Windows Phone

Google may need history lesson on blocking rivals' products

Update, 4:17 p.m. PT: Google says it's working to remove its Maps redirect, which bumps IE mobile users to Google.com. You can read the company's statement here.

With its decision to block Windows Phone users from accessing Google Maps, Google isn't the first browser maker to block users from accessing content with a competitive product. Microsoft has done the same in the distant and not-so-distant past. But that's still no excuse for what looks like nothing other than a petty, short-sighted move on Google's part.

Back in 2001, Microsoft was slammed for … Read more

How Microsoft became a control freak with tablet makers

Microsoft wasn't taking chances.

The company was about to introduce one of its biggest operating system releases, and it needed its hardware partners to develop products that could genuinely rival the iPad and Android tablets.

Microsoft took control of partners working with the new Windows RT software that ran on low-power chips normally used for cell phones. It held regular meetings with the small group of companies in its development program and dictated to a large extent what the devices looked like. Details were everything. Microsoft even told one company to move the location of its Windows home key, … Read more

Samsung still rules U.S. mobile market

Samsung continues to reign over the rest of the mobile-phone industry in the U.S., according to the latest stats from ComScore.

Looking at the three months ending with November, Samsung won 26.9 percent of all mobile subscribers in the U.S., a 1.2 point gain from the prior three-month period. Apple took home second place with 18.5 percent of the market, a gain of 1.4 points.

Samsung continues to wear the crown, but its share hasn't grown much from a year ago. In contrast, Apple has slowly been rising up the ranks. For the … Read more

Aluminum Nokia Lumia looming, 'sources' say

Call it the Nokia aLuminum.

If "sources" are correct, the next Lumia we could see land on shelves will be made not of the typical polycarbonate that's composed every Lumia since its inception, but of aluminum. The report comes from The Verge, citing "sources familiar with Nokia's plans."

Allegedly code-named the Nokia Catwalk, the future Lumia variant will succeed this fall's Nokia Lumia 920 flagship Windows phone. Hardware specs won't vary much in this model, if the rumor proves true, a point that's sure to bum out Nokia fans waiting for … Read more

Skype 'temporarily' disables People Hub in Windows Phone update

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

Apple's App Store gets top grade from research firm

Apple's App Store gets the nod as the best mobile app store, at least in the eyes of research firm ABI.

Ranking app stores for both innovation and implementation, ABI dubbed Apple the overall winner, with Google in second place and Microsoft's Windows Phone app store in third.

Apple soared ahead of the pack in terms of implementation, outshining Google Play and RIM's BlackBerry App World. The App Store was cited for its "effective approach to monetization, large market share over the app industry, and the ability to achieve a large inventory of titles while maintaining … Read more

Nokia Lumia 920, 820 update patches iffy performance

Nokia announced today that, along with Microsoft, it will roll out a software update that address user complaints about battery life, Bluetooth connection, and startup.

Starting today, the over-the-air update will cover the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 for all AT&T customers in the U.S. and Rogers subscribers in Canada.

Among the changes, Nokia says, users will see:

More efficient and reliable Bluetooth connectivity More efficient and reliable startup sequence Enhancements in imaging performance and battery management Enhancements in messaging Additional platform updates and enhancements

CNET has asked Nokia when and if Lumia 822 and Lumia 810 … Read more

HTC's Windows Phone 8X receives first Microsoft update

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

Nokia sells Finnish headquarters amid financial troubles

Nokia said this morning that it will sell its head office in Espoo, Finland, to software consultancy firm Exilion for 170 million euros ($222 million).

The struggling phone maker said in a statement that it will lease back the head office at a lower price, but Nokia did not disclose any additional figures.

The move comes as the phone maker, which has suffered over the past year with poor quarterly financial results, continues to struggle in a market dominated by companies such as Apple and Samsung.

Nokia's chief financial officer, Timo Ihamuotila, said that the deal is in line … Read more