windows phone 7 series Archive

  • Samsung Windows Phone 7 prototype hands-on

    Samsung Windows Phone 7 prototype hands-on

    Posted on June 22, 2010 | No Comments
    It's been a bit of a unicorn since making a quick appearance at MIX, but we just got the chance to go hands-on with Samsung's Omnia i8910-based Windows Phone 7 prototype phone. Interestingly, we were told that this hardware will never be released to market -- it's just for testing purposes right now. That testing is going quite well, as far as we can see -- Microsoft's people are starting to carry WP7 devices as their personal phones now, and while the software is still quite buggy, the build we saw in action was noticeably faster than before. We were also told that the hardware in the pipeline -- particularly from Samsung -- is apparently quite spectacular, and that this particular device doesn't represent the launch set of devices. We'll have to see -- we actually thought this prototype was quite handsome in person, although it's a little thicker than you might expect. Hit up the gallery for some more pics!

    Samsung Windows Phone 7 prototype hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Microsoft helping OEMs develop unique Windows Phone 7 apps

    Microsoft helping OEMs develop unique Windows Phone 7 apps

    Posted on June 11, 2010 | No Comments
    Here's the simple truth about touchscreen smartphones: it's the software, dummy. Just look around at all the flagship handsets... other than a choice of with or without a QWERTY, today's handsets all look pretty much the same and are built using the same off-the-shelf components with very few exceptions. That's why we see so much skinning on Android handsets -- that's how manufacturers like Motorola (Motoblur), Samsung (TouchWiz), and HTC (Sense) differentiate themselves with consumers. But how's that going to work for Windows Phone 7 devices with Microsoft boxing OEMs in with a narrow set of hardware and software guidelines that restrict them from modifying the user interface? Easy, Microsoft is going to help them write unique apps. At least that's what this June 1st Microsoft job posting for a senior Windows Phone software developer says:
    "We are looking for a strong and experienced developer to help the OEM to design and develop applications that make their devices stand out in the marketplace. You will also help them to bring new phones to market."
    The position would be "working directly with a top Korean cellular phone manufacturer, who has made a large commitment to Windows Phone." Uh, would that be LG or Samsung, we're guessing the former. It'll be interesting to see if these apps are enough to differentiate one touchscreen handset from another. Even more exciting will be watching the homebrew community attempt to hack the manufacturer-specific apps into different handsets in order to create the ultimate Windows Phone 7 superphone... or Frakenphone as the case may be. Regardless, it's clear that Microsoft isn't leaving anything to chance as manfacturers prepare to launch their first devices running Redmond's virgin OS.

    [Thanks, Abed]

    Microsoft helping OEMs develop unique Windows Phone 7 apps originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 05:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Windows Phone 7 pops up on a Samsung prototype device, plays Twin Blades

    Windows Phone 7 pops up on a Samsung prototype device, plays Twin Blades

    Posted on May 26, 2010 | No Comments
    Microsoft's Joe Belfiore certainly piqued our interest at MIX by demoing Windows Phone 7 on an unidentified Samsung handset, but our excitement soon faded when we found out it was just a hacked-up Omnia i8910 and not a real phone. Still, the Sammy remains only the third WP7 device we've seen other than the ASUS-built test mule and the prototype LG Panther that's been popping up recently after debuting on the Engadget Show, so these two videos of it running a recent WP7 build at reMIX in France is still quite notable -- the OS seems fast and responsive, and we're told everything on the device was functional, including the GPS and camera. What's more, there's a demo of an Xbox Live Arcade / iPhone game port called Twin Blades by Press Star Studio -- it was done in a week by one programmer using 90 percent of the Xbox Live code. That's impressive, to say the least.

    Of course, this device may look like an Omnia, but it doesn't have the Omnia's OMAP3 processor -- as per WP7's requirements, the internals have been swapped for a Snapdragon-based board. We're still waiting for Microsoft and its partners to show us some more interesting hardware -- let's face it, the Panther and this Samsung are almost identically boring -- but there's no denying the software itself looks to be coming along quickly. Now let's just hope it launches with enough heat to save Microsoft from another executive shuffle. Video after the break.

    Continue reading Windows Phone 7 pops up on a Samsung prototype device, plays Twin Blades

    Windows Phone 7 pops up on a Samsung prototype device, plays Twin Blades originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 May 2010 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Windows Phone 7: technical tidbits exposed

    Windows Phone 7: technical tidbits exposed

    Posted on May 24, 2010 | No Comments
    Windows Phone 7 architectural documents, the sordid details exposed
    We're in an interesting position with Windows Phone 7. We still don't know what devices will be running the OS nor indeed exactly when they'll be launching, but despite that we've already had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of quality time with not one but two separate versions of Microsoft's mobile revolution. And now, if that weren't enough, we've gained access to a series of detailed architectural documents about the OS courtesy of tweakers.net and HTCPedia.com, documents that detail everything from ringtones to device drivers. It's a couple-hundred pages of generally menial stuff, but there are quite a few nuggets of gold to be found in here, and we've dug them out just for you. Click on through, and let's see what we've got.

    Continue reading Windows Phone 7: technical tidbits exposed

    Windows Phone 7: technical tidbits exposed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 May 2010 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Leaked Windows Phone 7 ROM filename suggests an HTC Mondrian?

    Leaked Windows Phone 7 ROM filename suggests an HTC Mondrian?

    Posted on May 15, 2010 | No Comments
    The lads and lassies at XDA-Developers made an intriguing discovery this week: a leaked 100MB file that might be the first Windows Phone 7 ROM actually destined for a device. What's more, it could possibly reveal details about a phone we barely knew existed -- the filename references an "HTC Mondrian." At best, the contents might reveal wonders beyond imagination, including full specs, bundled apps, even the tools needed to properly shoehorn WP7 onto your existing HTC handset. At worst, the community might never open the blasted file, or discover it's all a clever hoax. There's really no indication either way, so we prefer to dream. If you think you've got what it takes, try cracking the ROM yourself at our source link.

    Leaked Windows Phone 7 ROM filename suggests an HTC Mondrian? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 May 2010 14:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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