Windows Phone software

The first official day of Mobile World Congress was riddled with exciting launches and delivered press conferences from some of the big guns of the smartphone world. Without Samsung and HTC to stand in their way, the likes of Asus, LG and ZTE threw down the Android gauntlet, and Nokia revealed the latest handsets in its ever-expanding range of Windows Phone 8 devices.

Despite the early hour, CNET staff were out in force with not a bleary eye in sight to cover Nokia's 8.30 a.m. press conference. A series of budget and midrange handsets were launched, chief … Read more

Nokia is readying a flagship smartphone for Verizon Wireless, a new report claims.

Verizon is planning to carry the Lumia handset later this year, The Verge is reporting today, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the company's plans. That device, codenamed Laser, will "be a variant" of Nokia's Lumia 920, but it's not clear what sort of features the handset will have.

According to The Verge, Nokia's device will be put on the same playing field as Verizon's other flagship devices, including the iPhone.

Nokia CEO Stephen Elop hinted at a … Read more

Nokia is so excited about its fourth-quarter performance that today it announced preliminary financial information to let shareholders know how well it performed.

During the fourth quarter, Nokia's Devices & Services operation not only exceeded expectations, but delivered "underlying profitability." The struggling company said that the division's mobile phones unit delivered better-than-expected results, with 86.3 million total unit sales. Nokia's Windows Phone-friendly Lumia line generated 4.4 million unit sales, and the company's Asha line of handsets for emerging markets tallied 9.3 million units sold.

"We are pleased that Q4 2012 … Read more

Walkie talkies have been around since before cell phones, but until now they weren't easily accessible on the same device. Sometimes when you need to send out a quick message, making a phone call can be time-consuming (especially if you don't have the time to chat), and sending out a text message can be a hassle. Typing out those longs strings of letters and hitting 'send' is a huge pain when you're juggling five things at once. That's where these apps come in. Voice messaging finds a happy middle ground between the solemn phone call and … Read more

Skype has updated its Windows Phone application with some new features -- and the loss of a key one.

The company yesterday updated its app for Windows Phone 7.5 and Windows Phone 8 with a preview release. Skype was quick to point out that the "experiences are not yet final," adding that some features "are work-in-progress and may not function consistently." Those features address, among other things, call reliability and "the ability to receive incoming calls and chat notifications when outside of the app."

Although Skype didn't offer too many other details, … Read more

Microsoft is deploying the first Windows Phone 8 update to select international devices; the first bump will arrive for the HTC Windows Phone 8X.

Dubbed "Portico," the over-the-air Windows Phone 8 update includes a number of new features as well as a fix for a pesky Wi-Fi bug.

As some readers may know, the HTC 8X will switch to a cellular connection upon going to standby. A nuisance for Microsoft's mobile base since the days of Windows Phone 7, the update now gives users the option to keep Wi-Fi going even after the screen times out.

In … Read more

On November 6, 2012, Microsoft announced that it would be discontinuing its Windows Live Messenger client. This news falls in line with Microsoft's acquisition of Skype -- making it the company's go-to instant-message client after the first quarter of 2013. Migrating to Skype will make video calling easier, allow you to share your screen, make group calls, integrate Facebook, and add better mobile compatibility.

Looking to get a head start on merging your contact lists so you don't risk missing anyone after Messenger is retired? Just follow these quick steps:

Before getting started, you'll need to … Read more

Multi-core processing and NFC support aren't the only big new tricks in Windows Phone 8. Microsoft has added fresh ways to sift through its apps store too. … Read more

Microsoft has released a SkyDrive app for Windows Phone 8 devices.

SkyDrive lets you store files in the cloud, so you can access them from anywhere, virtually on any device regardless of platform. The free app also lets you share your files with other users and manage and edit files. It can automatically upload pictures that you take to SkyDrive.

The new version released by Microsoft works for Windows Phone 7.5 or higher and includes a new search function for files and folders; new settings for photo upload and download size; and a new look for icons and visuals, … Read more