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All posts tagged "windows mobile"


Thursday, August 13, 2009

Windows Mobile Loses 2.7% of Smartphone Market in Q2 09

Posted by Pete Paxton in "Smartphone News" @ 09:30 AM

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/ne...arket-in-q2.ars

"Microsoft's mobile market share continues to drop year-on-year, according to data released by Gartner. Smartphone sales were up to 41.0 million in 2Q09, a 27 percent increase over 2Q08's 32.3 million. Windows Mobile, however, only managed to grab 3.81 million of those units in 2Q09, or about 9.3 percent. The number of units wasn't much of a drop from 2Q08, where they booked 3.87 million sales. But the segment was smaller then, and that was was good enough for 12 percent of the market in 2Q08; given the growth of smartphone sales, the drop has to be very disappointing."

I recently took a vacation from Portland to St. Louis and had to visit a few airports. I've noticed that airports are a great way of telling what people are using as a mobile device so I'm always scanning the crowds to see what people choose. I visited airports in Portland, Denver, St. Louis, and Albuquerque. You know which devices I saw the most? Blackberry Curves and Iphones. Of course there were others but these are the two I saw the most. When I traveled a few years back it was mostly Windows Mobile devices, so it wasn't exactly shocking when I read this article. With so many Android devices coming out and the rumor of Dell getting back in the game, it makes me wonder where Microsoft will fit in. What's it going to take to get Windows Mobile devices back in the thick of it? Will Windows Mobile 6.5 or perhaps 7.0 do it or will they just continue to slip? When you're out and about, do you see many Windows Mobile devices? If not, what are you seeing most?


Monday, August 3, 2009

Is Android Killing Windows Mobile?

Posted by Jon Westfall in "Pocket PC Talk" @ 01:30 PM

http://gigaom.com/2009/07/30/is-goo...windows-mobile/

"Like upstart HTC, a long-time Windows Mobile loyalist, Motorola is focusing its development resources behind Google's Android OS. Both HTC and Motorola are developing their own user interfaces for Android, which indicates their seriousness about Google's mobile platform. I wonder if this is going to be a trend that's going to spread. From what I've heard, everyone from Lenovo and Huawei to Dell to Samsung are betting on Android. These companies would have been partners of Microsoft in the past."

I have a confession to make: I own two Android devices. Yes, it's true I still own more Windows Mobile devices than Android, but my daily drivers as of late have been a G1 and a MyTouch 3G. While I'd like to say my sole reason for doing this is to think of ways to help Windows Mobile developers, users, and enthusiasts get more from their devices (a.k.a. from snooping on the competition), that's not my sole reason. I also think they generally are more fun to use, and have a pretty interesting user community growing up around them. I'm not jumping ship, but from my perspective, I can see why articles like the one quoted above are published. Android, something I think many of us dismissed as a toy about a year ago, seems to be fast growing as a force in the mobile handset community. How bad is this for Windows Mobile?


Monday, July 27, 2009

Microsoft Launches Race to Market Challenge

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Pocket PC Events" @ 01:55 PM

http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/wi...-to-market.aspx

"Our strategy for all of this is pretty straightforward; we want to create a global marketplace for Windows Phones where developers and users meet to sell and buy high quality and high value applications that make work easier and life more fulfilling. We're creating a clear process and new opportunity for developers and ISVs to make money from their investment in innovation. The applications we feature will be well organized, easily accessible by PC or phone and backed by a money back guarantee. And when they're ready to buy, customers will have a variety of payment options to choose from. These are new customer experiences, and frankly, capabilities that will set us apart."

As of this morning afternoon, Windows Marketplace for Mobile is now accepting application submissions from all 29 supported countries - and the Race to Market Challenge contest also kicks off. That site is password protected at the moment but apparently later today it will be live. Yeah, a bit strange. This contest is a way to build up the content on Windows Marketplate for Mobile, and to give developers a "first mover" advantage in terms of getting their applications into the marketplace. I think Microsoft is taking a realistic approach to this - they're not saying "Develop for Windows Mobile, it's the best!" they're saying "Develop for our platform as well - we have something to offer".

Want to build your application? Here's the Windows Mobile 6.5 developer toolkit (it's not an SDK mind you - you'll need to use the 6.1 Professional or Standard SDKs). Want to submit your application? Here are the Application Submission Guidelines. The prizes are a bit unusual: winners get one of four Microsoft Surface tables (Developer Edition), online marketing & promotion of their app, and a challenge trophies.

Think you have what it takes? Let's see those apps!


Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Review: AT&T (Samsung i637) Jack

Posted by Pete Paxton in "Smartphone News" @ 11:00 AM

http://mobilitysite.com/2009/07/rev...sung-i637-jack/

"I'm going to preface my review of the AT&T Jack with the following caveat: you will see reflections in many of the pictures. There, I said it...I feel better now. The Jack, aka Samsung i637, could be seen as the younger sibling of the Blackjack II, but with smoother lines and similar footprint, though IMHO bearing closer resemblance to the Motorola Q9 series. It sports tri-band UMTS/HSDPA and quad-band GSM capabilities, 256 MB RAM, 256 MB ROM, a 528 MHz processor and a 320×240 QVGA screen."

If you've ever wanted an extremely indepth review of the Samsung Jack then click on over to Mobility Site's very thorough review. Numerous pics including the device being weighed on a scale (I'm not kidding) to show just how lightweight the Jack is over other devices such as the Fuze. Do any of you own the Samsung Jack? If so, how do you like it? With this and the HTC Snap, there are some really good choices when it comes to Windows Mobile standard smartphone devices.


Friday, July 10, 2009

Naughty By Nature: Down With Windows Mobile

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Pocket PC Talk" @ 02:00 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ0RdoqtoN4

Adam Lein from pocketnow.com interviews Vinnie Brown of Naughty by Nature. That sounds like the first line from a joke, doesn't it? It's kind of surreal to see an artist from a grammy-award winning group geeking out and talking about Windows Mobile, but the video above has exactly that. Pretty cool! I love what happens when he soft resets the device - slick!


Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Does Windows Mobile Still Have a Market Left?

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Pocket PC Articles" @ 08:08 PM

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mi...ns?pagenumber=1

"As computing goes mobile thanks to the emergence of more powerful devices, Microsoft Corp. is finding itself increasingly threatened by new rivals -- and some old ones, too. The company's mobile technology has suffered in comparison to both the iPhone, from traditional foe Apple Inc., and Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry. Meanwhile device makers who have normally been big supporters of Microsoft's mobile operating system software, such as Motorola Corp. and Palm Inc., have been moving toward the use of different technology."

We've already had an interesting discussion about this topic, but as people look at the mobile market it's going to come up again and again: Microsoft has really dropped the ball in terms of competing in this space. In some ways, this echoes what they did with Windows XP: it was a good product when it launched, but they took their eye off the ball and got lazy - and Vista shipped years late, and missing many of the features it was supposed to have. Similarly, Windows Mobile was a great mobile operating system back in the day - but Microsoft focused on the wrong things, year after year, and now have ended up at the bottom of the marketshare heap. They can do better - and they will do better - but for now, they're going to take some lumps.


Friday, June 26, 2009

Exchange 2010 and Windows Mobile 6.5 Features Demoed

Posted by Pete Paxton in "Smartphone News" @ 11:30 AM

http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=5267

"In these two videos Adam Glick from Microsoft demonstrates the newest Exchange 2010 features for Windows Mobile 6.1/6.5. Features like conversation view, ignore/move conversation, voice mail preview, voice to text, get free/busy, the new allow/block/quarantine phone list and reporting built in to Exchange 2010 are shown."

Exchange 2010 is looking cooler by the minute. WM Poweruser has a couple of videos showing off the features for our 6.1/6.5 devices. Many of the tools seem much more comprehensive than what we're using now. The voice to text feature is especially cool. If you're an IT pro, there's a video for you too. So if you've wanted to see how the two interact and what the future holds, just follow the link.


Saturday, June 13, 2009

HTC: We'll Always Have More Flagship Windows Mobile Products

Posted by Ed Hansberry in "Pocket PC News" @ 09:00 AM

http://mowbee.com/2009/06/htc-well-...o-over-android/

"The CEO of HTC for France, Frederic Tassy, has been chatting mobiles recently, and released the interesting news that the company still rates Windows Mobile over Android...Tassy said to Mobinaute: "We will always have more flagship products on Windows Mobile," which clearly shows the company believes Windows Mobile 6.5 and 7 will fix the problems inherent in WinMo 6.1, especially on a touchscreen."

It seems that while HTC is dabbling in other platforms like Android, they are clearly focused on Windows Mobile, and like many of us, are hoping that WinMo 6.5 will return some luster to the platform that clearly is in the shadows of more consumer driven phones like the G1, iPhone and Pre.


Thursday, June 4, 2009

The Pantech Matrix Pro: A Worthy Dual Slider

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Other Microsoft Smartphones" @ 11:30 AM

This is my video review of the Pantech Matrix Pro, a Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard smartphone offered by AT&T for $179 USD on a two-year contract. The unboxing and first impressions video can be viewed here.

This phone has the distinctive feature of having two keyboards (12 key and QWERTY), both hidden away via a slider. It weighs 4.3 ounces, has a 2.4 inch display at 240 x 320, comes with 256 MB of ROM, and 128 MB of RAM. It also features a microSDHC card slot for expandability up to 32 GB. It's a GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA phone, functioning on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz bands for GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 850/1900/2100 MHz for 3G data. The battery is 1320 mAh, giving 3 hours of talk time and 10.4 days of stand-by time. More details about the Pantech Matrix Pro can be found on this AT&T site. Read more...


Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Twikini: Rocking Twitter On Your Smartphone

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Pocket PC Software" @ 12:20 PM

http://www.trinketsoftware.com/Twikini/

"Twikini offers a powerful and efficient way to use Twitter on your phone. It conveniently updates your favorite feeds in the background, and leverages the camera, GPS, media, touch screen, keyboard, graphics and storage capabilities of your device. Our goal is to make Twikini the best designed Twitter app for Windows devices in the world."

If you're doing the Twitter thing, you know it's all about having a good software client. Sure, you can use the mobile Twitter Web site, but that gets you only the basics. Twikini brings with it a bunch of great features, including the ability to post your GPS location or coordinates, and the ability to interact with Twitter in all the ways that matter: direct messages, replies, etc. Best of all, Twikini is nice and cheap - only $4.95 USD, and you get another Trinket Software application thrown in, such as the awesome PowerSMS (a really great app). It's realy great to see fresh new developers embracing the Windows Mobile platform and bringing quality applications to the table - nice work Trinket Software!


Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Get Your Free 2 GB SugarSync Account

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Pocket PC Software" @ 11:00 AM

http://lifehacker.com/5245674/sugar...kyline=true

"Windows/Mac/mobile: SugarSync, a previously paid-only syncing service that got quite a few shout-outs in our feature-by-feature online storage chart, now offers a free 2GB plan that keeps documents synced across Windows, Mac, and mobile platforms."

SugarSync is a really slick service with some amazing features, but I've never wanted to use it before now because it's not a replacement for Mozy [Affiliate] based on my needs. Why not? SugarSync's pricing plans. I've got 267 GB worth of data backed up with Mozy, and it's costing me less than $5/month to do that. SugarSync's biggest plan offers 250 GB of storage and would cost me $20.83/month. With the vast majority of my files, I don't need to access them via the browser, so there's no ultra-compelling justification for the extra $15/month I'd need to pay for SugarSync. Thus, I haven't ever used SugarSync. Read more...


Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Microsoft, Verizon, and "Pink" Being Delayed?

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Pocket PC Talk" @ 04:21 PM

http://www.crn.com/software/2173002...JUNN2JVN?pgno=1

"In-house development delays are putting a stealth Microsoft-Verizon smartphone project in danger of collapse, Channelweb.com has learned. Microsoft and Verizon Wireless have reportedly been working on a Microsoft-branded touch-screen smartphone that Verizon could launch on its network as early as next year. The smartphone, code-named Pink, would consist of Microsoft software running on a third-party device, according to sources familiar with the project. However, Microsoft has encountered major setbacks that have affected its schedule for bringing Pink to market, sources said."

I lost count of the number of rumours and points of speculation in this article, but it would seem there's something to this given the sheer number of rumours strung together. The question is, though, is whether this is a Windows Mobile device. What if it's a Danger Sidekick running a bunch of Windows Live software? It's hard to say given how much rampant speculation there is in this article. What's not speculation though is that Windows Mobile 6.5 devices are still not here yet, and Windows Mobile 7 is even further out. Has anyone else noticed that Windows Mobile isn't even mentioned in many of the articles talking about the major players in the mobile space? Microsoft sold north of 15 million licenses world-wide last year, yet somehow they're not considered a serious player in the market.


Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Has Google Already Lost The Smartphone Wars?

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "Smartphone Talk" @ 02:49 PM

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,281...,2345789,00.asp

I recently ran across an interesting article written by Sascha Segan from PCMag.com asking an interesting question, "Has Android Already Failed?" Personally, like Steve Mueller from Mobility Site, I feel it is way too early to write the Android platform off. Let's face it, when Google and HTC teamed up to release the T-Mobile G1 (HTC Dream) the handset wasn't really built around the needs of the average consumer. Sure the HTC Dream is a great little handset on its own, but you would have to be blind to not see that this device was built for the sole purpose of having development hardware on the market for individuals interested in the platform as a whole. It is, after all, a dream device for the open source junkie in your life. You can build almost anything you want for it or install any of the various homebrew Android operating systems out there in the digital realm that are ready and waiting to be flashed to the handset.

What annoys me about these articles however is just the assumption that Android is a failure because it has sold so few handsets over the course of its first six months on the market. I personally consider selling 1 million handsets a success and I seem to remember all the Windows Mobile fanboys out there, myself included, shouting from the rooftops when the HTC Touch Diamond sold its first million handsets. Read more...


Thursday, April 2, 2009

WMExperts Receives HTC Snap Hands-On Time

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "Smartphone News" @ 09:26 PM

http://www.wmexperts.com/hands-impr...-video-htc-snap

"In the hand, the Snap feels almost illicitly good. In an age where everybody else (including, er, HTC) is going with glossy and shiny, the Snap is unabashedly covered in the best "soft touch finish" I've ever laid hands on. The thing is grippable and the best way I can explain the feel is that it's a very good mix of organic curves and hard lines. I also adore the color, which has just enough brown notes to be interesting without falling into Zune territory."

The new HTC handset looks downright incredible. At first I did not think the rendering of the device, with the giant overlapping round buttons, would translate well into the real world. From the looks of the video WMExperts managed to snag of this handset I see this fear was a little premature as the big thumb friendly design is not only pleasing to the eyes but looks really fun to use. I've been out shopping for a new phone as of late and now I am almost 100% positive that I will hold out to buy this bad boy when it is finally available.


Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Microsoft Announces Developments In the Marketplace, Windows Live, and Windows Mobile 6.5

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC News" @ 11:15 AM

Microsoft is at CTIA this week to make a slew of announcements related to the Marketplace, Windows Live, and Windows Mobile 6.5. Expect all the details during Robbie Bach's keynote; however, if you simply can't wait, jump the break and we'll feed you some preliminary information as well as a few screenshots.

Read more...


Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Astraware's Under Five Bucks Game Sale!

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "Smartphone Software" @ 11:39 AM

http://www.astraware.com/

"From now until midnight on 31st March 2009, our award-winning Astraware Sudoku, Astraware Casino, Astraware Boardgames and Astraware Solitaire are all available for the very special price of just $4.95 each! That's a saving of $5 off the new regular price of $9.95."

Found this little gem from Astraware awaiting in my mailbox and thought I would share it with all of you. If you were looking for a fun inexpensive way to past the time when you are out and about then I suggest picking up one of these titles. I personally am a huge fan of Astraware Casino as the game was always a go to for killing time when I was stuck waiting for a client of sitting in a waiting room. To pick up your copy of these great games at the discounted price, please point your browser to the Astraware site at http://www.astraware.com


Friday, March 20, 2009

Microsoft to Charge Developers a Submission Token/Fee Per App Update?

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Talk" @ 06:00 AM

"On a related note, the presentation confirmed that the new Windows Marketplace for Mobile will apply application updates directly on the device. However it also appears application updates will require developers to resubmit their application for approval which would then cost a submission token or fee and take time to process."

Allow me to place Long Zheng's words (quoted above) into context. When Microsoft unveiled the Windows Marketplace for Mobile a week ago, it outlined details pertaining to program enrollment and the application submission process. To join the program, developers pay an annual registration fee of $99. That fee includes five application submissions per year. When a developer consumes all five submission tokens in a given year, each additional application submission within the same year costs $99, whether it's a free or paid application.

Now, this probably wouldn't restrict the average developer too much, as he or she is unlikely to release five new applications in a given year. However, a real problem emerges once these submission tokens are applied to application updates as well as new applications, which is actually the case, if Long's words speak the truth. It's not uncommon for developers, especially those who actively respond to customer feedback, to release more than five application updates in a given year. But who can blame a developer for being discouraged when they're being slapped with a $99 fee per update after the fifth update?

Read more...


Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Fennec, Mozilla's Mobile Browser, Enters Beta

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Pocket PC Software" @ 09:40 AM

http://www.betanews.com/article/Moz...beta/1237391331

"It's looking more and more like Mozilla is ready to really do this: Late last night, the organization posted the first public beta of the browser that could end up being "Firefox Mobile." It still goes by the code name Fennec, and the first beta is testing whether touchscreen mobile users will be willing to have literally all their browser functions be placed off-screen, if it makes room for more elements of the Web page."

What I find interesting - and impressive - is that Fennec is going to have TraceMonkey, the JavaScript engine that will come with Firefox 3.5. Usually mobile components tend to be stripped down, pale shadows of their desktop counters - it's nice to see the Mozilla developers putting performance at the forefront. Right now the beta is only for desktop Windows, which surprises me a little bit - you'd think that the beta stage was when they'd be ready to do the on device testing after the desktop testing in the Alpha stage. Still, I'm thrilled to see Fennec starting to gain some momentum - with the continued fumbling by Microsoft in getting a great mobile browser into the hands of its customers, it's nice to see another option coming for us to use.


Saturday, March 14, 2009

HTC Maple Hitting US Shelves in April?

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "Smartphone News" @ 01:23 PM

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090313PB205.html

"High Tech Computer (HTC) is likely to unveil its new QWERTY handset, the HTC Maple, in the upcoming CTIA Wireless 2009 trade fair which will be held in Las Vegas from April 1-3, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report. HTC has been in talks with four service operators in the US for joint marketing of the BlackBerry-like HTC Maple, the paper quoted sources at HTC as indicating."

[Photo courtesy of MobileDevicesToday]

Looks like April will be a great month for us Windows Mobile Smartphone users. While an early Q2 release is speculated it is in no way written in stone at the moment. However if the HTC Maple does make its way onto the shelves of our favorite carriers stores, you can bet your lunch money that I will be in line to pick one up. While I like my Google Android phone, there are plenty of things that I miss about Windows Mobile and one of them is having a nice slim device similar to my old Samsung Blackjack. We will keep you updated with any new news that we hear on the release of this unique looking device.

  • Read
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  • Source: MobileDevicesToday


Monday, March 9, 2009

More Dell Smartphone Discussions

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "Smartphone News" @ 04:31 PM

http://www.businessweek.com/technol...hts_on_del.html

"Today’s Wall Street Journal has an intriguing story about Dell’s apparent plans to enter the smart phone business. It’s not clear what platform Dell will use. Apparently Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile are on the table. Maybe they’ll use both. But here’s the detail that caught my attention: The phones are being designed in an office in the Chicago area. That to me says this Dell phone will essentially be designed by former Motorola people."

It would not surprise me to see Dell hire ex-Motorola employees to design and develop their new smartphones. However there are a few industrial design firms in the Chicago area that have worked with Motorola in the past and could be working with Dell in the future. I think the real interesting part of this story is how the Dell smartphone rumors, just like the Zune Phone rumors, will not die. There has been speculation for years that Dell would jump back into the smartphone realm but to be honest I really doubt we will see this happen. With Dell's announcement last week that their sales have dropped over 16% in the past year and they will be cutting down on costs, jumping into a new already crowded market doesn't seem like the best way to recoup their lost sales.


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