Hasta La Gadget!

Appearing soon after Zune’s end, we’ve been sent these images of what Microsoft’s likely to offer in Xbox Music. Matching those early rumors, it looks like some cloud-linked features will make an appearance in the form of synchronized playlists, while the service will offer a free half-month trial alongside paid subscriptions. Prices are currently set at £8.99 ($15) for a month, while £89.90 ($146) will offer a year’s unlimited access to “millions” of tracks, to stream and download across Xbox, Windows, and Windows Phone. The system’s UI seems to borrow its looks from Windows’ Metro tile-based style, with a very similar keyboard that appears to be navigable from your Xbox controller. Take a tour of the gallery below and expect to hear more specifics ahead of the big Windows 8 launch next month.

[Thanks Anonymous]

Filed under: Gaming, Portable Audio/Video

Dashboard beta leaks new Xbox Music Pass: Cloud playlists and early pricing revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 09:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile is whetting our appetites for HTC’s ridiculously named yet highly attractive Windows Phone 8X with a sign-up sheet on its website. The manufacturer confirmed that it’s aiming for a November launch for the (surprise, surprise) Windows Phone 8 handset, and we’ve also heard whispers that it’ll retail for $199 when it arrives. If those two factoids haven’t gotten you excited enough, you can always see how it compares to its rivals in our comparison feature.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

T-Mobile can’t wait for November, adds Windows Phone 8X sign-up sheet to its site originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You may have since forgotten, but today was the original kick-off day for Nokia World 2012. With the big show canceled and the devices already launched, we instead opted to drop by the smartphone maker’s headquarters just outside Helsinki. We’re spending three days here in Finland, meeting with executives to get an inside look at the company’s next-generation smartphone lineup. Our first face-to-face is with Nokia’s chief executive himself, Stephen Elop, who has generously offered up 30 minutes to answer your questions. Because of the time constraints, we won’t be able to accommodate every request, but we’ll certainly do our best.

There are two ways to submit your questions: leave a comment below, or you can send us a tweet @EngadgetLive — once the session begins, we’ll only be able to accept messages through Twitter, and you’re welcome to ask questions before we start and as a follow-up to Stephen’s responses, as well. In order to accommodate the largest possible audience, we’ll be using our liveblog tool to post both questions and answers, so bookmark this page and hop on over there at 4AM Eastern tomorrow. As always, you’ll also find the local time just below. Now about those questions…

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Engadget Live: Join us at 4AM ET for an ‘ask me anything’ Q&A with Nokia CEO Stephen Elop! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC, Nokia and Samsung have each showcased their initial volley of Windows Phone 8 handsets, but Huawei has yet to reveal the Ascend hardware it promised would run Microsoft’s smartphone OS. The firm’s Richard Yu took to the social network Sina Weibo and outed the device as the Ascend W1 earlier this week, but kept other specifics under wraps. Citing sources from within the company, Chinese language outlet Winp is now claiming that the W1 will ship between November and December, carry a price tag of 2,000 RMB ($317) and arrive in black, blue, pink and white hues. Though a September 25th unveiling is also rumored, Yu mentioned that Huawei will make it a habit of launching phones as they’re unveiled, so it may be a while before the curtain is fully pulled back if the November / December window is correct.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Huawei’s Windows Phone 8 handset outed as Ascend W1, supposed launch window surfaces originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Sep 2012 09:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC’s unveiled a pair of Windows Phone 8 devices that seem destined to square off against Nokia’s similarly polycarbonated handsets. You may not be able to easily pick ’em out of a crowd, but there’s plenty of differences on the inside, and let’s be frank, that’s where it counts. We’ve pitted the Windows Phone 8 flagships from HTC, Samsung and Nokia against each other to see which one’s going to be getting your cash when it comes to renewal time, and Round One begins just as soon as you jump past the break… ding, ding, ding.

Continue reading HTC’s Windows Phone 8X vs. the competition: fight!

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

HTC’s Windows Phone 8X vs. the competition: fight! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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