Microsoft executive claims Surface phone isn't in the works

Microsoft exec says no plans to launch Surface phone

By on April 16, 2013 at 1:45 PM.

Microsoft exec says no plans to launch Surface phone

Microsoft has long been rumored to be building a flagship Surface smartphone for its Windows Phone operating system. In fact, we know there’s a Surface phone in the works, though launch plans are up in the air at this point. Those waiting for the phone to hit store shelves got some bad news on Tuesday as Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows Phone, Terry Myerson, denied that the handset will launch anytime soon while speaking at AllThingsD’s Dive Into Mobile conference. The executive said that if Microsoft were to produce its own smartphone it would be an effort to provide a unique user experience that its Windows Phone partners are not able to achieve, Business Insider reported. For the time being, however, he believes that partners such as HTC and Nokia are already providing a great mobile experience to users.

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Windows Blue Merge Windows 8 Windows Phone

Windows Blue rumored to merge Windows Phone and Windows 8 into one product

By on April 8, 2013 at 1:40 PM.

Windows Blue rumored to merge Windows Phone and Windows 8 into one product

Microsoft’s (MSFT) next version of the Windows operating system, codenamed Windows Blue, will reportedly help merge its PC and mobile platforms, according to Digitimes. Windows Blue is said to currently be in development separate from the Windows 8 and Windows Phone units. Microsoft’s overall goal is said to have the operating system compete with Google’s (GOOG) Android and Chrome platforms. More →

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Android Apple U.S. Market Share

Android has begun to lose ground to Apple

By on April 4, 2013 at 6:18 PM.

Android has begun to lose ground to Apple

The latest comScore numbers were published on Thursday and revealed that Android is starting to lose ground to Apple (AAPL) in the United States. In a three-month period ending in February, Google’s (GOOG) operating system share fell two percentage points to 51.7% while iOS gained 3.9 points for a 38.9% share. BlackBerry’s (BBRY) market share continues to fall and now accounts for 5.4% of the market, however it is expected to gain some ground now that the BlackBerry Z10 is available. Adoption of Microsoft’s (MSFT) Windows Phone platform remained flat, increasing a mere 0.2 points for a 3.2% share of the market. More →

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Amazon Kindle Fire Smartphone Windows Phone

‘Something secret’ in the works as Amazon hires former Windows Phone exec

By on April 2, 2013 at 8:35 AM.

‘Something secret’ in the works as Amazon hires former Windows Phone exec

It has been widely reported that Amazon (AMZN) may be working on a Kindle smartphone that is expected to debut later this year. Adding more fuel to the fire, the company has hired Charlie Kindel, a former general manager at Microsoft (MSFT) who headed the development of Windows Phone’s app platform and developer experience. Little is known about Kindel’s new role at Amazon, although he revealed that he will be a director of “something secret.” More →

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Rumor
Sprint Windows Phone 8 HTC Samsung

Sprint rumored to launch HTC ‘Tiara’ and Samsung Ativ S Windows Phones this summer

By on March 26, 2013 at 10:44 PM.

Sprint rumored to launch HTC ‘Tiara’ and Samsung Ativ S Windows Phones this summer

Sprint (S) does not offer any Windows Phone 8 devices, however a new report suggests that the carrier will launch two Windows-powered smartphones in the coming months. According to The Verge, the carrier will start offering the HTC (2498) Tiara and Samsung (005930) Ativ S this summer. The unannounced Tiara smartphone is rumored to be a mid-range handset with a 4.3-inch WVGA Super LCD2 display, while the Ativ S offers a 4.8-inch 720p display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, NFC and an 8-megapixel rear camera. Both devices are expected to be available at Sprint stores in May or June.

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Samsung Tizen Strategy

Is Samsung sabotaging Windows Phone deliberately to boost Tizen?

By on March 20, 2013 at 10:05 AM.

Is Samsung sabotaging Windows Phone deliberately to boost Tizen?

There has been a great deal of confusion among carriers and retailers regarding Samsung’s (005930) strangely tepid Windows Phone support over the past few months. Samsung’s supposed flagship Windows Phone device, the ATIV S, debuted in Europe in December and sank without a trace. The ATIV was simply the Galaxy S III with very minor tweaks and the Windows Phone OS slapped on. It now looks like the ATIV S will never launch in India. The U.S. launch of the ATIV Odyssey at Verizon (VZ) has been a complete disaster; the phone received no marketing support and is not even listed among the top 20 contract models at Verizon Wireless. More →

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Surface Smartphone Nokia

Nokia frets over possibility of a ‘Surface smartphone’

By on March 8, 2013 at 7:31 PM.

Nokia frets over possibility of a ‘Surface smartphone’

Microsoft’s (MSFT) manufacturing partners felt betrayed after the company announced its Surface tablet, a milestone that marked the first time the software giant produced its own hardware. Since then, analysts and other Windows Phone vendors have speculated that Microsoft may release a Surface smartphone at some point in the future. And now we’ve learned that even one of the company’s most loyal partners fears for the worst: In a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Nokia (NOK) voiced its concerns about the possibility of a Surface smartphone. More →

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Verizon Smartphone Subsidies

Verizon executive thinks carriers can slash smartphone subsidies without hurting consumers

By on March 4, 2013 at 5:57 PM.

Verizon executive thinks carriers can slash smartphone subsidies without hurting consumers

We’ve known for a while that carriers have been itching for a chance to ditch smartphone subsidies, but Verizon (VZ) CFO Fran Shammo now expects that smartphone subsidies will decrease naturally over the next two to three years with no added cost to consumers. FierceWireless reports that Shammo on Monday told the the Deutsche Bank 2013 Media, Internet & Telecom Conference that emerging smartphone platforms such as Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10 will lead to increased competition in the market and bring lower priced phones, which will in turn lead to reduced subsidy costs for carriers. More →

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Windows Phone 9 Release Date

Next major Windows Phone release due this holiday season

By on March 4, 2013 at 5:23 PM.

Next major Windows Phone release due this holiday season

Microsoft (MSFT) plans to release the next major update to its perpetually emerging Windows Phone platform this holiday season, according to a job posting on the company’s website. The listing for “Software Development Engineer in Test – Windows Phone,” which was first picked up by WMPoweruser, clearly states that Microsoft is “targeting the holiday of this year” with its next Windows Phone release, though it doesn’t provide any specific details about what features the new software might include. An earlier report claimed Microsoft is planning two minor bug-fix updates to its mobile platform before this major update is released ahead of the holidays.

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Nokia Strategy Analysis

Nokia may soon regret rejecting QWERTY

By on March 4, 2013 at 12:35 PM.

Nokia may soon regret rejecting QWERTY

One of the surprises from last week’s Mobile World Congress trade show was Nokia’s (NOK) confirmation that it has no plans to add QWERTY models to its Windows Phone lineup. Nokia used to be the second biggest QWERTY phone brand in the world and BlackBerry’s (BBRY) subscriber base of nearly 80 million users is potentially up for grabs in many of the emerging markets that are Nokia’s bread and butter. More →

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Steven Elop Interview

Nokia CEO issues warning to BlackBerry: ‘I’m very interested in BlackBerry customers’

By on March 1, 2013 at 2:45 PM.

Nokia CEO issues warning to BlackBerry: ‘I’m very interested in BlackBerry customers’

BlackBerry (BBRY) has clearly seen some early success with its next-generation BlackBerry Z10 smartphone, but there are still a number of barriers on the road ahead. BlackBerry 10 targets consumers and business customers alike, but while many saw a certain level of enterprise success as a sure thing just 12 months ago, increased competition from the likes of Apple (AAPL) and Samsung (005930) may be disconcerting. Adding further fuel to the fire, Nokia (NOK) CEO Steven Elop recently confirmed that he too is gunning for BlackBerry’s business user base. More →

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Steven Elop Interview

Nokia CEO says Windows Phone can beat Android, iOS

By on March 1, 2013 at 8:55 AM.

Nokia CEO says Windows Phone can beat Android, iOS

Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10 are currently battling for the No.3 spot in the smartphone arena, but Nokia (NOK) CEO Steven Elop believes Windows Phone will some day amount to much more. ”We selected Windows Phone as our platform so that it would be a key point of differentiation,” Elop told Bloomberg during a recent interview. And while Windows Phone has a minute share of the global market right now, the executive sees that changing dramatically in the coming years. More →

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HTC New Windows Phone

HTC plans to release more Windows Phones in 2013

By on February 26, 2013 at 7:20 PM.

HTC plans to release more Windows Phones in 2013

Despite lukewarm sales of its Windows Phone 8X and Windows Phone 8S, HTC (2498) remains “fully committed” to the Windows Phone operating system. The company’s vice president of global product planning, Tai Ito, said in an interview with CNET on Tuesday that HTC has a “good collaboration with Microsoft for a future release this year.” The executive acknowledged that Windows Phone 8 performance is “not as good as the market expected,” however he believes that after some time consumers will begin to embrace it. Unfortunately, HTC’s upcoming Windows Phones might not feature the same design elements as its new HTC One smartphone, as the executive added that the company is taking a “family approach to separation.”

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