ComScore: Android keeps chugging, BlackBerry falters, world awaits Windows Phone 7’s numbers

Compared to last month’s report, it’s more or less business as usual in ComScore’s latest smartphone market share numbers for the three-month period ending in October, but there are a few interesting points worth calling out. Most notably, RIM’s decline seems to have accelerated — they’ve lost a claimed 3.5 percent of the US market in the latest period compared to 2.8 percent prior, which means they’re now down to 35.8 percent. Of course, that’s still more than enough to keep them comfortably in first place, but it’s a situation they’re going to want to reverse sooner or later — hopefully with TAT’s help. Meanwhile, Apple’s tacked on a slightly larger slice of the pie, but they’re still holding fairly steady; Google, meanwhile, continues its stratospheric rise, tacking on another 2.1 percent since last month’s numbers to hit 23.5 percent — nipping on Apple’s heels, we’d say. The most intriguing story, though, would have to be Microsoft: they’re lower than before at just 9.7 percent of the market, but these figures don’t include Windows Phone 7 yet — and clearly, no one’s buying WinMo 6.5 gear at this point. Should start to get interesting in the next month or two on that front.

ComScore: Android keeps chugging, BlackBerry falters, world awaits Windows Phone 7’s numbers originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 19:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceComScore  | Email this | Comments

Chrome to Windows Phone 7 now available

Approved and waiting for your download, Chrome to Windows Phone 7 is now available in the mobile OS’ operating system. True to its name, once you download both this app and the applicable Chrome extension, a quick click on the Windows logo in your otherwise Google browser will send links or selected text to your Microsoft mobile. Join your Android friends in embracing the Continuous Client lifestyle.

Update: Looks like Site to Phone can handle just about any smartphone. Thanks, Ed!

Chrome to Windows Phone 7 now available originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 09:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Phone Scoop, Lifehacker  |  sourceDave Amenta  | Email this | Comments

ChevronWP7 unlocking tool pulled in hopes Microsoft decides to play along

Could Microsoft actually embrace Windows Phone 7 hacking much like it’s sort of done with Kinect hacking? Not very likely, but it seems like the folks behind the ChevronWP7 unlocking tool are at least holding out some hope for that possibility. They’ve apparently had some “good faith” discussions with Microsoft’s Director of Developer Experience for Windows Phone 7, Brandon Watson, and have decided to take the rather drastic step of pulling and ceasing all development on the tool in order to “fast-track” discussions about Microsoft officially embracing homebrew development. Obviously, that may just be wishful thinking, but one thing is clear at least for the moment: it just got a bit harder to hack a Windows Phone 7 device.

ChevronWP7 unlocking tool pulled in hopes Microsoft decides to play along originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Download Squad  |  sourceChevronWP7  | Email this | Comments

Dell Venue Pro finally available to order: $99 on contract, shipping December 9th

The much-delayed and much-desired Venue Pro is now finally ready for its proper launch. Dell has begun taking online orders for its first Windows Phone 7 device and prices are set at $99 for the 8GB handset or $149 for the 16GB version — both on two-year contracts with T-Mobile as your carrier — or, alternatively, you can snap them up for $449 or $499, respectively, if you just want the phone by itself. Shipping is promised for December 9th and there’s even free delivery if you have a couple of business days’ worth of patience. So, what are you waiting for?

[Thanks, BeeMichael]

Dell Venue Pro finally available to order: $99 on contract, shipping December 9th originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 08:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDell  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft reiterates copy and paste is Windows Phone 7’s first update, ‘additional updates delivered in the future’

Chris Walsh — one of the forces behind the ChevronWP7 app sideload hack for Windows Phone 7 — went on record earlier this week saying that the first platform update coming early next year would be “massive” with so many improvements and new features that “they could have called it Windows Phone 8.” That’s a pretty bold statement, and it’s been making the rounds so fiercely today that Microsoft felt the need to lay down the law with an official statement — albeit not a very strongly-worded one:

“Microsoft is committed to delivering regular updates to the Windows Phone experience. Our first update will make copy & paste available in early 2011. In addition to this first update, all Windows Phone 7 users should expect to see additional updates delivered in the future as part of Microsoft’s ongoing update process.”

So it sounds to us like priority one in Redmond is to get copy and paste up and running (which is basically the message they’ve been delivering for a while), though we should expect plenty more through future updates. When you figure in the size of the team Microsoft has built for engineering this platform — and the fact that they’ve now got the initial retail release out of the way — we’re hoping they’ve got nothing better to do than to churn on some of these pain points users have identified over the next few months. Should be a heck of a year coming up, eh?

Microsoft reiterates copy and paste is Windows Phone 7’s first update, ‘additional updates delivered in the future’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Windows Phone to Catch Up With iPhone in January? Unlikely

Rumors are buzzing about an impending Windows Phone 7 software update that will bring Microsoft’s new mobile OS up to speed with the iPhone.

While we like Windows Phone 7, it seems highly unlikely that it will catch up to the iPhone quite that fast.

Tech blog WP Central quotes Chris Walsh, who worked on an early jailbreak-like hack for Windows Phone 7 called Chevron WP7, claiming that in January 2011, Windows Phone 7 will get a “massive” software update that’s worthy of being called Windows Phone 8.

“MS took 3 months to do what Apple did in 3 years,” Walsh tweeted.

Walsh claims the update will introduce Bing turn-to-turn GPS navigation, custom ringtone support, copy-and-paste and some form of multitasking.

While I believe Windows Phone 7 will soon gain these features, that hardly sounds like a massive update to me. The only major new feature would be multitasking; custom ringtones I’d file under “meh,” turn-by-turn navigation is a thumbs-up but hardly mindblowing, and copy-and-paste is yes, an important tool, but not that big: Android has only partial support for copy-and-paste, and that hasn’t stopped it from becoming the most popular smartphone operating system.

Furthermore, to say such an upgrade would “do what Apple did in 3 years” is an incredible overstatement. To catch up with the iPhone, Windows Phone 7 devices would also need front-facing cameras, something comparable to AirPlay to stream video onto a TV box, and more — not to mention 300,000 third-party apps. Windows Phone 7 is just a month old; it’s got a lot of catching up to do, and it would take a few miracles for the platform to be up to speed with the iPhone by January.

Microsoft declined to comment.

Rather than rush out new features, I think Microsoft is probably prioritizing getting Verizon to hop on board with Windows Phone 7 — a move that would boost its growth to compete with its more direct rival: Google Android. I’d place a bet on CDMA Windows Phone 7 handsets arriving before we see devices up to par with the iPhone.

See Also:

Photo of Windows Phone 7 devices running software tests in a server rack: Mike Kane/Wired.com


Venue Pro makes brief appearance on Dell’s website: $150 on-contract, December 14th launch?

There’s no sign left of it now, but it looks like none other than the Venue Pro made a brief appearance on Dell’s website earlier today, complete with a few key details about the device. Namely, that it will apparently run $150 on a two-year contract or $500 off-contract (which is a bit different than the asking price was at Microsoft stores), and that it will start shipping on December 14th. Of course, it’s entirely possible that Dell pulled the page in order to make some changes to those details — and considering the Venue Pro launch so far, that might even be likely.

Venue Pro makes brief appearance on Dell’s website: $150 on-contract, December 14th launch? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  sourcePocket Now, Dell (inactive)  | Email this | Comments

The Best Smartphone on Every Platform [Smartphones]

The most important thing about your next phone isn’t what carrier it’s on, how big the screen is, or even who makes it. It’s the platform, stupid. So here are the best phones on every platform. More »

Acer confirms plans for Windows Phone 7

We saw the briefest whisper of an indication a couple months ago, but now Acer CEO Gianfranco Lanci has come out and said it: Acer’s working on Windows Phone 7. In an interview with Ina Fried, Gianfranco touched briefly on the company’s plans for Microsoft’s new OS, after an ill-fated stint with Windows Mobile not so long ago. Naturally, the addition of Windows Phone 7 won’t be coming at the expense of Acer’s newfound love of Android, but Lanci oddly says he sees for WP7 “the same opportunity you can see on Android in terms of customization.” We don’t know what sort of customization he could be referring to, but we’re trembling in anticipation. So, let’s just tally them up: MeeGo, Chrome OS, Windows Phone 7, Android, and, of course, Windows itself… pretty nice collection you’ve got for yourself, Acer. What’s next, BeOS?

Acer confirms plans for Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAll Things D  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft: we figured people would hack Windows Phone 7, would suggest that they don’t

Hot on the heels of the release of a utility for bypassing the Windows Marketplace and sideloading your own apps, Microsoft has released a brief statement on the state of the Windows Phone 7 hacking community… and we wouldn’t exactly say they’re too worked up about it:

“We anticipated that people would attempt to unlock the phones and explore the underlying operating system. We encourage people to use their Windows Phone as supplied by the manufacturer to ensure the best possible user experience. Attempting to unlock a device could void the warranty, disable phone functionality, interrupt access to Windows Phone 7 services or render the phone permanently unusable.”

So yeah, we’d say this is more or less a boilerplate quote: “we figured you’d hack this thing, we’d prefer it if you didn’t, and here’s a laundry list of things that could (but probably won’t) happen if you fail to heed our meek warning.” Over the long term, we wouldn’t be surprised if Redmond ended up playing an Apple-style cat-and-mouse game with these folks, breaking hacks with firmware updates only to have them re-hacked within a few days’ time. Considering the lack of spitfire in the statement here, we don’t see them coming down too hard unless legitimate, card-carrying, fee-paying developers throw a fit — and granted, ChevronWP7 could be a step on the road to piracy, so that could very well happen.

Microsoft: we figured people would hack Windows Phone 7, would suggest that they don’t originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  sourceWinRumors  | Email this | Comments