Android P Beta Now Available

Google's Android P Beta is now available, including new features now available in the first developer preview. The Android P beta is available at the source links below.

In the past Google has typically only launches its latest operating system previews on its own Pixel line of device, but this time around Essential, Sony, Nokia, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and OnePlus have joined the party…

OEMs are handling their own Android P beta updates, Android P is coming to a huge list of phones. That includes:

Sony Xperia XZ2
Essential Phone
Nokia 7 Plus
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S
Oppo R15 Pro
Vivo X21
OnePlus 6


Source: Android P Beta Devices, OnePlus

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

Nokia’s Normandy Android Phone Rumored For This Month

Nokia could finally show off those Android-based “Normandy” smartphones we’ve been seeing surface lately. The company will debut its rumored fork of Android later this month at Mobile World Congress, according to The Wall Street Journal. The event kicks off in two weeks in Barcelona, Spain, and runs through February 27th.

Nokia, whose devices and services division was acquired by Microsoft, Nokia had been working on Android phones ahead of the acquisition, WSJ says. Nokia has been the primary handset maker for Windows Phone OS-based smartphones since dropping its own Symbian OS years ago. 

Leaked Images Of Nokia’s Normandy Android UI

Nokia's project to get Android on low cost smartphones got real today with yet another leak of the phones, this time with some OS shots. If what we’re seeing is legit, as most evleaks are, this one has two SIM card slots and a thick customized overlay.

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

Huawei Open To Buying Nokia

Huawei is looking at ways to grow its business, and acquisitions are one possible avenue it might explore. One company that has made its short list of targets is Nokia. "We are considering these sorts of acquisitions; maybe the combination has some synergies but depends on the willingness of Nokia. We are open-minded," said Richard Yu, head of consumer products for Huawei in an interview with the Financial Times. Huawei has faced difficulty finding traction in the U.S. with its telecommunications networking gear business, though its handsets have found space on the shelves of U.S. wireless network operators. Yu did not indicate that Huawei and Nokia are holding formal talks, nor did Nokia comment on Yu's remarks.

Source: Financial Times

Digia Buys Nokia's Remaining Qt Assets

Nokia's Qt project could be reinvigorated now that it's been bought out in its entirety by Finnish firm Digia, following a partial acquisition last year. Digia is eyeing porting the development platform, used to code applications for Symbian and Meego, to Windows 8 (the PR doesn't mention Windows Phone 8), Android and iOS in the near future. While a fee hasn't been mentioned, it's reportedly a "fraction" of the $150 million that Nokia originally paid when purchasing Trolltech in 2008 which probably won't improve matters on the handset maker's balance sheet.

Microsoft Said To Announce Windows 8 Tablet Monday June 18th

Windows fans who have enviously watched iOS and Android users toting around tablets won’t have to wait much longer. Microsoft sent out a press invitation on Thursday for a “major announcement” slated to take place in Los Angeles on Monday, June 18th, and AllThingsD is reporting that it will center around Windows RT-based tablets. According to AllThingsD, Microsoft is expected not just to show off its ARM-based Windows 8 tablets at the event but also to “highlight some of the kinds of programs and services that will run on the products, according to sources outside the company.” Having tablets in the fold would be a much-needed boost for Microsoft’s mobility brand, especially since Nokia, the company’s major Windows Phone manufacturer, is in such dire straits.

Nokia Acquires Imaging Firm Scalado

This morning, Nokia has announced that it has acquired imaging firm Scalado for an undisclosed price. Nokia will be picking up everything including their specialists, intellectual property and technology from the company and will be incorporating them into the company sometime in Q3 2012.

Scalado has been working with Nokia for the last 10 years but they've also done work with HTC and most recently RIM on their upcoming BlackBerry 10 and it's new camera functions. That is certainly interesting because RIM itself is in dire straits and they just lost what many considered to be a key partner for re-igniting their brand. Of course what RIM already had in motion with Scalado will probably remain but the Waterloo company should start looking elsewhere for future camera development.

The good news here of course is that Nokia is clearly aiming to get some of the best camera functions on Windows Phone. Currently, HTC is in a bit of a renaissance with their ONE series which focuses heavily on cameras and media capabilities, giving Nokia and others a run for their money.

Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how Scalado's know-how pays off on future Windows Phone 8 devices.

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.

Facebook Promises Huge Update For Windows Phone App

Facebook took to its own Facebook page for Windows Phone to announce a forthcoming update to its Windows Phone app. The revised app (v2.5) will include significant changes, such as threaded messaging, the ability to tag friends, the ability to delete posts and comments, active links in posts, an overhauled photo comment tool, and the ability to "Like" comments. Facebook said that the app is in the final stages of testing and will be delivered to Windows Phone handsets soon.

Nokia Lumia 900 Update Outed To Address Network Bug Fix

Nokia has made a small system update available for the Lumia 900 Windows Phone. The update fixes a memory management issue that affected the device's ability to remain connected to AT&T's data network. The update can be installed through Microsoft's Zune client or Windows Phone Connector for Mac.

Fix For Lumia 900 Data Connectivity Issue Coming

Nokia has confirmed the problem. In a post on its Nokia Conversations blog, the company says that a memory management issue is causing a loss of data connectivity for some users and that it's already cooked up a fix for the bug. An update is expected to be pushed via the Zune software on or around April 16th. Affected Lumia 900 owners also have the option of exchanging their existing device for an updated handset. Nokia and AT&T aren't stopping there, though, as they'll also be giving a $100 AT&T bill credit to anyone that's already bought a Lumia 900 or will buy one through April 21st.

Angry Birds Space Won't Land On Windows Phone



Peter Vesterbacka, chief marketing officer, at Rovio has told Bloomberg that there are no plans to release the latest iteration of the popular time sink on Microsoft's mobile platform. Despite the original game still being the most popular app in the Marketplace, Vesterbacka claims that "...it's a big undertaking to support it, and you have to completely rewrite the application." So, until a Series 40 version is confirmed, you bird slingin' Nokia fans will just have to wait. The news will be a disappointment to Windows Phone users, I’m sure. But I doubt it will be enough to convince you to switch platforms. If it is, it’s possible your Angry Birds addiction is getting out of control and we’d advise you to seek professional help.


Update: It seems as if Mr. Vesterbacka misspoke, or his comments were taken our of context. Rovio's CEO, Mikael Hed, told Reuters that "we are working towards getting Angry Birds Space to WP7," though there is no time frame set for the release yet.

Nokia Lumia 900 Pre-Orders Start In Canada

The Nokia Lumia 900 is the first Nokia Windows Phone device designed specifically with the North American customer in mind meaning it packs a relatively large 4.3-inch display and offers 4G LTE connectivity. While Nokia’s main goal is to make itself known in the USA, the Lumia 900 is first coming to Canada.

Just as Canadian carrier Rogers promised, the Lumia 900 went up for pre-order today for a price of only $99.99 on contract. In Canada, Rogers requires you to sign up for a three-year contract in order for you to fully benefit from the carrier subsidy. Additionally, the first ones to pre-order may qualify for a Nokia prize pack which could be a Batman-styled handset and other bundles.

Rumor has it that AT&T stateside will launch the Nokia Lumia 900 with the same sweet price of only $99.99 on a 2-year contract.

The handset features a 4.3” WVGA screen, 1.4GHz single-core processor, 16 gigs of non-expandable internal memory, an 8-megapixel camera and an 1830mAh battery.

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.

Nokia Lumia 900 Now Rumored To Be Hitting AT&T On April 22nd

When Nokia unveiled the Lumia 900 back at CES, the company gave us the full spec rundown on the 4.3-inch Windows Phone and said that it would be made available on AT&T here in the U.S. However, Nokia declined to offer details on just when the 900 will actually be launching and how much it'll cost when it does. We've heard a couple of times in the past that the Lumia 900 will be hitting AT&T in March, but a new report from BGR suggests that the wait may be a tad longer. According to a "trusted source" speaking to the site, AT&T is now aiming to release the Lumia 900 on April 22nd. BGR claims that the 900's previously-rumored $99.99 price point is still going to happen.

Nokia Hires Well-Known webOS Developer From Palm

Nokia for the past year or so has been on a crusade to dig the company out of irrelevancy in today’s super competitive mobile business. The Finnish-based phone maker teamed up with Microsoft to jazz things up on the operating system, shifting attention slightly away from its own OS Symbian. Now the company has its sights set on acquiring some talent on the development side.

On his blog this morning, Josh Marinacci, a developer/designer for Palm, announced that he would be leaving the troubled company after two years of service. He went on to explain himself as to why he came to the decision to leave, saying:

I spent the last two years doing my best to make webOS a success. I’m proud of the work I’ve done and the platforms I’ve helped, but quite frankly I’m damn tired. It’s a lot of fun to champion something you are passionate about, but also exhausting.

He also went on to suggest spending more time with his family and that he’d taken a research position at Nokia, which allows him to “play with cool future stuff and stay involved with the industry,” but at a much slower pace. Life changed drastically for many webOS workers, as parent company HP laid-off 270 workers who were key in the development of the maligned operating system.

That said, I thought it was interesting that Marinacci felt compelled to mention that the failed TouchPad had more native tablet apps than Android had after six months. As I read between the lines, this suggested that webOS as a software wasn’t the issue, but instead, the hardware and marketing was the problem.

The former Palm dev also noted that he planned to stay involved with the platform by offering his own apps in the App Catalog. He ended his blog post saying, “I love my TouchPad and will continue to use it until they pry it from my cold dead hands.”

Rumor: Nokia Dual-Core, LTE Windows Phone 8 Coming To Sprint

Windows Phone 8 is going dual-core, according to a report from The Verge. Qualcomm indicated that the Windows Phone development team is currently testing its Snapdragon S4 system on a chip in a device to be released later this year. As you may recall, Windows Phone 8 “Apollo” is rumored to add support for multi-core devices, paving the way for Windows Phone devices to see the same processing prowess we’ve come to expect from Android and iOS devices. The Snapdragon S4 will feature clock speeds of 1.5 GHz, and will tote the Adreno 225 GPU for enhanced graphical capabilities. This combination has been lethal when it comes to benchmarking scores, with results from devices running Qualcomm’s S4 doubling those from the Galaxy S2 and Droid 4 devices.

Sprint is currently in the running for such a device, and has sent over its LTE specifications to Nokia. With Sprint currently working to roll out their LTE network starting next quarter and full-implementation of the network expected by Q4 2013, a powerful Sprint Windows Phone device could be what Sprint needs to turn the ship around and get people interested in their network once again.

We won’t likely be seeing a Sprint Nokia S4 device until later this year, perhaps just in time for the ever-busy holiday season. Windows Phone 8 is not rumored to be available to consumers until the 4th quarter of 2012. This launch window will give Nokia time to prepare the Windows Phone device of our dreams, one that could take off on Srint’s further-reaching LTE network.

Hopefully, we will hear much more about dual-core Windows Phone devices a bit later this year, though we almost assuredly will not see these devices launched before Windows Phone 8 is unveiled in Q4. By that time, quad-core phones running Apple’s A6, nVidia’s Tegra 3, or Qualcomm’s own quad-core S4 chipsets will be making their way into devices, potentially forcing Windows Phone to play catch up once more.