Copy and paste coming to Windows Phone 7 in ‘early 2011’ (update)

So, maybe Microsoft meant “people don’t do that in 2010.” At the mega-corp’s UK-based Windows Phone 7 launch event, we were just informed that its hot-off-the-presses mobile OS will be blessed with a software update that’ll add copy and paste functionality in “early 2011.” That’s according to one Andy Less, and while details beyond that are scant, it’s possible that said update will also bring other magical makeovers into the fold. We’re still a little baffled that the company would leave such a seemingly vital part of the software out at launch, but we guess certain corners always have to be cut in order to get something out before a sure-to-be-profitable holiday quarter. And hey, it’s not like we haven’t seen another major mobile OS player pull this same stunt before.

Update: CNET’s Ina Fried got a quick look at an early implementation of copy and paste in Windows Phone 7, and says it works fairly well: You start by clicking on a single word, then drag your finger across the rest of the passage you’d like to transmit to expand your highlighted selection. When you let go, a paste button appears. Sound about right to you?

Copy and paste coming to Windows Phone 7 in ‘early 2011’ (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 10:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T brings U-verse to Windows Phone 7, Xbox 360

Well, it looks like AT&T has a few surprises of its own today — it’s just announced that U-verse Mobile will be heading to Windows Phone 7 this fall and — get this — you don’t even have to be a U-verse customer to use it. Non-customers will have to shell out $9.99 a month to get their mobile TV fix, however, while current U-verse users will be able to take advantage of the service for free — it’s also available nationwide, a first for a U-verse service. In other U-verse news, AT&T has also now confirmed earlier reports that you will be able to use your Xbox 360 as a U-verse receiver, although you’ll obviously have to be a U-verse customer for that. New U-verse customers will be able to order a $99 Xbox kit that includes installation (but not the actual Xbox 360) starting October 15th, while existing customers will apparently have to buy the kit and shell out an additional $55 for installation. Head on past the break for the full press release and a quick video of the Windows Phone 7 app.

Continue reading AT&T brings U-verse to Windows Phone 7, Xbox 360

AT&T brings U-verse to Windows Phone 7, Xbox 360 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 10:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft announces ten Windows Phone 7 handsets for 30 countries: October 21 in Europe and Asia, 8 November in US (Update: Video!)

It may have “Windows” in the branding, but Windows Phone 7 is not the desktop PC experience shoehorned into a cellphone. Microsoft tried that with Windows Mobile… and we all know how that turned out. Today, eight months after the Windows Phone 7 OS unveiling in Barcelona, we’re finally seeing the official launch of the retail hardware: nine new WP7 handsets, some available October 21 in select European and Asian markets and others from early November in the US. The phones will find their way to over 60 cellphone operators in more than 30 countries this year. Microsoft tapped Dell, HTC, LG, and Samsung to deliver the Snapdragon-based handsets with a carrier list that includes AT&T, T-Mobile USA, Vodafone, TELUS, América Móvil, Deutsche Telekom AG, Movistar, O2, Orange, SFR, SingTel, and Telstra. And that’s just for the first wave — Microsoft has even more handsets coming in 2011 including the first for Sprint and Verizon in the US. Here’s the lineup of 480 x 800 pixel (WVGA) phones announced today:

  • HTC 7 Surround — The 3.8-inch T8788 with slideout speaker for AT&T and Telus
  • HTC HD7Schubert comes of age as a 4.3-inch HD2 cousin for T-Mobile and beyond
  • HTC 7 Trophy — the 3.8-inch Spark headed to international carriers
  • HTC 7 Mozart — another heavily leaked int’l player with 3.7-inch display
  • Dell Venue Pro — 4.1-inch portrait QWERTY slider for T-Mobile we broke as Lightning
  • Samsung Focus — AT&T’s 4-inch Super AMOLED slate we broke as Cetus
  • Samsung Omnia 7 — the i8700 is a 4-inch Super AMOLED jobbie for Europe
  • LG Optimus 7/7Q — the E900 is the official 3.8-inch global workhorse
  • LG Quantum — AT&T’s 3.5-inch landscape slider first seen as the C900
  • HTC 7 Pro — a 3.6-inch QWERTY slider for Sprint (2011)

“Glance and Go,” is the slogan Microsoft is using to differentiate itself from an already crowded smartphone market. Something we’ve already seen alluded to in that leaked AT&T ad. As Ballmer notes, “Microsoft and its partners are delivering a different kind of mobile phone and experience – one that makes everyday tasks faster by getting more done in fewer steps and providing timely information in a ‘glance and go’ format.” He’s referring to WP7’s customizable Live Tiles, of course. Xbox Live integration is another biggie with EA Games just announcing its first Xbox Live-enabled wares coming to Windows Phone 7 in the fall including “Need for Speed Undercover,” “Tetris,” “Monopoly,” and “The Sims 3.” The other big differentiators are the slick Metro UI, integrated support for Zune media and Zune Pass subscriptions, Bing search and maps, Windows Live including the free Find My Phone service, and Microsoft Office Mobile.

Now quit stalling and jump past the break for the full list of handsets per carrier and country.

Update: Added the official WP7 overview videos after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft announces ten Windows Phone 7 handsets for 30 countries: October 21 in Europe and Asia, 8 November in US (Update: Video!)

Microsoft announces ten Windows Phone 7 handsets for 30 countries: October 21 in Europe and Asia, 8 November in US (Update: Video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First (legitimate) Windows Phone 7 television ads unveiled (video)

Steve Ballmer talks WP7 today on Today, gets no respect from Matt Lauer

Steve Ballmer’s already working the salesman magic, but Microsoft won’t try to sell you Windows Phone 7 solely on stage — find a pair of familiar-looking debut TV spots for the new platform right after the break.

Continue reading First (legitimate) Windows Phone 7 television ads unveiled (video)

First (legitimate) Windows Phone 7 television ads unveiled (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Venue Pro (aka Lightning) first hands-on!

You see that? That, comrades, is what happens when Lightning strikes! Or, you know, when Venue Pro strikes. So, it doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, but no matter what you call Dell’s Windows Phone 7 portrait slider, it’s downright awesome. We got a chance to play around with an early build of the phone a few weeks ago — as you’ll hear us say in the video below, it was still codenamed the Lightning — and we haven’t been able to get it out of our minds since. The handset has a very similar look and feel to its Android brother, the Thunder — its rounded chrome sides are reminiscent of an iPhone 3G/S, the black contoured back has a nice grippy feel, and the curved, WVGA AMOLED, Gorilla Glass screen is just stunning. The 4.1-inch capacitive, multitouch display is joined by additional back, home and search touch-sensitive buttons, all of which seemed responsive in our short time with the device. The back is also home to a 5 megapixel cam with flash while there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top of the device and a micro-USB port on the bottom edge.

But obviously, it’s that glorious slide-out QWERTY keyboard that makes the Venue Pro, well, so pro. The rubber-feeling keys remind us a lot of those on the Droid 2 — though, they feel a bit firmer — and the slider mechanism felt sturdy when we slid it open and closed a number of times. On the spec front, we were told it was packing a Snapdragon processor, and while the phone seemed to briskly run an early build of WP7, we didn’t get to test much out as Dell was lacking both a SIM and a nearby WiFi network. We’ll be hoping to grab some more time with the T-Mobile version today, but from what we’ve seen so far we’re fairly confident that Dell’s struck pretty darn close to gold here. Oh, and don’t forget to hit the break for a short video walkthrough of the hardware and keyboard.

Continue reading Dell Venue Pro (aka Lightning) first hands-on!

Dell Venue Pro (aka Lightning) first hands-on! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC HD7 is a HD2 lookalike with Windows Phone 7 and 720p video, exclusive to T-Mobile in US

Stop us if you’ve heard these specs before: 4.3-inch WVGA (800 x 480) TFT screen, 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8250 system-on-chip, 576MB of RAM, 5 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, and Microsoft’s latest mobile OS on board. Yes, the HTC HD7 is almost a carbon copy of the much-loved HD2, albeit with a major upgrade to Windows Phone 7 software and an appreciated bump to 720/24p video recording. Beyond those enhancements, American buyers will be greeted with preinstalled Netflix, Slacker, and T-Mobile TV entertainment apps, along with 16GB of built-in storage.

T-Mobile gets the honor of being the exclusive US carrier, with exclusives also going out to O2 in the UK and Ireland and Telstra in Australia. O2 Germany will also distribute the phone, along with Movistar in Spain, Bouygues Telecom in France, and a choice of carriers in Italy. Bear in mind that the non-US HD7s are likely to come with a less capacious 8GB of storage. The phone is scheduled for an October 21 retail debut in Europe, to be followed by a mid-November arrival on US shelves. You’ll find the full press release after the break, although you shouldn’t bother if you expect it to explain why the nearly identical HD2 isn’t getting a WP7 upgrade.

Continue reading HTC HD7 is a HD2 lookalike with Windows Phone 7 and 720p video, exclusive to T-Mobile in US

HTC HD7 is a HD2 lookalike with Windows Phone 7 and 720p video, exclusive to T-Mobile in US originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC 7 Mozart and 7 Trophy set out to conquer the WP7 world, 7 Pro coming to Sprint next year

HTC’s kicking the Windows Phone 7 era off in style today with no less than three new phones scheduled to debut on October 21 in Europe: the HD7, the 7 Mozart, and the 7 Trophy. Both the Mozart and Trophy offer a WVGA LCD screen, a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8250 chipset, 576MB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage, and 720p video recording. Where the 7 Mozart sets itself apart is in having an aluminum unibody construction wrapped around its 3.7-inch display, together with a more advanced 8 megapixel imager and a Xenon flash. The 7 Trophy makes do with an LED flash illuminating 5 megapixels’ worth photons, but it does also come with HTC’s promise to be the most aggressively priced WP7 handset from the company. It’ll be a Vodafone exclusive across the big red network’s global footprint, while the Mozart will be exclusive to Orange in the UK, France, Spain, and Switzerland, exclusive to Deutsche Telekom in Germany, and available on a choice of carriers elsewhere. No peep of an American release for either handset, however.

For the home crowd, Sprint is set to deliver a HTC 7 Pro with a QWERTY keyboard that slides out and tilts — you can see it pictured in the gallery below — at some point in the first half of 2011. It too goes with the same old 1GHz Snapdragon, 576MB of RAM, 5 megapixel cam plus 720p video, and WVGA display resolution (on a 3.6-inch screen), but it gets a bump in storage to 16GB. Full spec sheets for all three phones, along with HTC’s big Windows Phone 7 announcement, await just past the break.

Continue reading HTC 7 Mozart and 7 Trophy set out to conquer the WP7 world, 7 Pro coming to Sprint next year

HTC 7 Mozart and 7 Trophy set out to conquer the WP7 world, 7 Pro coming to Sprint next year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Venue Pro gives WP7 a 4.1-inch QWERTY slider with Lightning heritage and a T-Mobile future

To say we’ve been eagerly anticipating the Dell Lightning would be an understatement along the lines of suggesting Microsoft’s launching a few Windows Phone 7 devices today. Dell’s AMOLED-equipped WP7 debut has just gone official with a cringe-worthy renaming to the Venue Pro for T-Mobile, who has in turn announced its intention to carry the 4.1-inch portrait QWERTY slider “in time for the holidays.” Notably, you won’t be able to purchase the Venue Pro directly from T-Mo stores, as Dell and its choice of handpicked retailers are set to handle the purchasing experience. Don’t look for any AT&T hookups, either — Dell has acknowledged T-Mobile as its “launch partner” for the device, giving team Magenta a second major exclusive, even if this one doesn’t last much beyond the launch period. Needless to say, we’ll seek to confirm the full spec sheet as soon as we can, though the officially known 1GHz Snapdragon chip and 5 megapixel imager agree with the Lightning’s original leak. For more on the fresher than fresh Dell Venue Pro, check out our hands-on pictures and impressions.

Continue reading Dell Venue Pro gives WP7 a 4.1-inch QWERTY slider with Lightning heritage and a T-Mobile future

Dell Venue Pro gives WP7 a 4.1-inch QWERTY slider with Lightning heritage and a T-Mobile future originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC 7 Surround graces AT&T with a slideout speaker, Windows Phone 7 credentials

Need a break? No chance, there are still so many more phones to look at! HTC’s sole Windows Phone 7 launch device for AT&T has just been revealed as the HTC 7 Surround. You’ll remember this as the sexily titled T8788, which made us gape back in August with its unusual design that incorporates a slideout speaker. We can now add an integrated kickstand to the multimedia-friendly physical design, while the spec sheet (available in full after the break) is consistent with the rest of HTC’s lineup. The 7 Surround offers a 3.8-inch WVGA display, a 1GHz Snapdragon chip from yesteryear, 576MB of RAM, 5 megapixel camera with 720p video, and Dolby Mobile and SRS Surround Sound technologies. This unconventional handset will be exclusive with AT&T in the US and Telus in Canada. Pricing in the US will be $199.99 on contract.

Continue reading HTC 7 Surround graces AT&T with a slideout speaker, Windows Phone 7 credentials

HTC 7 Surround graces AT&T with a slideout speaker, Windows Phone 7 credentials originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Ballmer teases three WP7 handsets on Today, gets no respect from Matt Lauer

Steve Ballmer talks WP7 today on Today, gets no respect from Matt Lauer

Today’s going to be a big day for Microsoft, and Steve Ballmer’s kicking it off early. Showing up on the Today show, Samsung Cetus in-hand, he let loose a humble smile and spent a little time showing off a trio of phones. Along with the Cetus, nestled in the middle in the picture below, is an LG C900 on the right and an HTC Mondrian on the left, none of which got as much face time as the man himself, who took a (tersely) polite ribbing from host Matt Lauer about the status of Microsoft’s mobile efforts compared to the competition over the past year, even making mention of Ballmer’s recently cut bonus thanks in part to the Kin debacle. Steve was having none of that, not interested in looking back, showing off an “always consistent” interface that is simply “delightful” according to the man. How delightful is it? Look to learn a lot more as the day progresses.

Update: Thanks to muslimsteel for pointing out in comments you can watch the segment yourself right here.

Continue reading Steve Ballmer teases three WP7 handsets on Today, gets no respect from Matt Lauer

Steve Ballmer teases three WP7 handsets on Today, gets no respect from Matt Lauer originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 08:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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