Bloomberg: Microsoft to pay Nokia ‘more than $1 billion’ to make Windows Phones

Though neither Nokia nor CEO Stephen Elop ever said there was an exchange of billions of dollars as a part of the company’s tie-up with Microsoft for the Windows Phone platform, Bloomberg is sourcing “two people with knowledge of the terms” in saying that something in excess of $1 billion is flowing from Redmond to Espoo. Though the deal isn’t yet finalized — Elop said as much back at MWC — it’d apparently call for Microsoft to pay out at least some of the cash upfront with Nokia sending cash in the other direction for device licenses. Interestingly, the deal is said to give Microsoft access to parts of Nokia’s expansive patent portfolio — and they’ll have it for quite some time, too: the contract’s apparently going to be good for “more than five years.” That’s more than most marriages, it seems (and roughly as expensive).

Bloomberg: Microsoft to pay Nokia ‘more than $1 billion’ to make Windows Phones originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Ericsson Windows Phone 7 device said to be just an ‘old prototype’

Get your hopes up about that Sony Ericsson Windows Phone 7 slider that surfaced over the weekend? Well, then we’re afraid we’ve got a bit of bad news. According to Mobile Review’s Eldar Murtazin, it’s just an “old prototype that was canceled last year.” As we mentioned previously, however, that shouldn’t exactly come as a huge surprise, considering that Sony Ericsson has repeatedly stated that a move to Windows Phone 7 is highly unlikely given the company’s commitment to Android, and given the fact that we’ve already heard of a since-scrapped WP7 prototype that sounds suspiciously like the one pictured above.

Sony Ericsson Windows Phone 7 device said to be just an ‘old prototype’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft’s Windows Phone ‘mango’ update to miss 2011 target? (updated)

Paul Thurrott has been a trusted insider on all things Microsoft for as long as we can remember. As such, it’s worth paying attention to a recent article he published on Windows IT Pro that calls for Microsoft’s first “NoDo” Windows Phone 7 feature update to hit as early as this week. Of course, Steve Ballmer said it was coming in “early March” so that’s not much of a prediction. What really caught our attention are Paul’s comments about “Mango” — the big WP7 feature update that Microsoft says will bring multitasking, IE9, and Twitter integration to Windows Phone handsets later in 2011. According to Thurott’s sources, Mango won’t be finalized until the end of the year making a release to consumers in 2011 a “near impossibility.” Ouch. How this might affect Nokia’s Windows Phone 2011 launch plans hopes — rumored to be waiting for Mango — remains to be seen.

Update: Mary Jo Foley, who’s got a few Microsofties in her own back pocket, says that she’s hearing that Microsoft recently promised OEMs and carriers Mango by “early fall at the latest” — just in time for a holiday consumer launch. It’s real life he-said she-said rumor flagellation folks!

Microsoft’s Windows Phone ‘mango’ update to miss 2011 target? (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 06:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia sells Qt commercial licensing and services business to Digia


Now that Nokia has shifted to a Windows Phone-centric smartphone strategy, it’s only natural for the company to divest itself of responsibility with regard to the Qt framework at the heart of Symbian and MeeGo development — a platform Nokia acquired from Trolltech back in January of 2008. We just got word that Digia will acquire the Qt commercial licensing and services business from Nokia, including the transfer of some 3,500 desktop and embedded customers actively using Qt today. Sebastian Nyström, Nokia Vice President, Application and Service Frameworks, had this to say about the agreement:

“Nokia will continue to invest in developing Qt as a cross-platform framework for mobile, desktop and embedded segments, focusing on open source development and expansion, we wanted a partner who can drive the commercial licensing and services business around Qt. Digia has proven, in-depth Qt expertise, operational excellence and a keen interest in growing and improving the overall Qt community and so well positioned to expand the Qt Commercial licensing and services business.”

So, if you’re interested in developing in Qt commercially, Digia will be your contact just as soon as the transaction completes sometime later this month.

[Thanks, Nisse]

Continue reading Nokia sells Qt commercial licensing and services business to Digia

Nokia sells Qt commercial licensing and services business to Digia originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 05:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS’ Jerry Shen pledges 3D tablet, MeeGo and Android netbooks, plus a 2012 Windows Phone

ASUS (A-seuss) CEO Jerry Shen is rarely a man without a good quote or two for journalists and this year’s CeBIT has been no exception. Sitting down for a chat with some Russian scribes, Shen outlined ASUS’ general product roadmap, which includes a 3D tablet (the iPad 2-threatening secret weapon, perhaps?), Atom-based netbooks for both MeeGo and Android platforms, and a Windows Phone device that should be with us next year. An aside from his PR aide Mae Wang also states that ASUS aims to be second in the tablet market by 2012, with a giant five to eight percent market share. We’re sure the Apple board are all shaking in their hemp sandals right now. Anyhow, hit up the source for the full story.

ASUS’ Jerry Shen pledges 3D tablet, MeeGo and Android netbooks, plus a 2012 Windows Phone originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 09:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Updated Windows Phone 7 update isn’t updating some Samsung phones for March update

Man, talk about a flustercuck. After missing a cycle with its mobile phone strategy, the last thing Microsoft needed was a support fiasco related to its very first Windows Phone 7 software update. But after re-releasing a patched software update meant to solve the update issues seen by some Samsung owners, we’re now seeing reports of a new issue on Twitter and in a variety of support forums and blog comments. At the moment, there’s no clear fix to the dilemma characterized by a wonderfully descriptive “error code 800705B4.” Unfortunately, what solves the problem for some (reboots, removing apps, freeing up space on the handset) doesn’t work for others. Microsoft’s official Windows Phone 7 Support Twitter account has responded to one frustrated customer saying, “We are aware of the error code are are looking into it right now,” telling another to hold off on the update while MS investigates. Funny thing is, this minor WP7 update wasn’t meant to do anything except prepare phones for the first feature update scheduled for early March. Not funny ha ha.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Updated Windows Phone 7 update isn’t updating some Samsung phones for March update originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 04:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft resumes WP7 update for ‘bricked’ Samsung handsets

After much brouhaha and rigmarole, Microsoft appears to be back on track with its inaugural Windows Phone 7 software update. An update that wasn’t actually supposed to do anything but prepare that first wave of WP7 devices for their first real update but, ironically, left about 10 percent of WP7 owners with issues including some precision-built Samsung paperweights. Last night Microsoft issued an update on the matter saying that the February update for Samsung handsets has been fixed, resuming its rolling release schedule. Great, with this hopefully behind us, maybe we can now focus on the first real update scheduled for “early March” that will finally check off the platform’s infamous lack of copy ‘n paste on the road to multitasking, Twitter integration, and a vastly improved IE9 browser later in the year.

Microsoft resumes WP7 update for ‘bricked’ Samsung handsets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 03:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Trophy spotted in the wild, sporting Verizon logo

If you had any remaining doubts whether the HTC Trophy would be playing for Team Red, you can leave them at the door — a tipster just sent us a high-res version of the above image, and says it’s running the latest version of Windows Phone 7, complete with copy/paste support. Our anonymous source says it seems exactly the same physically as the European version we reviewed in October, save for a last telling tweak — instead of the orangish-yellow innards, it’s got red highlights around back.

[Thanks, Anonymouse]

HTC Trophy spotted in the wild, sporting Verizon logo originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Phone’s new UI and Xbox games are most exciting aspects of Microsoft deal, says Nokia poll

In search for feedback on its momentous decision to dump Symbian in favor of Windows Phone, Nokia has put up the above poll on its Conversations website canvassing opinions about what users anticipate most out of the new deal. There’s no consensus choice, with the equivocation of reactions being underlined by the fact that the “Other” option was the modal response, however of the given categories, a UI refresh and Xbox-related gaming boons turned out to be most important. No surprises there, Symbian’s touchscreen UI shortcomings are well known about while the Xbox tie-up has been one of Microsoft’s big selling points for Windows Phone 7 since its start. We’d just ask Nokia to be quick about delivering on these things — spending too long in anticipation mode won’t be good for our health.

Windows Phone’s new UI and Xbox games are most exciting aspects of Microsoft deal, says Nokia poll originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Feb 2011 09:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Phone 7 coming to Verizon in March, starting with HTC 7 Trophy?

With Sprint starting up its Windows Phone 7 adventure on March 20th with the HTC Arrive, Verizon is now said to be matching its CDMA competitor with its own offering, the HTC 7 Trophy. We already knew this particular handset would be coming to this particular network in “early 2011,” but now WinRumors has narrowed that down to a launch at some point in late March. Verizon’s announcement is expected as early as February 28th, this coming Monday, and we’re hearing the NoDo update — the one with copy and paste — should be preloaded on the device from the start. Should this solid-sounding rumor bear out as foretold, Microsoft should finally be on all US carriers by the start of April.

[Thanks, Mike]

Windows Phone 7 coming to Verizon in March, starting with HTC 7 Trophy? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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