Nokia 808 PureView coming to the US after all

Nokia's groundbreaking, 41-megapixel smartphone will be officially released in North America

Nokia's upcoming 808 PureView, which will include a gigantic 41-megapixel camera sensor

Despite rumors to the contrary, the president of Nokia U.S. has confirmed that the company's amazing 41-megapixel smartphone, the 808 PureView, will be receiving an official North American release.

American users have been waiting with baited breath for the Finnish manufacturer to throw caution to the wind and release the device in the U.S, and after recently confirming plans to release it down Mexico's way, the fine folks in Espoo have obliged!

The device, which won best in show at February's Mobile World Congress, will be launched through selected retailers. Although the phone won't be picked up by any carriers, it will offer support for two of the nation's most popular: AT&T and T-Mobile.

In an interview given to PCMag, Chris Weber spoke about the company's recent highs and lows, and when asked about the future of the 808 PureView he responded by saying that "We'll figure out a way to make that available in the U.S. in the next couple of months." That statement is likely to be music to the ears of photography majors.

There's no word yet on which retailers will be stocking the device, or indeed, what pricing Nokia has in mind. But you can rest assured we'll have our noses to ground and will bring you all you need to know as soon as it surfaces

Samsung Introduces 4" Omnia M Windows Phone 7.5 Smartphone

If there's one company beyond Nokia that seems dead-set on supporting Windows Phone as a platform, it's Samsung. Just after launching the Focus 2 for AT&T, now Samsung is introducing the Omnia M, a sleek looking slate-style phone that'll ship first in Europe before bringing more of Microsoft's mobile OS to more places. As for specifications, there's a 1GHz processor, 4" Super AMOLED display, Samsung’s ChatON communication service, Samsung AllShare, Music Hub, and access to SkyDrive. There's an HSDPA 7.2Mbps cellular radio, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n module, a 1500mAh battery and microUSB. It'll ship with Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango), 4GB of user memory and 384MB of RAM. No word on pricing yet, but we're guessing it'll be quite affordable on contract. 

What the Windows Phone OS Offers Mobile Users

Everyone these days are either talking about Android or iOS devices. This rings true in both consumer and corporate markets. Both of these companies are battling it out for the top position among end users. One of them, Google, is open source and comes in a wide range of phones and form factors. The other mobile operating system, iOS, is tied to Apple’s ecosystem and exclusive to the iPhone. However, there is also a third player in this market that is emerging and this platform is Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7. Like Google’s Android platform, Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 platform is outsourced to various hardware vendors. Microsoft doesn’t make the hardware itself or rely on a single manufacturer. Companies like Samsung or Nokia come up with the hardware. It is also quite different from the other two in regard features, expectations and integration of the Windows environment through a user interface called Metro and tiles.

Windows Phone was launched in the second half of 2010 and first half of 2011 depending on what region of the world you live in. It is a successor to the Windows Mobile platform that was geared to enterprise users who wanted to use traditional Microsoft software on their handsets as if they were sitting in front of tablets, PCs, and notebooks. However, mobile phones are different devices entirely and Microsoft is learning this with the Windows Phone platform. Microsoft originally partnered up with Nokia as the main hardware manufacturer for the platform, as reported by PC World – although now there are other vendors also utilizing Windows Phone.

The User Interface and Features

The OS comes with a user interface, Metro, that the upcoming Windows 8 for tablets will also feature – although modified for larger displays and Windows 8 features. This means Microsoft is targeting ease-of-use over technical functionality and made the OS as consumer-friendly as possible. Tiles, central to Metro, are kind of like apps you come to know and expect on iOS, but look and feel much different.

An innovative search function – also sometimes referred to as a Web search engine– that is also included in Windows Phone 7, is called “Bing.” This feature allows users to search for things using audio, voice and vision. For instance, you can find a song and let the phone figure out what it is by allowing it to listen to it playing in the room. Bing Vision allows you to use your handset’s camera to look up product information by bringing the object to view. This is the type of unique interaction that Windows Phone really excels at, and separates itself from the competition, including the iPhone despite Siri now being available.

Windows Phone 7 also includes organization and social network integration through a service called “Hubs.” The Hubs combine local and online content and allow for users to have integrated content to social networks. A “People Hub” is used to organize contacts. This service allows contacts to be imported from social networks such as Facebook, Windows Live, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Microsoft launched a piece of hardware in 20009 called Zune HD that was a multimedia device designed to compete with Apple’s iPod. However, it didn’t catch on with consumers. There were also previous Zune products including a Toshiba-branded 1089 that was created in 2006 with Microsoft’s cooperation. These devices were more similar to early iPod models pre-touch. Despite this, Microsoft has continued to support Zune software for Windows Phone handsets. This is an entertainment and synchronization software akin to iTunes in a way and allows users to have integration between PCs and Windows Phone handsets. Windows Phone hardware is seen as the successor product line to the Zune HD by many sources and Microsoft is said to have encouraged the transition in late 2011.

There are a couple different versions right now of Windows Phone 7 OS. One of them is called the Mango and is also referred to as Windows Phone 7.5. This is really the second version of Microsoft’s consumer operating system geared for handset users – or an update to a first-generation OS depending on the way you want to look at it. This means that Microsoft still is behind Apple and Google related consumer-based mobile OS experiences – remember Microsoft has traditionally been an enterprise-focused company. However, Mango takes many standard features Android and iOS users come to expect and integrates them into the Windows Metro environment. According to an Engagdet review of Mango, it was released in late 2011 and comes with over 500 new features.

How Windows Phones Compare to Android and iOS Devices

Like Google’s Android OS, one of the many complaints you may hear related to the Windows Phone platform is the lack of apps and developer support. This is obvious when drawing comparisons to the iPhone. However, Microsoft is providing some great incentives to developers including providing financial backing and giving away devices to get development support for the platform. This should continue as Windows 8 enters the scene with tablets and Windows Phone 8 handsets. Remember, this is Microsoft’s first consumer-based platform and it has only been out for a couple years.

According to CNET, “Microsoft has eagerly contributed money to developers, anywhere from $60,000 to $600,000, to help build apps. That’s the type of cash the developers themselves could never raise on their own.”

One Windows Phone aspect that has been gaining fans is the clean and functional Metro interface. It comes with mainly two home screens to toggle between and makes it hard for users to get lost looking for specific apps.

There is a lot more variation in terms of carriers, sizes, shapes, and looks when picking a Windows Phone over the iPhone. The iPhone comes packed with a standard size and you can expect certain features. However, this isn’t the case with the Windows Phone platform. Right now, Windows Phone is a lot more similar to Android than it is to iOS.

Conclusion

Even though Microsoft failed with the Zune, and hasn’t been supporting smartphone hardware themselves, some latest players have finally come around to using Windows Phone 7 to the fullest. One of these is the Nokia Lumia 900. Whether the Lumia can pose a significant threat to the iPhone or Android handset remains to be seen. It seems Microsoft finally understands the consumer market. It will be a gamble for them to be able to catch up to Apple anytime soon, but it is good seeing a variety of competent smartphones on the marketplace at once. This will force Apple and Google to continue innovating features in their smartphone operating systems. It also gives consumers more choices, which is always a good thing

Nokia patent appeal dismissed

A British court dismissed Nokia’s appeal against a June 2011 High Court ruling which found the Finnish mobile phone maker was infringing a patent of Germany’s IPCom.

Nokia said the dismissal would not affect its sales in Britain, although IPCom said it would still seek an injunction on sales of Nokia phones in Britain.

Last June a court in London ruled the 100A patent held by IPCom was valid, marking a major victory for the German firm in its long legal battle with Finnish phone maker.

Nokia and IPCom have been fighting in several courts for five years over the patents and Nokia has said IPCom’s licensing fee demands are excessive and unjustifiable.

The iPhone 5 will destroy the Samsung Galaxy S3

New iPhone

Published on May 10, 2012

  

The Samsung Galaxy S2 is, hands-down, one of the greatest smartphones ever created, joining the likes of the HTC Desire, iPhone 4 and Nokia 3310 in the immortals club. The slab-like device had everything today’s modern user expected from a flagship handset: a gorgeous display, bleeding-edge hardware, an intuitive UI and a great overall design.

Following its release the Galaxy S2 went on to sell by the boatload with sales recently hitting the 30-million+ mark. This combined with Samsung’s other ventures – Windows Phone and Bada – cemented the Korean manufacturer as the world’s number one mobile phone maker, ending Nokia’s 14-year reign at the top of the market.

Apple retained the mantle of world’s biggest ‘smartphone’ manufacturer, as of Q1 2012, having sold 35 million iPhone devices during the quarter. Samsung wasn’t far behind though with smartphones sales of 32 million, putting it in a very close second place – all of a sudden the plethora of lawsuits issued during 2011 begin to make sense.

Going forward into 2012-2013, therefore, means that Samsung needs another Galaxy S2-like device to ensure that it maintains it’s current growth. That device, at least for the latter part of 2012, was meant to be the Galaxy S3. But the handset didn’t make much of a lasting impression at its official London launch on May 3 2012. Check our first-look at the Galaxy S3 here.

Samsung’s iPhone 4S

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is essentially the iPhone 4S. It’s an incremental update, bringing some extra oomph in the specs department and lots of voice-oriented stuff, but little else. The iPhone 4S, at least, kept its build quality. The Galaxy S2 looks better, as well as feels better, than its successor – and that’s never good.

Don’t believe us? We asked several non-tech-minded people in the office to pick the newest model out of the Galaxy S2 and the Galaxy S3. 90 per cent said the Galaxy S2 looked newer and more modern. We have to agree, as well, the Galaxy S2 is a far better looking device, featuring more attractive styling and a far superior build quality. Samsung was insane not to have acknowledged this fact back when the device was on the drawing board.

Exynos 5

The Galaxy S3, although running on the undoubtedly impressive Exynos 4212 Quad chipset, will be bested by therelease of Samsung’s next-generation Exynos 5 CPU later on in Q4 2012. Does this mean Samsung will produce a new launch device to debut this ultra-powerful A-15 Dual Core mobile CPU inside?

God knows. Cortex-A9 is still very much the flavour of the month at present. So, we’re not disputing the power of Samsung’s new Exynos 4 setup, but the A-15 Cortex Exynos 5 that’s scheduled for release in the latter part of 2012 will absolutely destroy the Exynos 4 chip inside the Galaxy S3.

Surely Samsung will want a device to debut its new ultra-power efficient A15-based dual core system-on-a-chip (SOC) inside? Either that or it will wait until mid-2013 to unveil a new flagship handset or launch a new Galaxy Tab that uses it.

Apple’s A6 CPU

There’s a lot of talk about Apple’s A6 CPU circulating as the launch of the iPhone 5 draws ever closer. Some reports claim it will be an ultra-powerful Cortex-A15 dual core SOC, like Samsung’s Q4-bound Exynos 5 setup.

Other reports, rather more conservatively, say that Apple will stick with a Cortex-A9 dual core chipset, similar to the one used in the iPhone 4S. Massive changes in the design and display size, as well as the inclusion of LTE, will be enough for the vast majority of punters. Could Apple just got with a slightly modified version of its A5X chipset?

The iPhone 5 will look better

If there’s one thing Apple can do well it is design. The iPhone 4’s design, now two years old, still looks contemporary, especially when compared to some of its peers like the HTC Desire or Nokia N8. Use these handsets as a point of reference and you’ll see where we’re coming from – the iPhone 4/iPhone 4S is a gorgeous handset.

But the iPhone 5 should see some big changes in the design department. At present no one is 100 per cent sure what these changes will be, but what is certain is that the iPhone 5 will not look like the iPhone 4S. That means a new chassis, a larger display and significantly different proportions.

Samsung Focus 2 Versus Nokia Lumia 900: Which is the Better Sub-$100 Windows Phone?

Samsung Focus 2 Versus Nokia Lumia 900(Photo: Samsung | Nokia | M & A)

The Focus 2 is Samsung's first Windows Phone handset to offer 4G LTE connectivity. On top of that, Samsung is pricing the device at $50 on AT&T (with 2 year contract), which is definitely a plan to undermine the Nokia Lumia 900, which goes for $99 with a 2-year contract.Samsung might have the Android market under control with its Galaxy line of smartphones, but things are quite different in the world of Windows Phone where Nokia and its Lumia line rules the coop. On Monday, Samsung officially announced the Samsung Focus 2, the company's latest 4G LTE offering on the Windows Phone platform.

Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Mobile said in a statement: "Samsung is the unmatched leader in offering smartphones across a variety of platforms and the Focus 2 is a powerful example of our continued commitment to Windows Phone." 

 "As our first 4G LTE Windows Phone, the Focus 2 is a fast and versatile device for productivity, entertainment and social networking."

The Focus 2 is the successor to the original Samsung Focus, which was released way back in 2010 as one of the very first Windows Phone devices. It follows after the Samsung Focus S and Focus Flash, which were all released 2011.

The big question now that requires an answer is, how does the Samsung Focus 2 stack up against the Nokia Lumia 900, which it will be directly competing with. Both devices are sub-$100 smartphones, both run the latest version of Windows Phone 7.5, but there are some big differences between the two that consumers should consider before taking the plunge.

Screen size

The Nokia Lumia 900 has a huge 4.3-inch Clear Black AMOLED display, while the Samsung Focus 2 could only manage a 4-inch Super AMOLED display. Winner - Lumia 900

Cameras

Samsung added the same amount of megapixels to the Focus 2 that is found in the original Focus, which is 5 megapixels. We do not yet know if it takes better stills, what we do know is it has the ability to take 720p HD videos, something every Windows Phone handset is capable of doing. Nokia on the other hand took it a step further with an 8-megapixel camera with a dual LED flash. The camera is also capable of taking 720p HD videos.

When it comes to front-facing camera, Nokia steps it up again with a 1.3-meapixel front facing cam, while the Focus 2 chooses to focus on a meager 0.3 megapxel VGA cam. Winner - Lumia 900

Internal Storage

Both devices have internal storage but lack a microSD card port. This is a restriction brought on by Microsoft, so there is nothing much handset makers can do about that. However, Samsung found a way to bend the rules with the first Focus when the company added a microSD card slot. Too bad it didn't do the same for the Focus 2. We understand that only 8GB of storage will be found in the Focus 2, while the Nokia Lumia 900 is rocking twice that with its 16GB internal storage. Winner - Lumia 900

4G LTE Connectivity

No winner here, folks. Both the Samsung Focus 2 and the Lumia 900 are packing 4G LTE on AT&T, which is a good sign for the Windows Phone platform. Winner - Draw

Design

This is a no brainer, really. Nokia is well known for its designing prowess, and the company came out guns blazing with the its first Windows Phone, the Lumia 800 which has one of the best smartphone design we have ever seen. The Lumia 900 followed suit with a similar design as Nokia continues to work its way back to the top of the food chain.

The Focus 2 design is similar to countless Android smartphones, and to make matters worse, it's made of plastic, for crying out loud. Winner - Lumia 900

Finally, price

Because of the cheap plastic design and overall weaker specifications than the Lumia 900, the Samsung Focus 2 walks away with this one. It will be available on AT&T for only $50 with a two year contract. The Nokia Lumia 900 is a little bit more expensive at $99 with a two year contract. Winner - Focus 2

Verdict

Obviously the Nokia Lumia 900 came out on top here. The Samsung Focus 2 might be cheaper at $50, but we believe it would be a better investment to get the Lumia 900 if you want a phone that is built to last, more storage, better camera, bigger screen, and better design. When it comes to applications, Nokia exclusive apps for the Lumia line of devices are unmatched. So not only would you be a part of the Windows Phone ecosystem, you would also be a part of Nokia's own ecosystem as well.

Nokia Lumia 900 review

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Product Nokia Lumia 900

Specifications 1.4GHz single-core processor, 512MB RAM, Windows Phone 7.5 Mango, 4.3in 800x400 AMOLED Clearblack touchscreen, 16GB internal storage, 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera, WCDM, HSPA+ Cat14 21 Mbit/s, HSPA+ Dual Carrier 42 Mbit/s, WiFi, Bluetooth, 128x69x11.5mm, 160g
Price Free from £35 a month on two-year contract, £470 SIM free

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THE LATEST PRODUCT of the Microsoft and Nokia love-in has arrived in the form of the 4.3in Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone 7.5 smartphone. The handset is essentially a larger version of the Lumia 800 aiming to appeal to those who are after a sizeable Windows Phone device, perhaps as a Live Tiled alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S III. Although Microsoft's mobile operating system remains still under-developed when pitted against the competition, this is without a doubt the best Windows Phone yet.

Design
The chassis of Nokia's Lumia 900 is, like that of the Lumia 800, crafted from a single piece of polycarbonate plastic and is available in black, cyan or white. The Finns' have kept the squarish angular casing of the Lumia 900's predecessor, a design we loved and still do.

Buttons and ports remain just as sparse too, as all you'll find is a small microUSB port and an audio jack port, and on/off, volume and camera keys on the right-hand side. Underneath the screen are three capacitive shortcut keys, which are Back, Home and Search.

One noticeable difference between the two phones, though, is the size of the Nokia Lumia 900. It measures 128x69x11.5mm, which, although skinnier than its 117x61x12mm predecessor, feels a lot bigger when held in the hand. While this extra bulk will no doubt put off a few buyers, we can't help but view it as more of that gorgeous polycarbonate casing.

Usually when reviewing a phone, we're nervous that we'll end up scuffing the casing or scratching the screen, but that was different with the Lumia 900. Since the pigment - in our case cyan - is injected into the casing during production the Lumia 900 chassis is completely scratch proof, and it feels reassuringly tough when held in the hand.

Screen
The display is a 4.3in 480x800 touchscreen with Clearblack technology, and it comes skinned with a rugged Gorilla Glass coating. A screen with a WVGA resolution might not sound too exciting on paper, but it certainly manages to impress when it's held in the hand.

It might not boast the curvaceous styling of the Lumia 800, but colours are impressively rich and sharp, and the picture is full of detail and incredibly bright. In fact, we were even wowed when comparing it to the Iphone 4 retina display, as the screen on the Lumia 900 proved much more vibrant