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Lenovo has reportedly petitioned Microsoft for the Nokia-style freedom to modify Windows Phone for its own range of devices, dispatching R&D execs to Microsoft HQ to request more OEM flexibility. The company told Microsoft that it was less interested in developing pure Windows Phone 8 devices, Chinese site WPDang reports, and that it hoped to customize the smartphone platform in terms of UI and other aspects.

Lenovo confirmed plans to launch at least one Windows Phone last year, suggesting at the time that it would be the second half of 2012 when we saw the handset arrive. In the meantime, the company has established an $800m mobile-centric facility, tasked with developing new smartphone, tablet and other mobility-related products and software.

So far, Lenovo’s public phone plans have mainly consisted of Android devices, often heavily customized for the company’s home Chinese market. However, Lenovo is also apparently looking to make Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets, which would slot well into an overall ecosystem with Windows Phone.

Nokia, thanks to its unusual deal with Microsoft, has greater liberty than other OEMs adopting Windows Phone to modify the platform to its own needs. However, while it may be at liberty to hack away at the Metro UI, so far the Finnish software engineers have been relatively restrained, prioritizing consistency across Windows Phones rather than its own hunger for differentiation.

A glimpse of what was said to be the first Lenovo Windows Phone was spotted late last year, with the handset resembling the existing Lenovo S2 but running Microsoft’s platform.

[via Ubergizmo]

Lenovo meeting Microsoft over custom Windows Phone plans say sources is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you saw Microsoft unveil Windows Phone 8 and were disappointed that it only had a handful of conspicuous new features to show, such as that new Start screen and NFC support, don’t worry: that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Senior product manager Greg Sullivan (not pictured here) tells Pocket-lint that much of the information provided so far had to be revealed early to please developers and IT managers, many of whom can’t wait until the last minute. Unlike a certain rival in Cupertino, Microsoft has a range of partners to work with and can’t just be ready to go “hours after” the OS is announced, like those that control both the hardware and the software. That split is good news to us, as it sounds like there’s a raft of public-facing Windows Phone 8 features waiting to surface between now and the end of the year — whatever impressions we had in June may have been conservative.

Microsoft: our nature makes it tough to show everything Windows Phone 8 can do just yet originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WMPowerUser is reporting that Microsoft’s research team is working on this curved software keyboard, leaked from an internal presentation. It even speculates that it might be made available in Windows Phone 8. More »

Now that the dust has settled on the big Windows Phone 8 hoedown, Redmond is filling in the details of all its announcements. To wit, it just released a list of the 180 countries that will get access to its WP marketplace and developer app hub. That number is a big jump from the 63 markets and 38 app hubs of today, and with in-app purchasing coming soon, Microsoft emphasized that point — along with the 100,000 apps in stock — to developers. The software giant also added that the marketplace will filter apps by phone screen resolution and “other key characteristics,” allowing easier targeting of users. To see if your country made the cut, check the source for the very long list.

Microsoft lists 180 countries in Windows Phone 8 Marketplace, says apps can filter by screen size originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 11:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM reported a disastrous Q1 2013 financial result in an earnings call yesterday, with the company still resolute in preparing BlackBerry 10 despite yet another delay. RIM also noted how it would be exploring all available avenues, and Reuters is reporting that the company’s board is coming under increasing pressure to sell its software services or partner with Microsoft on Windows Phone.

One of the options is to completely scrap BlackBerry 10 and license Windows Phone 8 from Microsoft. Steve Ballmer has reportedly approached RIM in the past hoping to form some sort of partnership, similar to its deal with Nokia, although the Waterloo-based company has declined such offers. RIM could also look to Microsoft to buy a stake in the company, although it’s not as attractive a proposition as the company would lose its independence.

The other option would be for RIM to sell off its private network infrastructure and software services to a private equity firm or another tech company. RIM’s servers could then be retooled to work on other mobile operating systems like iOS or Android. That’s a plan similar to what former co-CEO Jim Balsillie wanted to pursue, a course of action that was ultimately nixed.

Sources indicate that RIM’s board would prefer to keep developing BlackBerry 10 and see it through to an eventual release in the first quarter of 2013, although one has to wonder if the company can hold out for that long. The company yesterday reported a net loss of $518m, with revenue also down a third compared to the previous quarter. RIM stated that 5,000 jobs will be cut from the company.

RIM mulls Windows Phone partnership amid squashed BlackBerry is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.