Hasta La Gadget!

We thought the Samsung Focus was the only Windows Phone 7 launch device that could replace its external storage, but the HTC HD7 can apparently do the same — there’s an SD card slot under that Windows Phone logo, and The Unwired managed to replace it while dodging the dreaded “There’s a storage error” screen. What sort of black magic did the publication cast to make it recognize the new card? They’re not quite sure themselves, but several factory resets and physical reinsertion of the chip seemed to do the trick, if only for an 8GB card. If you’re in a daring mood, let us know if it works for you in comments below!

Update: HTC tells us that this particular surgery’s a risky one, not only for your warranty but the connectivity of your phone. Here’s what you’re getting yourself into, according to a senior company rep:

While this is not technically impossible, one thing that is important to know is that the process of removing the cover to access these components is actually very tricky – and in many cases, will result in the antenna section being irreparably detached from the circuit board (rendering the phone unusable). Additionally, to actually replace the card, a few reasonably important parts have to be forcibly removed. So, just a good warning to anyone thinking of attempting this maneuver is that the possibility of bricking is extremely high, and will, of course, void the product warranty.

HTC HD7 has hidden microSD slot, user-replacable card? (update: risky business) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As sure as the sun, Amazon’s just announced it’ll be bringing Kindle to the Windows Phone 7 platform sometime “in the coming months.” The app was shown briefly today at Microsoft’s Professional Developers Conference (PDC 2010) and, based both on that and the official screenshot from Amazon’s teaser page (above), it’s definitely wearing that stylish WP7 aesthetic quite well. Press release after the break, and check out More Coverage for a couple screenshots from its PDC presentation (care of istartedsomething’s Long Zheng and his Flickr account). And while you wait for its inevitable release, we have full confidence you’ll be able to find another platform to enjoy your Kindle books. Trust us.

Continue reading Kindle for Windows Phone 7 revealed, due ‘in the coming months’

Kindle for Windows Phone 7 revealed, due ‘in the coming months’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve already known that Adobe would be bringing Flash Player 10.1 to Windows Phone 7, but the company has just now made that fully official at its currently-happening MAX conference (alongside its Air 2.5 announcement), and it’s also confirmed exactly which other mobile platforms the plug-in will be headed to. That includes WebOS 2.0, which we’ve already seen first hand, along with BlackBerry OS, Symbian, MeeGo and, last but not least, the LiMo platform — those will all of course join Android 2.2, which already supports the plug-in. Unfortunately, there’s still no timeline for a release on each platform, with Adobe only saying that Flash 10.1 is “expected” to hit each mobile OS. Head on past the break for the relevant snippet from Adobe’s press release.

Continue reading Adobe confirms Flash Player 10.1 is coming to BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7 and more

Adobe confirms Flash Player 10.1 is coming to BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7 and more originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even though we’ve seen a torrent of Windows Phone 7 devices, we couldn’t leave you hanging on a review of the Samsung Focus. In the last few days, a flurry of new Microsoft-powered devices have hit the market, boasting slight differences, but all looking and acting largely the same. We’ve taken a deep dive on the operating system itself, the Omnia 7, Optimus 7, Mozart, HD7, and Surround (phew!) — now it’s time to focus on the, er… Focus. The device itself has a lot in common with its European brother, the Omnia 7, boasting the same 4-inch Super AMOLED display, 8GB of internal storage, 1GHz CPU, and 5 megapixel camera. The device will soon go on sale in America for $199.99 on AT&T’s network — in fact, it’s the only Windows Phone 7 device you’ll be able to buy on the network when they go public on November 8th. But is it really worth your hard earned cash when there are so many other options in the market? Read on for the full Engadget review to find out!

Update: Just a note, the HD7 will also be available (for T-Mobile) on November 8th and we’ve updated the above information to reflect that.

Update 2: We had the numbers wrong on the RAM / ROM. It’s 512MB and 1GB, respectively.

This review is primarily of the Samsung Focus hardware. Check out our full review of Windows Phone 7 for our thoughts on the OS.

Continue reading Samsung Focus review

Samsung Focus review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If last night’s cameo showing off the official Twitter client for Windows Phone 7 wasn’t enough of a hint, yes, we’ve gotten our hands on LG’s Optimus 7. This 3.8-inch machine will serve as LG’s international WP7 ambassador while Americans get to grips with its QWERTY keyboard-equipped Quantum brother. As you’ll no doubt be aware by now, the internal equipment is standardized around Microsoft’s chassis spec, meaning a WVGA screen resolution, a 1GHz Snapdragon inside, and a 5 megapixel camera shooting 720p video at 24fps. You’d think, therefore, that it’d be a nondescript, middle-of-the-road option, but the Optimus 7 left us extremely impressed after our first hands-on and we’re eager to keep digging for more. Does it put up a righteous fight against the more ambitious HD7 from HTC and Omnia 7 from Samsung? Jump past the break to find out.

This review is primarily of the LG Optimus 7 hardware. Check out our full review of Windows Phone 7 for our thoughts on the OS.

Continue reading LG Optimus 7 review

LG Optimus 7 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 12:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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