Nokia Lumia Icon Now Supports Insider Preview Builds Of Windows 10 Mobile

Microsoft’s Gabriel Aul announced recently that the company will be bringing support for Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview builds to the Nokia Lumia Icon. If you own a Nokia Lumia Icon, you will be glad to know that you can now try out Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview on your device using the Windows Insider app (link below). You will only be able to get builds from the development branch which means you will need to install the Redstone builds and can not install the Threshold 2 builds which are slightly more stable compared to the Redstone builds.

To get Windows 10 Mobile on your Lumia Icon, simply sign up for the Windows Insider program (link below), download the Windows Insider app (link below) on your Nokia Lumia Icon, enroll into the Insider Fast or Slow Ring, after your phone reboots check for updates to download Windows 10 Mobile.

Be sure to let us know what you think of Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview build by leaving your comments below in the comment section. 


Source: Windows Insider Program, Windows Insider app

Windows 10 Mobile Arrives For Handsets Running Windows Phone 8.1

Microsoft has begun rolling out Windows 10 Mobile to smartphones running Windows Phone 8.1.

Microsoft first expected to release the platform in November or December of last year, but pushed the update to the first quarter. The new operating system is available to the Lumia 430, 435, 532, 535, 540, 635, 640, 640 XL, 730/735, 830, 930, 1320, HTC One (M8) for Windows, 1520, and Icon.

Owners of these phones must first download the Upgrade Advisor app from the Windows Store and accept the terms and conditions of the upgrade. Once this step is taken the phone is prepared for Windows 10 and Microsoft will deliver it as an over the air update.


Source: Windows

Nokia Camera Beta App Now Available

The Nokia Camera application debuted earlier this year as a combination of two of Nokia's previous apps, Pro Cam and Smart Cam, giving Windows Phone users access to more imaging modes and video features than the standard Windows Phone camera app offers. However, the app has only been available to Nokia devices with PureView-branded cameras since its debut. That's changing today, as a new Nokia Camera beta app has been announced for other Lumia models.

The new Nokia Camera beta app is being offered as part of the Nokia Beta Labs program. The app is meant to be available to all Lumia models running Windows Phone 8 and features the same look and feature set as the standard Nokia Camera app. That'll change over time, though, as Nokia intends on adding new features to the app to test them out before they're pushed to the stable version of the Nokia Camera app that's available through the Windows Phone store.

Source: Nokia Beta Labs

Microsoft Acquires Nokia For $7.2B

Microsoft announced yesterday that it has reached an agreement to acquire the Devices and Services division of Nokia for approx. $7.2 billion. Microsoft will also gain the Lumia and Asha brands, as well as Nokia's patent licensing agreement with Qualcomm. Nokia will continue to exist as a separate company, focusing on networks via its NSN division, mapping via its HERE division, and and Advanced Technologies division. Nokia will retain its brand and patents, but license them to Microsoft. Microsoft has recently moved to refocus itself on devices and services. This move advances that goal for the mobile division and Windows Phone. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop will move to Microsoft. Nokia has worked closely with Microsoft on Windows Phone devices since 2011, when the company ditched its troubled Symbian platform. Competing mobile OS makers Apple and BlackBerry have always made their own hardware. Google purchased Motorola in 2012 to shore up its Android strategy. The Microsoft-Nokia deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014 an is subject to shareholders and regulatory approval.


Source: Nokia

Nokia Looking To Enter The Tablets Market

Nokia may have posted a massive $1.7 billion loss for Q1 of this year, but the company is trying to fight back with its Lumia Windows Phones in partnership with Microsoft. What else does the company have up its sleeve going forward? Jorma Ollila, chairman of Nokia, has revealed that the company is looking into the possibility of a tablet, and some other form factors too.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Ollila said: “Tablets are an important one, so that is being looked into.” He also alluded to other form factors being researched: “And there will be different hybrids, different form factors in the future.”

When asked about Nokia’s current situation, Ollila said that he was happy with the way things were progressing, and that it was only natural for it to take time for Nokia to find its way back into the market. “When you have such strong competitors in the marketplace it will take a bit of time but things are going well.”

It comes just after Nokia’s design chief revealed in March that Nokia was indeed working on a tablet, saying that he was devoting a third of his time to the project. Rumors indicated that Nokia would be using Windows on ARM, with a dual-core Qualcomm chip and 10.1-inch display. The tablet is said to launch sometime towards the end of the year, Q4.

Nokia Reveals Hotspot Feature Headed to Lumia Line



Nokia has indicated via a FAQ posted to its web site that its Lumia Windows Phone devices will be updated with support for the mobile hotspot feature. The Lumia 800 and 710, which are already available in some markets, do not include this feature. According to Nokia, the feature will be added in a future system update, though the timing and availability of the update was not provided. The Lumia 900 and Lumia 610 will support mobile hotspot at launch. If the tethering capabilities on the update are the same as what the Nokia Lumia 610 and Nokia Lumia 900 are sporting out of the box, users will be able to hook up as many as 5 devices at one time.