Showing posts with label Phone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phone. Show all posts

Saturday, November 10, 2012

PSA: Get your Windows Phone 8 from AT&T starting today

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Acer CloudMobile review: an ambitious Android phone that arrived a little too late

By James Trew posted Nov 10th 2012 2:30PM Acer CloudMobile review an ambitious Android with tktk

It's been a while since we last took a look at a smartphone from Acer. Today's offering -- the S500 CloudMobile -- however, might not be all that unfamiliar, having first met our eyes way back at MWC in spring. This time around Acer presents us with a leaner, slicker, much more design-conscious handset, one that isn't just about the pretty looks, either.

With a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus processor, 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel camera and a 720p display, all for £289 SIM-free, it's pitched against similarly specced phones like the HTC One S. In short, it's yet another alternative for people seeking a full-featured smartphone, except it comes without the pocket-draining price tag. More importantly for Acer, however, is the chance to get back onto people's smartphone radars. So, now that the CloudMobile has gently drifted over our shores, does it have us looking to the sky, or putting on our raincoats of indifference? Read on to find out.


"This is clearly a handsome phone -- one that won't suffer a case of mistaken identity"

The CloudMobile has already enjoyed a rare Engadget accolade: we were so intrigued by it in Barcelona that we felt compelled to take a second look. The phone, which won an iF Product Design award, has a memorable look and feel, with Acer opting for a combination of sharp corners, curved sides and a dimpled matte back that contrasts nicely with the flat, glossy front face. Materials-wise, it's made of plastic but still manages to feel solid -- the kind of build quality we're used to seeing in Samsung's handsets. In fact, when this editor placed it in the same pocket as a Galaxy Nexus, the similar texture on the two phones made the two indistinguishable by feel. The dimpled battery cover not only provides some much-needed personality, it also makes it easier to grip. The metallic accents around the mic and top speaker grille add some visual interest as well. Regardless of whether you think this deserved the iF Product Design award, this is clearly is a handsome phone -- one that won't suffer a case of mistaken identity.

The display measures in at 4.3 inches, which should make the CloudMobile easy for most people to grip. In a world where phone screens are getting larger and larger it seems Acer has opted to make its product fit in as many hands (and pockets) as possible. It's lightweight and comfortable to hold, and yet we never felt we were making concessions on screen size. This might -- in theory -- lend itself to easy use with one hand, but the placement of the power / standby button on the upper-left edge requires a modicum of dexterity for right-handers. It's only your index finger you'll need to train to reach that far, though, as the volume rocker sits more comfortably on the right-hand side, with the rest of the input happening onscreen. That leaves the USB port, mic and headphone jack as the only other openings along the edges. (Note: there's no dedicated camera button, but the volume rocker will perform this role in camera mode.) Those edges also create a slight lip around the display, no doubt making it a bit more scratch-resistant when you place it face-down.

Acer CloudMobile review an ambitious Android with tktk

"The display is bright, clear and wonderful to look at."

The overall design is eye-catching enough, but that screen is what's bound to capture your attention. Acer describes it as an HD720 IPS LCD, which means, of course, that it has 1,280 x 720 pixels. We, on the other hand, would describe it as a bit of a corker. It really is bright, clear and wonderful to look at. Colors are crisp and the whole image just pops. This isn't surprising given that its screen density of 342 ppi bests other current flagships like the iPhone 5 and Nexus 4. Some of this "pop" has to do with the manufacturing technique used: Acer presses the glass up against the digitizer, eliminating any air. The screen is viewable from a broad range of viewing angles, even in direct sunlight. Images and photos are reproduced faithfully with dark blacks and no hint of saturation.

Look past that exterior, and you'll find some respectable innards. It might not be the quad-core monster you were hoping for, but the 1.5GHz dual-core chip keeps itself busy without causing any apparent problems -- that is to say, we were never caught cursing its performance. All told, it should be more than adequate for most people, but we'll elaborate on that later once we throw the phone to the benchmark lions. As for the 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, these are fairly pedestrian specs these days, but the option to augment the storage capacity using a microSD card should come as a relief to many people. To get at the SD slot, you'll need to pop off the back cover, where you'll also find the micro-SIM slot and 1,460mAh battery. The rest of the non-radio hardware is made up of a front "HD" (0.9-megapixel) camera and that rear 8-megapixel shooter, along with Dolby Mobile 3 sound enhancement and DLNA. The unit we've been testing supports quad-band GSM / GPRS /EDGE and UMTS / HSPA+, as well as 802.11b/g/n, GPS, NFC and Bluetooth 4.0.


It's true that the Acer walks among an increasing number of quad-core competitors, but as we all know, it's not what you got, it's what you do with it that counts. Under the hood, the CloudMobile packs a perfectly adequate dual-core Qualcomm 8260A Snapdragon S4, clocked at 1.5GHz. Not once did we feel we were using a phone that wasn't capable of doing what we wanted it to. Bear in mind, this packs the same processors as ASUS's Padfone, Sony's Xperia T and the HTC One S -- not a slothful crowd by any stretch of the imagination. Also, thanks to that light, unobtrusive skin atop Android 4.0.4, there's little getting in its way. We also put it through some long bouts of casual gaming as we went about our day, and we're pleased to say that those angry birds flew with nary a glitch, Hill Climb Rally was as smooth a ride as possible, and Cut the Rope never looked better. When not gaming, we jumped back and forth between apps equally unabated. Of course, talk is cheap, so we've prepared some quantitative comparisons to help put the performance in context.


Acer CloudMobileSony Xperia TLHTC One X (AT&T)GLBenchmark Egypt Offscreen (fps)SunSpider: lower scores are better

You can see right away that the CloudMobile gives HTC's One X a good chase on most of our regular tests -- in fact, it bests it on several of them, including Quadrant. There's not a lot of bragging rights left over for Xperia TL owners with Acer's plucky upstart holding its ground against Sony's flagship. Ah, you say, but with only a 1,460mAh battery to keep the CloudMobile on the road, it probably dies halfway through the day. As it happens, that's not the case. In our regular test (video looping, WiFi and 3G on, display brightness fixed, etc.) it managed a little over six hours. While this isn't exactly marathon territory, it's not a poor showing. With more casual use, the CloudMobile can hang in for almost two days, and that includes being kept on overnight. We know for our readers, though, light use is a rarity. We hear ya, but even then you'll be getting some average runtime to cover a regular day's use.

As for data and downloading, based on the UK's O2 network, the CloudMobile regularly got faster speeds than the Galaxy Nexus when we performed side-by-side tests. The CloudMobile tended to get between 4 Mbps and 5 Mbps on our speed tests, while the Nexus peaked at 4 Mbps in the same areas. Voice calls on the other hand were crisp and clear. Audio in general is boosted by the Dolby support. When enjoying music with the phone, this feature really makes a difference. It's hard to gauge whether it's mainly down to the increase in volume it provides, but it's definitely a step up from the meeker sound without it. The small metal Dolby plate isn't just for branding, it also covers the loudspeaker. How does that speaker perform (when used for something busier than voice)? Well, if you're a fan of listening to music this way, you'll like the CloudMobile more than most. Sound is louder than on the Galaxy Nexus, but it's still just a tiny speaker, so don't expect much. The best thing about the audio is that you have more control over it than just a standard Android install. But the same inevitable limitations (e.g., where to put a better speaker?) are still ultimately there.

Acer CloudMobile review an ambitious Android with tktk

If it's numbers you're after, then for this section, the one you'll care about is eight. That's how many megapixels are crammed inside the camera sensor. But as you likely know, the number of pixels isn't the only measure of a camera's capabilities. In fact, sometimes, it can be a downright rotten one. In any case, what can it do with them? Well, before we get to that part, it's worth noting that even though the CloudMobile's software is fairly close to stock Android, there are some notable additions in the camera department. The main difference is the inclusion of some extra photo modes, with a choice of Panorama, HDR, Low Light and Continuous.

"Even though the CloudMobile's software is fairly close to stock Android, there are some notable additions in the camera department."

Panorama mode works surprisingly well, with a very simple and clear on-screen display that has you leading a blue ball along a horizontal line, into a central circle. Once you guide it there, it automatically takes the next photo until you tell it to stop. HDR and Low Light modes work as you might expect (i.e., all the magic happens behind the scenes), remaining active for just one photo before defaulting back to normal mode. This is helpful because it keeps you from leaving these modes on accidentally. Still, it's also a chore to activate every time if you happen to be taking a series of similar shots in the same place. Lastly, Continuous mode shoots 10 pictures in a row. There's no way to configure the interval, but it's handy for the occasional action shot, or if you want to be use a scatter-gun approach, and go back to choose the best one. It's worth mentioning that you can tap to focus, if the phone's own autofocus isn't homing in on what you want it to. In general, our sample shots were pleasing so long as light conditions were favorable -- we thankfully didn't notice any compression. When lighting conditions weren't so great, though, quality drifted to the fringes of acceptable.

As we've mentioned, Acer decided to mostly keep its sticky fingers out of the Android experience, which will please many users. While we're not against manufacturers adding a dash of spice and flair to the phone's software, it's much better when it's just a light dusting of features, rather than a heavy-handed attempt at making over the software. Fortunately, the team at Acer liberally sprinkled in a few unobtrusive treats that largely enhance -- or, at least, don't detract from -- the overall experience.

As far as the bread-and-butter features go, it's all Android (4.0.4, in this case). The on-screen buttons, WiFi, battery and signal icons remain unchanged. The same is true for the app tray, home screens and core app icons (camera, browser and so on). In fact, you might not even spot the differences immediately. But when you do, the first will likely be the pull-down notification list. Unlike stock Android's slide-to-dismiss notifications, the CloudMobile has its own list, which can be discarded with "X" buttons. When in this screen, you might also notice that there are some quick access controls at the top. These allow you to dive right into the music player, notifier, quick settings (WiFi on / off, Mobile data, etc.) and the alarm clock.

Acer CloudMobile review an ambitious Android with tktk

Another welcome addition are shortcuts on the lock screen. Press the stand-by button to wake the phone up, and you can either swipe to unlock, or press, then swipe, one of four icons along the bottom to be dropped straight into that app. These can be configured to applications of your choice by long pressing an empty location on the home screen. You might also be pleasantly surprised to find that Swype is installed out of the box, so if you're an ace with that, then you are good to go. If not, you can always turn it off, or install your own preferred keyboard.

The last software function we're going to mention is the cloud piece -- you know, the set of features hinted at in the phone's name. Though the handset was clearly named after its cloud-connected services, this functionality actually has a rather low-profile place in the phone's software. Once opened, a pre-installed AcerCloud app will prompt you to register for an account. After you do that, you can set your phone to automatically sync photos, videos, music and documents across any other devices with the app installed. Currently, this is limited to Windows PCs and Android devices.

The service works as expected: take a photo, and then it'll appear in your synced folder on other devices. From what we can tell, however, there's no way to view these files online via the browser, which seems like a key feature to be missing. It seems, therefore, that the feature is more about helping you sync your media across different devices. That's nice, but this functionality is already available in several different popular incarnations like Google Drive, SkyDrive and Dropbox, among others -- none of which require a hardware buy-in. It's a shame that this feature wasn't more fleshed-out, but perhaps this is something Acer intends to build on with later releases.

Acer CloudMobile review an ambitious Android with tktk

If it feels like we've kept the the lid on our enthusiasm throughout this review, well, we have. It's no surprise that a phone we first saw back in February isn't offering swoon-inducing specifications in November. However, there are a few occasions where excitement levels touch the red. That screen, for example, is a delight to look at, and some of the tweaks to Android are good enough that we'll miss them when we go back to our daily drivers. All told, it's a phone that just keeps calm and carries on.

Most importantly, Acer has created a device that stands its ground against some pretty big competition. It's just that with Google's Nexus 4 newly on sale for about £50 less SIM-free, it's hard to find a reason to pick this over the other. If there's any consolation Acer can take from this, it's that it's a challenge other Android handset manufacturers are likely to face over the coming months. The big takeaway here is that Acer can deliver Android handsets worthy of your time -- it just needs to speed up the release cycle.

Special thanks to Expansys for providing us with a review unit.

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Friday, November 9, 2012

Microsoft outlines Internet Explorer 10 differences between Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8

Microsoft outlines Internet Explorer 10 differences between Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, finds they still have common ground

Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 together mark a rare confluence for Microsoft: they represent the first instance of the company's desktop and phone platforms sharing the same browser base, and that has wide-reaching implications for what developers can do. The Redmond team doesn't want anyone plunging headlong into web apps without knowing what to expect, however, and it just reminded us in a blog post that there are still a few off-limits areas for Internet Explorer 10 on the mobile side. Not surprisingly, elements that demand a truly big screen or a windowed interface won't fly -- there's nowhere to drag-and-drop from or open a new window to. A few other aspects are more likely to catch web developers off-guard, such as the lack of in-line video, a handful of touch inputs, ActiveX and the level of file access. The most important common ground stems from simply having a modern rendering engine whose HTML5 and CSS3 support will prevent any rude shocks. There's much more at the source link, although Microsoft and designers may just be happy that any Windows Phone web development is a question of finding those few things that won't work, rather than reinventing the wheel.


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Windows Phone 8X, Galaxy S III Mini and Xperia J available on Three UK today

Windows Phone 8X by HTC – available now on Three.

The Windows Phone 8X by HTC is now available online at www.three.co.uk and in all Three stores.

With an exclusive built-in amp and Beats Audio™ technology offering a truly authentic studio sound the 8X is sure to please even the most musical among us. The smartphone also comes with an amazing 8 megapixel camera so you'll be able to take incredibly vivid pictures and the front-facing camera with ultra-wide-angle lens captures twice the image area to fit more in every shot.

Running on the very latest Windows Phone 8 software, the 8X by HTC allows true personalisation of the home screen with real time Live Tile updates on its large 4.3" screen and the powerful 1.5 GHz dual-core processor makes browsing and switching between apps a breeze.

Sylvia Chind, Head of Devices at Three said, "The 8X by HTC is packed full of great features and is perfect for streaming HD and enjoying music while on the go. Coupled with The One Plan offering amazing value with All-you-can-eat data it's no surprise that Three carries over 40% of the UK's data traffic".

The Windows Phone 8X by HTC is available for £30 a month with an upfront cost of £29 on the Ultimate Internet 500 plan with a guarantee of no surprise out-of-bundle data charges.

The device is also available on Pay As You Go for £349.99 plus a top up. All in One 15 costs £15 and gives 30-day access to all-you-can-eat data along with 300 any-network minutes and 3,000 texts. Or All in One 25 costs £25 and offers 500 minutes, 3,000 texts and all-you-can-eat data for a 30-day period.

Additionally from today get an extra special gift with Three. Purchase the 8X by HTC and get the latest Windows 8 Pro upgrade for your home PC. *

Key features:
• Beats Audio™ technology
• Amazing 8 megapixel camera
• Windows Phone 8 software
• 16GB internal memory
• 1.5 GHz dual-core processor
• DC HSDPA (42) Enabled

* Sign up for 24 months to get this deal. Windows 8 Pro upgrade offer available to Three customers who (i) already own a PC with Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista or Windows 7 and that meets the minimum system requirements of Windows 8 Pro, and (ii) who buy a HTC 8X between 09.11.12 – 21.12.12, while stocks of credit vouchers last. Eligible customers will be provided with a credit voucher which must be used to redeem the offer and download the software from the Microsoft website. Credit will expire on 31.01.13. Full terms available at Three.co.uk/terms

Sony Xperia™ J - available now on Three.

The Sony Xperia™ J is now available online at www.three.co.uk and in all Three stores.

The large and bright 4" scratch-proof display on the Sony Xperia™ J makes watching films and viewing pictures a pleasure. This viewing experience is complimented with built-in Sony audio technologies, such as the xLoud sound enhancement, which provides crystal clear stereo and bass qualities.

The smartphone is curved in design making it comfortable to hold and a smart illuminating light notifies users of incoming Facebook and Twitter messages. With 4GB of internal memory and a whopping 50GB of online storage, people can save apps, tracks and pics without having to worry about running out of space.

Sylvia Chind, Head of Devices at Three said, "The Sony Xperia™ J is ideal for style conscious social media fans and its 5 megapixel camera is perfect for Instagramming and sharing pictures on the go. With the added benefit of straightforward plans with no surprise out of bundle data charges, you'll be able to enjoy the best experience on Three".

The Sony Xperia™ J is available for £13 a month with no upfront cost on the Essential Internet 50 plan. Both the Essential Internet and Ultimate Internet plans offer a fear-free mobile internet experience with a guarantee of no surprise out-of-bundle data charges.

The smartphone is also available on Pay As You Go for £149.99 plus a top up. All in One 15 costs £15 and gives 30-day access to All-You-Can-Eat data along with 300 any-network minutes and 3,000 texts. Or All in One 25 costs £25 and offers All-You-Can-Eat data, 500 minutes and 3,000 texts and for a 30-day period.

Key features

Large 4" scratch-proof display
Illumination light for social media alerts
5 megapixel camera with LED flash and video recording
4GB internal memory and 50GB online storage with Box
Sony audio technologies for crisp sound quality

Samsung Galaxy S III Mini - available now on Three.

The Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is now available in all Three stores and, from 16th November, will be available online at www.three.co.uk.

The Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is the new compact version of the Samsung Galaxy S III. Featuring a large 4.0" display, the S III Mini is great for viewing more content on one screen, reducing the need for scrolling and zooming out. Its HD Super AMOLED technology also means that videos and pictures come to life in amazingly clear, crisp colours.

This elegant but minimal smartphone comes with a fast 1GHz dual core processor that allows apps and games to load quickly, enabling people to enjoy seamless browsing, gaming, viewing and downloading. Perfect for budding Instagrammers, the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini delivers great images using a 5 megapixel camera, which also has Best Shot mode that takes a burst of photos and then cleverly selects the best one.

Sylvia Chind, Head of Devices at Three, said, "Not only is the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini a top performing phone but it's also full of innovative touches like the notification light, which can be customised to flash a different colour to alert users to new messages or calls."

The Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is available with no upfront cost on the Ultimate Internet 500 plan for £28 a month, and on The One Plan, which offers a fear-free mobile internet experience with a guarantee of no surprise out-of-bundle data charges, for £32 a month.

The smartphone is also available on Pay As You Go for £269.99 plus a top up. All in One 15 costs £15 and gives 30-day access to All-You-Can-Eat data along with 300 any-network minutes and 3,000 texts. Or All in One 25 costs £25 and offers All-You-Can-Eat data, 500 minutes and 3,000 texts and for a 30-day period.

Key features
• Large 4.0" WVGA Super AMOLED display
• Fast 1.0 GHz dual core processor
• 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and LED flash
• Notification light
• VGA front camera
• 1500mAh battery
• Up to 8GB internal memory
• Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) Operating System
• NFC


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HTC Windows Phone 8X for AT&T: what's different?

HTC 8X for AT&T what's different

We recently reviewed the global (HSPA+) version of HTC's Windows Phone 8X, the first handset to cross our desks running Microsoft's newly minted mobile OS. Starting today you'll be able to purchase HTC's 8X for AT&T, which features the same exquisite design but adds LTE and a dash of carrier flavor. Pricing with a two-year commitment is $100 for the 8GB model (available in California Blue and Limelight Yellow) and $200 for the 16GB version (blue only) -- in comparison, the global (HSPA+) phone sells for about $560 unsubsidized and unlocked. We spent a few days with the 8X for AT&T and while it's pretty much identical to its global sibling, there are a few differences worth mentioning. Hit the break to find out more.

Cosmetically, the only changes between the two models are in the branding. There's no silver HTC logo below the earpiece on AT&T's phone anymore, but it gains the carrier's signature globe in the back where the Beats symbol used to be, the latter being repositioned right below the embossed HTC logo. Otherwise, you'll be enjoying the same solid construction and high-end specs in a relatively compact and delightfully colorful package.

While the gorgeous 4.3-inch, 1,280 x 720 Super LCD 2 display, impressive 8-megapixel autofocus camera (with BSI senor, f/2.0 lens and LED flash) and snappy 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 SoC (with 1GB of RAM) remain, a few things are different under the hood. The 8X for AT&T gains a quadband (700 / 850 / 1700 / 1900MHz) LTE radio and the existing UMTS / HSPA+ radio loses the 900 MHz band (now 850 / 1900 / 2100MHz).

Performance is almost identical between both handsets as reflected in our benchmark table below. Battery life decreases slightly in WPBench's CPU-intensive battery rundown test -- presumably from having to power that additional LTE radio -- but this makes very little difference in normal day-to-day use. Networks speed tests yielded about 10 Mbps down and 6 Mbps up (on average) with three out of five bars of signal, which matches what we've observed with other AT&T LTE devices in San Francisco.

HTC 8X for AT&TGlobal HTC 8XNokia Lumia 920Nokia Lumia 900Nokia Lumia 800SunSpider (ms, lower numbers are better)

There's little room to customize Windows Phone 8 other than bundling some applications and settings. As such, the 8X for AT&T includes the same pre-installed (and removable) HTC apps as the global version (HTC, Flashlight, Photo Enhancer and Converter) plus the Beats Audio switch and the "attentive phone" toggles. The Connection Setup app is missing, since the device is pre-configured for AT&T's APNs. You'll also find a bunch of carrier apps on board: AT&T Code Scanner, AT&T Family Map, AT&T Navigator, AT&T Radio, AT&T U-verse Live TV, myAT&T and YPmobile -- all pre-loaded but easily uninstalled.

So, if you reside in the US, should you purchase HTC's 8X AT&T with LTE and commit to a two-year agreement? Or should you buy the unsubsidized and unlocked global (HSPA+) model? Unless you can live with minimal storage, we don't recommend the 8GB version of HTC's 8X since there's no microSD expansion -- sadly, this means passing on AT&T's fabulous yellow hue for $100. The Graphite Black and Flame Red colors are exclusive to Verizon in the US, so for AT&T we recommend the carrier's blue handset with 16GB for $200 (or wait for off-contract pricing).

If you absolutely despise blue, don't need LTE and can afford the extra cost, then by all means pick the global phone. Of course, at $100 on contract with 32GB of storage and a choice of hues, we think the Lumia 920 for AT&T offers better value.


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Thursday, November 8, 2012

HTC Windows Phone 8S hits the FCC with North American 3G, gives the US a horrible tease

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ZTE Testing Windows Phone 8 Phablet With 5.9-inch Full HD Display

ZTE might launch a Windows Phone 8-powered smartphone with a 5.8-inch display that supports full HD resolutions and that is optimized for multimedia.


The information was unveiled in a Weibo post (the Chinese equivalent of Twitter microblogging platform) by Lu Qian Hao, head for marketing strategy division within at. Still, the detail saying that the 5.9-inch display is capable of supporting full HD resolution raises some question marks over this product, as Microsoft didn’t announce that Windows Phone 8 will include support for this resolution in the current version of its mobile operating system.


Next to the full HD display with a record-size for the smartphone segment, the new Windows Phone 8-powered ZTE smartphone might also come with support for DTS, the audio technology used for the movies distributed on blu-ray platform. For the time being there are no details regarding the chipset underpinning the WP8 phablet. Even though there’s no info about its technical specifications, judging by the looks of the body case, the ZTE smartphone doesn’t seems to be a ready-to-launch product.


ZTE also confirmed the existence of another Windows Phone 8 smartphone, but didn’t revealed any of its technical specs.


If the rumors are accurate and the ZTE full HD 5.9-inch phablet will see the light of day, the product will hit the store shelves sometime in the spring, probably running an updated version of Windows Phone 8, with a user interface optimized for 1,920 x 1,080 pixel displays.


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Monday, November 5, 2012

Windows Phone 8 Late to Ball but Dressed to Kill

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Ballmer: Windows Phone 8 'still small', but will 'really ramp quickly'

Ballmer Windows Phone 8 'still small', expects it will 'really ramp quickly'

Following its launch event in San Francisco and the appearance of its first devices last week, Windows Phone 8 is hoping for big things in the future. Microsoft's chief exec Steve Ballmer said that its work with Nokia, HTC and Samsung offered them the chance to create a "really strong third participant in the smartphone market." He admitted that they weren't there quite yet and told the audience at a Windows 8 launch event in Israel that Microsoft's mobile OS was "still relatively small", but that he expects "the volumes on Windows Phone to really ramp quickly." The company will be lavishing more on marketing and advertising around Windows 8, Window Phone 8 and Surface than it has on anything previous -- which sounds good, as its new mobile OS might need the help.


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Microsoft posts Build 2012 session videos for eager Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 coders

Steve Ballmer at Build 2012 with giant display

Not every developer had the luxury of putting a flight to Redmond on the corporate tab so that they could attend Microsoft's Build 2012 conference in person. Much to their delight, they won't have to. The company has posted streaming video for every session addressing Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and beyond, ranging from the two keynotes through to nuts-and-bolts framework talks. Be warned: most programmers will want to know Visual Studio and similar tools like the back of their hand before tackling some of these sessions. If they emerge unscathed, though, they'll be well-equipped to live in Microsoft's Windows Store world.


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Microsoft explains the origins of Windows Phone 8's home and lock screens

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