Hasta La Gadget!

Looks like Microsoft took Big Red’s challenge and decided to respond in kind, as the official Windows Phone Twitter feed claims that Windows Phone 7 devices are finally headed to Verizon. They’ll allegedly arrive this holiday season, a good bit earlier than we were told, but we doubt you’re exactly dismayed to get your hands on CDMA WP7 phones ahead of schedule. You know how we hate to mince words, but “devices” does suggest more than one phone, and those of you warily eying your local retailer’s selection of Christmas lights could even argue that “this holiday season” has already begun. So when, exactly, will we get these handsets… and which ones?

Update: The original entry hasn’t been pulled, but there’s a brand-new tweet now, reading “Verizon is a valued partner and we look forward to seeing Windows Phone 7 devices in their stores in 2011,” which doesn’t quite refute the idea of seeing devices in time for Yuletide too. Needless to say, we’ve pinged Verizon and hope to clear up this matter soon.

[Thanks, Jay and Jonathan D.]

Windows Phone 7 hitting Verizon stores ‘this holiday season,’ according to Microsoft tweet (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  @windowsphone (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments

Still have your hopes up about a Windows Phone 7 slider from Sony Ericsson? Then you might want to dial back those expectations, at least according to Sony Ericsson France CEO Pierre Perron. He recently told French newspaper Les Echos that while Sony Ericsson has indeed been in talks with Microsoft about Windows Phone 7, the company is not likely to pursue it because it would “run the risk of standardizing our smartphones,” adding that (roughly translated), “we would be obliged to fight only on design and price, which we want to avoid.” Perron also seemed to outright dismiss the idea of a tablet from Sony Ericsson (be it Android or otherwise), flatly stating that the company doesn’t want to be the “24th” tablet on the market. Of course, it could well be a different story a few months or a year down the line, but it certainly doesn’t sound like Sony Ericsson will be straying far from its current strategy at the moment.

Sony Ericsson France CEO says Windows Phone 7 handsets aren’t likely, neither is a tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear  |  Les Echos  | Email this | Comments

Internet Explorer not stirring your cup of Windows Phone 7 tea correctly? Well, you now have an alternative in the form of a new browser that’s arrived in the Marketplace: Browser+. It does seem to have been built on IE code rather than its own framework, so don’t get your hopes up for Chrome to Phone on WP7 any time soon. Anyhow, the new app’s been given a test drive by a couple of sites, who note it integrates a view of your current tabs and a Google search box right into the general web view, providing a slightly more accessible interface than the default option, while also throwing in a private surfing mode for the paranoid among us. A few crashes and bugs have been spotted in Browser+ so far, but hey, it’s cheap and it at least gives us hope for a less monotheistic browsing experience. See it in video action after the break.

Continue reading Windows Phone 7 will work with third party browsers, so long as they’re based on IE? (video)

Windows Phone 7 will work with third party browsers, so long as they’re based on IE? (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 06:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Pocketnow  |  WPCentral  | Email this | Comments

It’s unclear whether Verizon will ever get HTC’s 7 Pro, but it’s a lock that Big Red will eventually have some manner of Windows Phone 7 gear in its lineup — and now we’ve got one in the flesh. Looks like HTC will be remixing the Trophy for use on CDMA networks, featuring a 3.8-inch WVGA display, 5 megapixel cam, 16GB of storage, and 802.11n, and Verizon is circulating a brochure for Microsoft employees saying they’ll be able to buy the Trophy in “early 2011” for $199.99 at launch when they renew their contracts now (they’ll also get a leather case and a car charger for free, but hey, they’re Microsofties). Oh, and that’s not the best part: the Trophy is also identified as being a “quad band global phone,” meaning you’ll be able to roam on GSM networks when you leave the US behind — a feature Verizon seems to be pushing pretty hard across its smartphone lineup now. Follow the break for a bigger version of the pamphlet.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Continue reading HTC Trophy with Windows Phone 7 coming to Verizon in ‘early 2011’

HTC Trophy with Windows Phone 7 coming to Verizon in ‘early 2011’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Let’s face it, it’s a question the world’s been dying to know the answer to: which of the T-Mobile G2, HTC Surround and iPhone 4 will withstand a (literal) grilling the longest? Well, just in time for a mildly singed breakfast today, we have the answer. As you might have surmised from the title, HTC’s WP7-equipped Surround showed the most endurance, though in the end it too cashed out its Earthly credits and moved on to that great scrapyard in the sky. Video of its final moments awaits after the break.

Continue reading Windows Phone 7 beats iPhone 4 and Android … in a grilling contest (video)

Windows Phone 7 beats iPhone 4 and Android … in a grilling contest (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 06:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  EZGrill (YouTube)  | Email this | Comments