows Phone 8, with COO Peter Moore telling Bloomberg that having access to more platforms is never a bad thing. “We’re working very closely with Microsoft to understand what their views on gaming navigation are,” he said. “Anything that allows more platforms to be adopted quickly that have a gaming element is good for Electronic Arts.”

Indeed, lately we’ve been seeing Electronic Arts focus more on mobile and social games. The focus on boxed retail products is still there, but EA hasn’t exactly been shy about repeatedly proclaiming that digital is the way of the future. Electronic Arts clearly wants its hand in as many digital markets as it can, so it’s easy to see why the company is enthusiastic about Windows Phone 8, regardless of the fact that Microsoft has struggled in the mobile space so far.

Unfortunately, Microsoft’s best efforts haven’t been enough to surpass the far more popular Android and iOS platforms. Android and iOS both enjoy a large market share (Android more so than iOS), while Microsoft hasn’t been able to get out of the low single digits. At last count, Android had nearly 70% market share, iOS was sitting right around 17%, and Windows Phone was stuck at the bottom with only 3.5%. Microsoft is looking to make the next iteration of Windows more attractive to developers, and with Electronic Arts showing interest, we’re getting some early signs that those efforts are working. Stay tuned, and be sure to check out our story timeline below for more posts on Windows Phone 8.

Electronic Arts planning to release games for Windows Phone 8 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.