ABI Research: 720 million apps to be downloaded in Windows Phone 7 Marketplace this year

ABI Research has announced that 720 million apps will be downloaded on the Windows Phone 7 marketplace in 2012, around 2% of the 36 billion mobile apps downloaded this year.

Research associate Lim Shiyang says, “Although Windows Phone lags behind RIM’s BlackBerry and even Nokia’s Symbian, we shouldn’t ignore the fact that the two percent that we forecast for 2012 would be twice the share the platform achieved last year. Microsoft is gaining momentum, but its starting point is frustratingly low. Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t really a chicken-and-egg problem of low device sales holding back the app business and the slow app business holding back the device sales. It’s more complicated than that.”

There are four factors undermining Windows Phone’s app growth. First, the small device market share is the most obvious drag. Second, Windows Marketplace’s global roll-out has taken a long time, further limiting the number of potential customers. Third, Microsoft has also been slow to enable in-app purchasing, meaning that most of the quality apps remain behind an upfront paywall. And fourth, there have been no tablets built on the platform. Advancement on any of these fronts will have a positive impact.

According to senior analyst Aapo Markkanen, “One message we hear from many developers is that, purely technically speaking, Windows Phone is actually a rather appealing platform. And if it turns out to be a platform for relatively high-end devices, avoiding the fragmentation pitfalls of Android, it won’t even need to achieve a remarkably large market share to attract a vibrant app scene. The arrival of the first Windows 8 tablets, as well as Windows Phone’s upgrade to the Apollo iteration, should also give it a boost, since developers can reuse their code to launch on various screen sizes.”

720 million apps likely represents around 20-30 app downloads per user per year.

The report is part of ABI Research’s study, “Mobile Applications Market Data,” provides insight into the fast-growing mobile applications market.

Source: WMpoweruser

Summary of Windows Phone 7's MWC Announcements

Boy, Monday's are tough. But at least we have lots of good news for everybody. For those who missed all the MWC hype, we've assembled a complete list of what was said, what was shown, and what was implied:

Copy and Paste "NoDo" update coming beginning of March
Twitter Integration coming in 2011
Support for Office documents in the cloud via Skydire coming 2011
Internet Explorer 9 Mobile coming 2011
Multitasking and Fast App switching coming 2011
"Significant Volume" of Nokia phones coming 2012
Verizon and Sprint phones are coming "soon."
More details about multitasking will be announced at MIX 11.
The multitasking ability is big news; however, the update is not expected until the second half of 2011, implying the top above changes will be coming in the Mango update.

Source: (WP7Central)

Multitasking and Fast App Switching demoed on WP7

As part of the upcoming Mango update, Joe Belfiore demoed multitasking on Windows Phone 7. The process is simple, only requiring the user to press and hold the back button to access a list of recently run applications. Also thrown in the mix, applications start and resume much faster, as seen with the instant return to the current gameplay. Finally, music multitasking is also coming, which allows third-party applications to play music even when the user leaves the application. Better yet, the on-screen volume controls and track seek bar can also be integrated into the application. Watch the video via 1800PocketPc for a quick look at what is coming later this year.

Details on how developers can use these features will be revealed at MIX '11. Also, for those wondering, the background color is evidently set to the device's accent color, in this case, an off-green color. Keep in mind the video is an early preview.

Source: (WP7Central)

Multi-Tasking and IE 9 Mobile and Twitter integration, Kinect interaction coming to Windows Phone 7 in second half of 2011

That’s right folsk! Steve Ballmer has just announced during his MWC eynote that full Multi-Tasking , IE9 Mobile with full Hardware acceleration and Twitter integration are coming to Windows Phone 7 in the Second half of 2011. That’s Mango for you! Stay tuned fro more… The Office hub is also being updated Hit the break for the full feature’s description:

BARCELONA, Spain – Feb. 14, 2011 – Microsoft today kicked off Mobile World Congress by giving people a glimpse of what the rest of the year will bring for Windows Phone 7. Among the updates are several new features, a booming app marketplace, and the integration of even more Microsoft products with the phone.

A concrete example of the company’s vision is the new strategic partnership with Nokia. “This partnership will combine the strengths of our two companies, and fuel our growth as we build the global Windows Phone ecosystem. This is a great win for us, for Nokia, and for our existing and new customers around the world,” said Andy Lees, president of Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business.

IE9 Mobile

IE9 will be available for Windows Phone 7 in the second half of 2011, offering “a dramatically enhanced mobile Web browser experience.” The IE9 beta has been downloaded an estimated 25 million times. Feb. 14, 2011

“…A year ago, we introduced Windows Phone 7 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. We described how we are putting the entire muscle of our company behind our mobile strategy including Windows, Windows Live, Bing, Zune, Xbox LIVE, Office, SharePoint, Exchange, and our developer tools,” Lees said. “Our alliance with Nokia creates opportunities for both companies far beyond what we could achieve separately, and offers a compelling alternative to the existing choices for consumers, mobile operators and developers.”

The first goal with Windows Phone 7, Lees said, was to deliver a uniquely delightful customer experience. And the results, as provided by Windows Phone 7 users, show that the overall experience is great. “So far we’ve had a fantastic reaction from customers, with a 93 percent customer satisfaction rate and nine out of 10 customers saying they are likely to recommend [the phone] to someone else,” Lees said. “All of this contributed to Nokia choosing us. And with this partnership, we are taking another big step toward driving global scale, reach and impact.”

Microsoft announced several new Windows Phone 7 features coming in 2011, including a “dramatically enhanced” browser experience based on Internet Explorer 9; additional multitasking capabilities; support for Microsoft Office documents in the cloud; and the addition of Twitter to the People Hub. The expanded capabilities announced today include:

• Copy and paste functionality via first major update, coming in the next month

• Twitter integration directly into the People Hub in 2011

• Support for Office documents in the cloud in 2011

• Dramatically enhanced Web browser experience based on IE9 in 2011

• A new wave of multitasking applications in 2011

• Targeting significant volume of Nokia Windows Phones in 2012

Microsoft sold 2 million phone licenses in Windows Phone 7’s first two months, and the phone is now available from 60 mobile operators in 30 countries around the world, Lees said. As phone availability and sales grow, so too does the app marketplace – there are now more than 8,000 apps in the marketplace and 28,000 registered developers.

In addition, the phone will be available soon on U.S. networks such as Verizon and Sprint, he said. Also, with an expanded feature set, more capabilities, and new partnerships like the one just announced with Nokia, the Windows Phone 7 platform is positioned to scale up rapidly.

First Mile Point in the Marathon

With the bang of a starting gun firing last fall, Windows Phone 7 launched itself into the mobile race. It’s a race that Microsoft leaders are quick to point out is not a sprint, but a marathon – and one that’s just begun.

“We’re in the race – it’s not a sprint but we are certainly gaining momentum and we’re in it for the long run,” said Achim Berg, a corporate vice president in Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business and Marketing Group. “We know we have tough competition, and this is a completely new product. Our design is different, our platform is different, our customer experience is different, and our long-term strategy for earning widespread adoption is different.”

Over the next year, the company will continue to work with third parties on phone innovation and will add new features and apps that customers want and that make using Windows Phone 7 a “delightful experience.” Microsoft also will work to engage more of the nearly 80 percent of worldwide phone users who are not using a smart phone, said JP Wollersheim, a Windows Phone 7 product manager.

A Different Kind of Phone

It was just two and a half years ago that Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 team came together with a single mission: to go back to the drawing board to create a completely new Windows Phone, to rethink and smarten up the smart phone, and to create a device that successfully integrated many favorite Microsoft products into one device – Bing, Windows LIVE, Xbox and Office, among others.

“For the first time, Microsoft has actually collected all of those great products and put them on a device with a screen that’s 480×800,” said Wollersheim. “It’s always been about being different. Because we were starting fresh, from the ground up, we were able to look at what our competitors were doing, look at their issues and work through their experiences, and design something better.”

Wollersheim said Microsoft built a smarter smart phone that focuses on user experience, integrates experiences rather than launching separate apps for tasks, gives information at a glance, and “allows you to have things happen on your behalf.”

One example of how deep thinking about the mobile phone experience translated into a feature is the Windows Phone 7 camera. Each device has a camera button on the side and can instantly take a photo, even if the phone is locked, rather than the user having to miss the moment while scrambling to unlock the phone and open a camera app.

It’s just one of many thoughtful details that make the phone different, and Wollersheim said that is largely why people are so “jazzed” with their new phones.

“You don’t sell phones if people aren’t happy. That’s the leading indicator of where we’re at, and it’s predictive as to how many we’re going to eventually sell,” Wollersheim said. “We want it to sell, and we want customers to be super happy, and we want them to tell their friends and family. That’s the best recommendation you could have.”

Source: (MobileTechWorld)

Windows Phone 7 Kinect companion Rally Ball game video

Here’s the promotional video of the the Windows Phone 7 Kinect companion Rally Game that was just shown during the MWC congress keynote just an hour ago. Just hit the break to see the action:



Source: (MobileTechWorld)

Official Mobile World Congress application for Windows Phone 7 available

The official Mobile World Congress application for Windows Phone 7 has just been released in time for next weeks event in Barcelona. The application is obviously free and can be downloaded directly from the Marketplace here. Just keep in mind that it is mostly useful for those of you who are attending the event and not really something for the regular end user.

Source: (MobileTechWorld)

BooksAlive coming soon to Windows Phone 7

Coming soon to Windows Phone 7 is BooksAlive from XIMAD, a series of interactive children's books. Currently only available for iOS, the series is designed to create an interactive experience for parents and children on their mobile devices. Of course, we're not sure how well e-reading will work on a 3.5" screen, but we do know that this will certainly make an interesting application for Windows Phone 7.

Source: (WP7Central)

Nokia's Windows Phone 7 Concept

Wow! Look at what Engadget dug up! Here's what they claim to be a concept design of a Nokia Windows Phone 7. You've got a very thin profile, smooth tapered edges, and a few interesting color choices. We have no idea when a Nokia branded Windows Phone 7 might appear on the market, but how do you like the direction they're taking with these concept renderings?

Source: (Pocketnow)

Microsoft To Unveil New WP7 Hardware Reqs at MWC?

With Chassis Specifications, Microsoft has tried -- and so far managed -- to impose a standard among available Windows Phone 7 hardware in order to avoid fragmentation on one hand and to guarantee the same user experience among all devices on the other hand.

We know that, even with the current hardware requirements, there are differences in Windows Phone 7 devices in terms of performance, which are mainly referring to the use of different storage media. While processors all clock at 1GHz -- and even though some devices might only have 256MB of RAM, beyond the bad report scenario -- some OEMs opted for microSD cards as a storage solution while others went with NAND, which significantly decreased application loading times.

According to recent Rumors (note, capital R), Microsoft is set to unveil new hardware requirements for Windows Phone 7 with the occasion of the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. We've already heard that Windows Phone 7 will offer support for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon MSM7X30 System on a Chip architecture -- as opposed to the currently supported QSD8250 -- that will benefit from the Adreno 205 GPU.

What other requirements might there be? Well, Microsoft might require devices to have a front facing camera. You might remember that one of the developer devices, namely the Samsung Taylor, indeed had a front facing camera. Also, the required memory on board of devices might be bumped but so far, Windows Phone 7 is rather fluid and smooth -- and with the upcoming Windows Phone 7 update, performance will be further improved. Also note that dramatically changing the specs will not be possible for the exact reasons Microsoft put out the hardware requirements in the first place! In plain English, Microsoft can’t require something hardware-wise that will not be backwards compatible with wave one devices as it will generate hardware (and software) fragmentation as well as break the global user experience standard.

So we're not quite sure what's in store (IF) for second wave devices but since we're talking Rumors, let's end with a rumor: can it have anything to do with today's Nokia announcement, which, if true, might bring a new player to the Windows Phone 7 game?


Source:(pocketnow)

Nokia and Microsoft deal official, bigger than ever

Rumors of a Nokia Windows Phone 7 partnership have been floating around since day 1, but today, things have been made official. And it's bigger than just a phone.

The alliance pulls Windows Pohne 7 as Nokia's primary platform, but also involves other services such as Bing, Xbox Live, and Office. Under the new deal, Microsoft lists the following:

Nokia would adopt Windows Phone as its principal smartphone strategy, innovating on top of the platform in areas such as imaging, where Nokia is a market leader.
Nokia would help drive the future of Windows Phone. Nokia would contribute its expertise on hardware design, language support, and help bring Windows Phone to a larger range of price points, market segments and geographies.
Nokia and Microsoft would closely collaborate on joint marketing initiatives and a shared development roadmap to align on the future evolution of mobile products.
Bing would power Nokia’s search services across Nokia devices and services, giving customers access to Bing’s next generation search capabilities. Microsoft adCenter would provide search advertising services on Nokia’s line of devices and services.
Not only does this mean that we'll see Nokia-made Windows Phone 7s, but it also means all of Nokia's expertise will be shared and built into the platform.

Share your thoughts about the deal in the comments below.

Source:(wp7central)

Microsoft promises Windows Phone 7 update details next week

Speaking on Microsoft’s German Facebook page, spotted by WMPoweruser, Microsoft officials hint at Mobile World Congress for further details on the first platform update for Windows Phone 7:



Microsoft has promised to detail its plans next week for the first Windows Phone 7 update.


Microsoft is also expected to detail new Windows Phone 7 hardware requirements next week. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is due to hold a keynote address at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 14. Microsoft may use the event to unveil new hardware requirements for Windows Phone 7. Microsoft first announced Windows Phone 7 at Mobile World Congress 2010 and supplied the original button specifications for hardware manufacturers.

Microsoft’s first platform update will include the highly anticipated copy and paste feature. Windows Phone 7 copy and paste has been demonstrated earlier this week in full thanks to an unlocked emulator. Microsoft’s first update will also improve application start-up and resume times. Microsoft posted a support article recently that details the update process for Windows Phone 7 devices.

“NoDo”, the codename for Microsoft’s first Windows Phone 7 update, will ship in early March according to recent reports. The software giant RTM’d the update in December and has been busy preparing the Zune client software and Marketplace to handle the updated software. WinRumors understands the update has been delayed a number of times due to concerns from operators and device manufacturers.

Microsoft has shipped 2 million devices to carriers and is expected to announce further progress and updates at the Mobile World Congress exhibition in Barcelona next week. Microsoft and Nokia both announced a strategic partnership on Friday allowing Nokia to create a range of Windows Phone 7 devices. Nokia is holding a press event on Sunday but it’s not likely to unveil its Windows Phone 7 hardware. Ballmer said on Friday that hardware will be unveiled in the coming weeks or months. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop confirmed that the company will be able to create a Windows Phone 7 quickly thanks to joint-engineering efforts.

Source:(winrumors)

HD2 faster than the 'HD7 phone with Windows 7, another

We have already shown in other video from HDblog, shot when it was published for the first rom WP7 HD2, which in many transactions 's HD2 is faster than the' HTC that comes already with the HD7 system operating Windows phone 7.

As evidence of this here is another video that compares the two terminals.



Source: (HDblog)

It’s official: Nokia to use WP7 as its smartphone OS

In a press release today, Microsoft and Nokia “today announced plans to form a broad strategic partnership that would use their complementary strengths and expertise to create a new global mobile ecosystem.” Nokia being the largest phone manufacturer will now be partnered with Microsoft and the two companies will collaborate on marketing, search, maps and development. Nokia also stating they “would adopt Windows Phone as its principal smartphone strategy, innovating on top of the platform in areas such as imaging, where Nokia is a market leader.” So there you have it everyone, it appears Nokia and Microsoft are positioning themselves to be right up there in the race with Android and iOS, even going as far as saying, “It’s now a three-horse race.” Hit the jump for the entire press release, and stay tuned for more….


Nokia and Microsoft Announce Plans for a Broad Strategic Partnership to Build a New Global Mobile Ecosystem

Companies plan to combine assets and develop innovative mobile products on an unprecedented scale.

LONDON – Feb. 11, 2011 – Nokia and Microsoft today announced plans to form a broad strategic partnership that would use their complementary strengths and expertise to create a new global mobile ecosystem.
Nokia and Microsoft intend to jointly create market-leading mobile products and services designed to offer consumers, operators and developers unrivalled choice and opportunity. As each company would focus on its core competencies, the partnership would create the opportunity for rapid time to market execution. Additionally, Nokia and Microsoft plan to work together to integrate key assets and create completely new service offerings, while extending established products and services to new markets.

•Nokia would adopt Windows Phone as its principal smartphone strategy, innovating on top of the platform in areas such as imaging, where Nokia is a market leader.
•Nokia would help drive the future of Windows Phone. Nokia would contribute its expertise on hardware design, language support, and help bring Windows Phone to a larger range of price points, market segments and geographies.
•Nokia and Microsoft would closely collaborate on joint marketing initiatives and a shared development roadmap to align on the future evolution of mobile products.
•Bing would power Nokia’s search services across Nokia devices and services, giving customers access to Bing’s next generation search capabilities. Microsoft adCenter would provide search advertising services on Nokia’s line of devices and services.
•Nokia Maps would be a core part of Microsoft’s mapping services. For example, Maps would be integrated with Microsoft’s Bing search engine and adCenter advertising platform to form a unique local search and advertising experience
•Nokia’s extensive operator billing agreements would make it easier for consumers to purchase Nokia Windows Phone services in countries where credit-card use is low.
•Microsoft development tools would be used to create applications to run on Nokia Windows Phones, allowing developers to easily leverage the ecosystem’s global reach.
•Nokia’s content and application store would be integrated with Microsoft Marketplace for a more compelling consumer experience.
“Today, developers, operators and consumers want compelling mobile products, which include not only the device, but the software, services, applications and customer support that make a great experience,” Stephen Elop, Nokia President and CEO, said at a joint news conference in London. “Nokia and Microsoft will combine our strengths to deliver an ecosystem with unrivalled global reach and scale. It’s now a three-horse race.”
“I am excited about this partnership with Nokia,” said Steven A. Ballmer, Microsoft CEO. “Ecosystems thrive when fueled by speed, innovation and scale.The partnership announced today provides incredible scale, vast expertise in hardware and software innovation and a proven ability to execute.”
Please visit www.nokia.com/press for press materials.

Source:(SmartPhoneEnvy)

Nokia to get exclusive customization rights to Windows Phone 7

Nokia has confirmed its unique relationship and partnership with Microsoft is even more closer than that of its rivals.

Speaking during an analyst briefing on Friday, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop detailed what Nokia can and can’t do with Windows Phone 7. Pocket-lint was part of the briefing and has posted a full transcript of Elop’s words:

“We have established a relationship with Microsoft that allows Nokia to jointly drive the future of Windows Phone 7. To jointly define the language, functions and customizations that you’ll see in the future of Windows Phone 7. To have unique access to and the ability to do unique differentiating things relative to Android around software design, chipset support, and display configuration. And, of course, to ensure that it is competitive to Android and Apple.

At the same time we have to make sure we can differentiate within the Windows Phone ecosystem. Nokia has exclusive technologies – one example is our camera technology that you see on the N8 – and, because of this unique relationship with Microsoft, contribute capabilities like that to a Nokia Windows Phone 7 phone that you will not see on any other Windows Phone device.

We have the ability to do customizations and extensions to the software environment that are unique and therefore differentiate. It’s very important to understand this is not a standard OEM agreement. Microsoft is placing a big bet on us.”

Elop also said that Nokia has the ability to change every part of the Windows Phone user interface. However, Elop says changing the UI could be the “worst possible thing we do.” Instead the company will tread carefully. “We will resist the temptation to customize simply for the sake of customizing.”

Microsoft famously locked out other device manufacturers from customizing the UI of Windows Phone 7, allowing them to create application hubs instead. It’s not immediately clear what changes Nokia will implement for its Windows Phone 7 devices. Nokia and Microsoft confirmed on Friday that they are currently working on building devices but that they would share more information in the coming weeks and months.

Update: I think WP7 UI can't be change even for Nokia we will see in the future

Source: (Winrumors)

Samsung rep alludes to “probably early March” for WP7 update

When Windows Phone 7 came onto the scene, it was believed that a software update would have been made available soon after the new year to enhance the platform – like bringing aboard copy & paste. However, we’re very well into February and still don’t have a concrete date on when this first major update is expected to land.

Recently at a Microsoft developers event in France, Techdays 2011, one Samsung rep alluded to the notion that the update would arrive in March. Specifically, the Samsung rep said, “Probably early March, we will confirm at the Mobile World Congress in mid-February."

From the sounds of it all, it’s speculated that the delay is being caused by carrier certifications, but it’s also believed that new features are being added to the update as we speak. So maybe they’ll finally fix the annoying issue with it not retaining the camera settings?

In any event, Windows Phone 7 owners all around will need to wait a bit more until MWC rolls around the corner when we’ll get a clearer picture of a potential time frame.

Source:(phoneArena)

Windows Phone 7 Trial applications update issue not guaranteed to be fixed in upcoming update

Another annoying issue that has plagued Windows Phone 7 since its release is the impossibility to update trial applications or even buy them without having to uninstall them and then re-download them. Microsoft is now actively working on a fix but has only been doing so fairly recently even though this problem has be reported to them way back in October. Given how long it takes to get an update finalized it’s safe to assume that it won’t be part of the NoDo version coming out this month.


Microsoft replicates the bug on January 28:

I have an update on this issue.

There are two other Trial App update related issues of which I was previously unaware. These issues also apply to the situation where a user has choosen to install an application for “trial” and an update to the application is published sometime after installation; however, these issues are not specific to applications which add a Trial feature in the update.

The symptoms are similar to the previous issue I described:

* Marketplace shows an update is available but the update fails to apply. (Marketplace still shows update available.)
* Attempts to purchase the application fail.

A fix for these issues is planned for an upcoming client update.

On February 7th:

Q: Will the upcoming update fix the cannot-update-Trial-Apps problems?
A: That is the plan as I understand it; however, I cannot guarantee a given fix will be in a particular update until the bits are actually released.

There’s still a slim chance that it will be part of NoDo if it’s indeed not coming out in time for MWC.

Source: (WP7Central)

Zune software updated, NoDo coming soon

With all the waiting, it's nice to see some hope on the horizon. A mysterious Zune update has just been pushed today without announcement, and what's more, the software version hasn't changed. The update is evidently related to the updating of Windows Phone 7 ROMs, but no physical features of the software have been updated. In fact, Microsoft has even declined comment on the update. This is more likely than not good news, as the first NoDo update is supposedly right around the corner. Still, with no announcement from Microsoft, it's hard to say what they have cooking.

Source: (WP7Central)

http://techtacy.blogspot.com/2011/02/motorola-i786.html

T-Mobile has announced a two-day Valentine's Promotion kicking in Friday, February 11 until Saturday, February 12, where all T-Mobile phones, including the latest and greatest, will be offered for free.

Signing up for smartphone qualifying plans on two-year contracts, customers will be able to choose from 30 phones in Magenta's line-up, including the popular T-Mobile myTouch 4G, HTC HD7, T-Mobile G2 and Samsung Vibrant.

On the other hand, TmoNews ran a Rebate Form for the two days where T-Mobile lists the free smartphones, as well as those requiring a purchase which will later be returned in the form of a rebate. The devices mentioned above belong to this category and you can check them out in the screenshot below. Anyone (and their Valentine) heading to a T-Mobile store this weekend?



Source:(pocketnow)

Windows Phone 7 Benchmark tool coming soon

A new benchmark tool for Windows Phone 7 named WP Bench is set to launch in a few hours in the Marketplace. The application was developed by Robert Varga who also developed the DirectX 11 ComupteMark software. As with all synthetic benchmarks the results aren’t really indicative of the real word performance of the devices so you should always base your performance analysis one synthetics results and real word results. Another way to compare the performance of the different Windows Phone 7 handsets on the market is to use the XNA sample applications (which I showed you in video in my Windows Phone 7 review) or just display the framerate rate counter in your application when debugging it.



Source: (Mobiletechworld)

Latest Windows Phone 7 unlocked emulator image with copy and paste available

The newest Windows Phone 7 image for the SDK emulator has just been unlocked and made available for your viewing pleasure. Other than copy and paste there doesn’t seem to be anything new as far as I can see but it you want to take screen shots of the OS this is currently the best solution. But please keep in mind that it is not recommended to use this image if you are developing applications and testing them out on it. Always use the locked image to test your applications. THe vurrent OS version is now 7.0.7389 compared to 7.0.7004 for the RTM we all have. Check out the video after the break.


Source:(MobileTechWorld)