Although Windows Phone, as discussed earlier, is a struggling ecosystem in mobile space, the devices currently being churned out for the platform are every bit worthy of recognition. Nokia, even before it was acquired by Microsoft, provided a continual stream of great handsets for WP users to behold, and has today unveiled yet another addition to its high-end line-up. The Lumia Icon, which will launch on Verizon Wireless in The States, packs a similarly high-end performance to that of the established releases like the Lumia 1020 and 925, and as the Finnish company's first major release of the year so far, we'll be looking at the key specs and form factor after the break.
According to sources of The Verge, Microsoft could be toying with the idea of bringing Android app support to both Windows and Windows Phone, in a move that could, in theory, help breathe new life into a mobile platform that is patently bereft of apps. Of course, such a drastic move would cause controversy, no less because it could spell the beginning of the end of Windows Phone as a mobile platform, but as the Redmond continually struggles to entice developers into creating apps for the Windows Phone Store, options are becoming increasingly limited.
Nokia is keen to take the Windows Phone platform and to build on top of it, which is where the company's Lumia Black software update comes into play. Bringing new software features to handsets like the Lumia 1020 and Lumia 925, the software is available to users of those devices as of today. Other devices will get the update in the coming weeks, we're told.
Microsoft is seeking to spread a little pre-Christmas cheer by offering users of its SkyDrive online storage service something extra this holiday season. If users stake their claim before the end of January, they will be treated to a whole 20GB of extra cloud storage, free of charge.
Microsoft seems determined to make the most of its ecosystem and that's never been more clear than the news that the company has launched the somewhat less than exciting Office Remote app for Windows Phone. If you've ever wanted to interact with Microsoft's Office apps by using your Windows Phone instead of a mouse, then you're in luck.
If there's one thing people like to do, it's compare sales metrics for smartphones. Potentially one of the best ways to ascertain just how well a device is selling when compared with its peers, average selling prices show just how willing buyers are to pay substantial amounts of money in order to get their fingers on the latest and greatest technology from their manufacturer of choice.
With Apple having recently dropped its big software update for iOS, it's now Microsoft's turn to come through with some big announcements for those on its own smartphone platform, and today, the software maker has unveiled the details of Update 3 for Windows Phone 8. Included will be support for 1080p displays and quad-core processors, two features that have become the de facto standard for high-end handsets, and with a new Driving Mode also thrown into the mix, the future does look somewhat brighter for the struggling ecosystem.
A number of new research studies into the effectiveness, responsiveness and overall quality of smartphone and tablet touchscreens has found that Apple Inc. is still leading the pack. Mobile ad company Agawi has been putting a number of popular iOS and Android devices through their paces in an attempt to measure the performance of the touchscreen technology on the device, with the results putting the fruit company way ahead of the competition.
It's no secret that while Microsoft's Windows Phone platform has potential, it's going to continue struggling against iOS and Android unless it manages to cajole a decent amount of developers into building apps for its fledgling platform. In order to try and strengthen the ecosystem, the Redmond company has just introduced an all-new dev tool by the name of Windows Phone App Studio. Currently in beta, it allows anybody to create a basic app for Windows Phone -- regardless of experience in coding -- and although its ease of use means it does carry its fair share of limitations, it could be the software maker's secret weapon in finally thrusting Windows Phone from its relative obscurity.
Microsoft is hard at work getting Windows 8.1 ready for the desktop, but there's no doubt that the Redmond outfit is also buckling down to the task of getting its mobile brother all set for primetime too. With Windows Phone 8 undoubtedly an improvement on previous versions, few would argue that there are still some big issues to be addressed before Windows Phone can really compete with the likes of iOS and Android.
