windows phone

In a stunning development, Microsoft is preparing to kill off its much-hyped "social-focused" mobile phone, Kin. It follows some poor decisions about how to price the phone given its audience. The Kin was in development for several years under the ... codename Project Pink. For much of this time, it was widely speculated the phone would be based around the Zune media player, acting as a direct rival to Apple's iPhone. Instead, the two handsets, Kin One and Kin Two, were based around social networking updates and the ability to share content like photographs with friends. Unlike most phones today ... (view more)

Microsoft representatives have promised that the forthcoming Windows 7 Phone system will be based around the way customers use their phones in their everyday lives. But when Microsoft speaks to the marketing world, it tells a different story. Kostas ... Mallios, who oversees Microsoft's Strategy and Business Development unit, recently spoke at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. He spoke about the way in which Windows Phone 7 is designed to be a seamless experience for the user such that everything from social networking to multimedia is linked together smoothly. However, he also ... (view more)

After multiple delays , the first handsets running the next Windows mobile operating system are said to emerge next month. But they won't be on sale: instead, they'll go to software developers to make it easier for them to produce high-quality apps. ... App Developers to get Real Deal So far developers have had to rely on emulators to try out their new apps for Windows Phone 7. That does the job, but doesn't really recreate how an app looks and feels when it is on a phone in your hand. It is theoretically possible for developers to run beta editions of Windows Phone 7 on existing handsets through ... (view more)

Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer spoke at a news conference in New Delhi on Thursday and has guaranteed the much delayed Windows Phone 7 system will be released before the end of the year. Critics suggest, however, that beating the holiday shopping ... deadline will not provide much financial gain, but is more of a deadline to save face. (Source: informationweek.com ) Microsoft Management Shake-Up The comments do clear up some concerns over Microsoft's recent management shake-ups. As noted last week , Robbie Balch, who headed the entertainment and devices division, is leaving the company. Instead of ... (view more)

While Windows 7 might be eating the competition for dinner, as of late Microsoft has not been so lucky in the smartphone market. In fact, the Redmond-based company's share of the pie has dipped considerably as rivals Google, Apple and Research in ... Motion (RIM) sap the popularity of Windows Mobile. According to a recent report from industry analysts ComScore, Windows Mobile's share of the American market dropped an astounding 4 points during the period October 2009 to January 2010. It's a huge dip, with Microsoft's mobile operating system plummeting from 19.7 per cent of the smartphone market ... (view more)

Microsoft has told developers more about its forthcoming Windows Phone 7 operating system. There'll be more tools for application creators to produce apps easily, while the firm has indicated it is aiming the system itself at the consumer rather ... than business market. The details came at MIX10, an annual Microsoft event for developers. While Mix covers all aspects of online technology, mobile systems are becoming a more important part of the event as that market grows. Copy And Paste Gets Cut One revelation that's attracting a lot of attention among developers is that the system itself won't ... (view more)

Microsoft has revealed that the next edition of its mobile operating system (OS) won't be backwards compatible. That may hurt sales of current handsets which, though not obsolete, will soon be second-string. The company confirmed that it won't be ... possible to upgrade phones running Windows Mobile 6.5 to the new system, set to be released this year. As part of a rebranding, the system will formally be known as Windows 7 Phone series rather than Windows 7 phone. The reason for the lack of upgrade is that Microsoft is severely restricting the scope available for handset designers with version 7. ... (view more)

Microsoft looks set to severely restrict the range of phone designs compatible with the forthcoming Windows Phone 7 series. Right now, it appears there will be just three basic styles of handset with the new system. A recent podcast featured two ... members of Microsoft's Australian division discussing plans to restrict manufacturers to three different chassis, the basic physical design of the phone. Three Windows Phone 7 Chassis Classes The first design will be for touchscreen phones and includes some very specific requirements: a 800x480 pixel screen, an accelerometer, a 5 megapixel radio, a 1 ... (view more)

Microsoft has been recently criticized for suggesting that it may charge phone companies to use its newly-unveiled mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7 (previously known as Windows Mobile 7). However, other analysts argue that charging for the ... operating system is both reasonable and sensible. The charge was led by the Business Insider website, where a columnist estimated that Microsoft's annual revenue from licensing the Windows Phone 7 system will be around $300 million. That's clearly no trifling sum, as Dan Frommer argues, but it's a tiny part of Microsoft's annual income of around $66 ... (view more)