Budget-Friendly Nokia Lumia 620 Launched

Nokia Lumia 620

(Image Credit: http://www.pcworld.com)

Nokia appears determined to make a comeback in the mobile device market as another Windows Phone 8 device was announced by the company recently. The company revealed that it will be offering the Nokia Lumia 620 into the market.

The Nokia Lumia 620 will be the most reasonably-priced Windows Phone 8 device of the company with a price tag of around $250 without any contract. Due to this affordable price tag, the Nokia Lumia 620 has features that are consistent with budget mobile devices.

The Nokia Lumia 620 features a 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm, 3.8-inch screen with a resolution of 800 x 480, 512MB RAM, and an internal storage of 8GB. However the internal storage can be expanded through a microSD memory card up to around 64GB. It also comes with free 7GB storage on the Microsoft SkyDrive service.

In addition to these features, Nokia revealed that the lens of the five-megapixel camera of the Nokia Lumia 620 is similar to the one found on the Nokia Lumia 820 and the Nokia Lumia 920. The phone also features a VGA camera in front and NFC support.

The color options of the Nokia Lumia 620 include white, black, cyan, yellow, magenta, orange, and lime green.

The $250 unlocked Nokia Lumia 620 will become available in Asia by the start of next year. In addition to the Asian market, the phone will also be released into the European and Middle Eastern markets.

The Nokia Lumia 620 is considered as the most reasonably-priced Windows Phone 8 device in the market with its $250 price tag. However, potential buyers will only have to add $50 to be able to purchase the Google Nexus 4, which offers better features compared to this Windows Phone 8 device.

No US Release For HTC 8S

HTC 8S

(Image Credit: http://www.cnet.com)

The budget-friendly HTC 8S will not be offered in the United States according to a recent statement from the company, which is set on concentrating on promoting its high-end big brother, the HTC 8X.

This means American consumers will not be able to purchase the Windows Phone-powered smartphone. If they intend to acquire the HTC 8S, they will have to purchase it in other countries where the smartphone will be offered. This will definitely bring up the cost of acquiring the reasonably-priced smartphone.

The HTC 8S was supposed to be a low-cost smartphone that will be offered through T-Mobile, however, Microsoft reportedly settled on testing the 8960 chipset from Qualcomm, which is the same chipset used on the HTC 8X as well as the Nokia Lumia 820 and Nokia Lumia 920 Windows Phone devices. This indicates that the HTC 8S will miss the chance of receiving official support from a US-based mobile service provider.

The HTC 8S and the HTC 8X were unveiled last September 19 with the high-end HTC 8X being offered through T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T last November. Microsoft has dubbed the HTC 8X as its flagship smartphone for the Windows Phone 8 OS.

However, it may still be possible that an unlocked model of the HTC 8S to be offered through online retail outlets, which will make it available to consumers in the US. 

Images of Samsung Ativ Odyssey Emerge

Samsung Ativ Odyssey

(Image Credit: @evleaks)

A couple of images that appeared official showed an upcoming Windows Phone 8-powered device from Samsung appeared online recently. However, the images of the upcoming Samsung Ativ Odyssey did not give much information on the features of the device as well as its possible release date.

The images of the Samsung Ativ Odyssey were courtesy of a source from Twitter @evleaks. The device was initially announced a month ago and will supposedly be released through Verizon by December. However the specific release date remains uncertain.

Although the specs have yet to be revealed, reports had hinted at the possibility that the Samsung Ativ Odyssey will come with a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor along with an Adreno 225 GPU. However, the images hint at the possibility that the upcoming Samsung Ativ Odyssey will use the 4G LTE network of Verizon and will come with an expandable storage through the microSD memory card slot.

The images of the Samsung Ativ Odyssey also show that it is a much smaller model of the Ativ S of Samsung. This led to some speculations that the upcoming device may have similar features as the Ativ S. This means the upcoming Windows Phone 8 may feature an eight-megapixel camera that has an LED flash and autofocus capabilities. It may also feature a 1.9MP camera in front along with NFC connectivity.

Price For New Windows Phone 8 Devices Released By AT&T

Windows Phone 8X

(Image Credit: http://www.pcmag.com)

AT&T recently announced the price tags of its latest Windows Phone 8 devices, which are evidently intended to appeal to different market segments.

The Windows Phone 8X of HTC is priced at around $200 with a two-year service contract. It is also offering a much affordable version that has half the memory at around $100. The device will reportedly have the capability of being combined with a wireless charging casing although Verizon will offer the device together with the wireless charging capability incorporated into the device.

The Windows Phone 8 devices became available for orders recently and will be delivered by AT&T by the coming week. An earlier report had indicated that the devices will enter the market by Thanksgiving.

In addition to the Windows Phone 8X, the US-based network service provider will also offer the Nokia Lumia 920 at a price tag of around $100 with a similar contract. In addition to the Nokia 920, the Nokia Lumia 820 will also be released by the company at a price tag of around $50.

A free wireless charging pad will also be offered together with the Nokia Lumia 920 although it will be a limited promotional add-on for the Windows Phone 8 device. Microsoft recently launched the Windows Phone 8 smartphones as part of its major marketing effort to promote its latest mobile operating system. According to Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft, the company aims to promote a number of platforms as a line of products as it aims to increase familiarity on the idea of live tiles.

AT&T is considered the best partner of Microsoft and will have the biggest number of Windows Phone 8 devices. It played a major role in making the Nokia Lumia 900 relatively successful during the past year. However, industry watchers are hopeful that the Windows Phone 8 will make a significant impact in the market that is currently being dominated by the Android and iOS.

An earlier statement by Ballmer indicated that market for the Windows Phone 8 is rather small although it may increase with the release of more devices into the market. However with the popularity of the Android and iOS, it may take some time before the company will create waves in the market. 

Microsoft Reveals Possible Delivery of Windows Phone 8 Devices By Fall

Windows Phone 8

(Image Credit: http://cnet.com)

Microsoft recently revealed that handsets using the Windows Phone 8 OS will be delivered starting fall. The upcoming mobile OS, which has a codename Apollo, is the successor to the Mango mobile OS or the Windows Phone 7.5 OS.

The Windows Phone 8 OS offers a number of features including multi-core processor support, near field communication or NFC capabilities, and support for three display screen resolutions. The upcoming mobile OS will also offer support for microSD memory cards.

In addition to these features, the kernel of the Windows Phone 8 OS will be similar to the kernel on the Windows 8 OS for the PC. This will reportedly facilitate the development of software that will cut across different platforms among all Windows 8 OS versions.

The multi-tasking capabilities as well as seamless VoIP integration for voice and video chats are also being promised by Microsoft. Among the manufacturers that will reportedly offer their own Windows Phone 8 devices are Nokia, HTC, Samsung, ZTE, and Huawei.

Even though the Windows Phone 8 OS was unveiled recently, the company will not be releasing its software development kit or the SDK of the software until summer.

The company has indicated that operators and its OEM partners have shown their enthusiasm for the prospects of the Windows Phone 8 OS even as the company is continuing to evaluate its efforts in further development for its new OS as it competes against the iOS and the Android platforms.

Samsung Omnia M Introduced in the European Market

Samsung Omnia M

(Image Credit: crave.cnet.co.uk)

Another low-end Windows Phone was introduced by Samsung in Europe recently, the Samsung Omnia M.

The Samsung Omnia M features a four-inch Super AMOLED screen display, 1GHz processor, 384MB RAM, 4GB internal storage and a five-megapixel camera. Although the South Korean company did not reveal the price of the latest Windows Phone-powered device, its features indicates that the Samsung Omnia M will likely go up against the Nokia Lumia 610, a low-end device.

In comparison to the Samsung Omnia M, the Nokia Lumia 610 comes with a 3.7-inch screen display, 800MHz processor, 256MB RAM, 8GB internal storage and a five-megapixel camera.

Basing on this comparison, the two Windows Phone devices offer similar features with the Samsung Omnia M having the upper hand in terms of the display, processor, and RAM. On the other hand, the Nokia Lumia 610 has a bigger internal storage compared to the Samsung Omnia M. Both devices feature a five-megapixel camera.

Although both devices have a smaller RAM compared to most Windows Phone-powered smartphones, the Windows Phone 7.5 can be used on devices that have a smaller RAM than an earlier version of the mobile OS though it may be necessary for apps to be optimized by developers to allow them to run using a 256MB RAM.

The Samsung Omnia M is only 10.5 millimeters thick, which makes it slimmer compared to the 12 millimeter thickness of the Nokia Lumia 610. The Nokia device is also heavier at 131.5 grams compared to the 119 grams of the Samsung device. The similarity of the features of the two devices has led industry watchers to speculate that the price of the Samsung Omnia M to be similar to the $244 price tag of the Nokia Lumia 610.

Although the Samsung Galaxy SIII is currently hogging the headlines, the introduction of the Samsung Omnia M shows that the company does not want to limit itself to the Android OS, which would provide it more flexibility in the market.

The Samsung Omnia M will be available initially in the European market although it will be released in other markets as well.

Samsung Focus 2, A Reasonably-Priced Windows Phone

Samsung Focus 2

(Image Credit: phonedog.com)

The Samsung Focus 2, the latest Windows Phone offering of Samsung and AT&T, was introduced during the CTIA 2012 recently.

The LTE-enabled smartphone will cost around $50 with a two-year service contract with the mobile service provider. The Samsung Focus 2 will be available in the market by May 20. The all-white slim design of the device suitably contrasts with the bright colors of the Windows Phone OS.

The Samsung Focus 2 features a four-inch Super AMOLED display, the Windows Phone 7.5 OS of Microsoft, and supports the 4G LTE network of AT&T.

The slightly-rounded chassis of the Samsung Focus 2 is similar to the design of the first version of the device although this recently-unveiled model has its own distinctive features.

Some industry watchers have indicated that the display of the latest smartphone offering of Samsung is adequate enough for running applications and surfing the net despite the fact that it is smaller compared to other devices that were released into the market recently

The Samsung Focus 2 also features a five-megapixel camera at the back that is capable of recording 720p HD videos aside from taking decent pictures. The device also features a VGA camera in front that can be used for video chatting. The Samsung Focus 2 also has a shutter button, similar to other Windows Phones.

Among the apps loaded into the Samsung Focus 2 include the AT&T Navigator, the U-Verse Mobile application, the SkyDrive cloud storage, the MS Office Mobile, Bing Search and the Xbox Mobile.

Some industry watchers were not surprised with the introduction of the $50 Samsung Focus 2 as it adds another Samsung device in the lineup of AT&T. The latest smartphone offering of Samsung appears to run smoothly according to an industry watcher as it did not show any signs of freezing or stalling.

The Samsung Focus 2 may be the first Windows Phone that is priced under $100 as industry watchers expect more devices to be unveiled within the year.

Windows Phone Devices May Feature Nokia 808 PureView Camera Technology

Nokia 808 PureView

(Image Credit: foxnews.com)

The announcement of the Nokia 808 PureView smartphone attracted a lot of attention from both industry watchers and consumers. It may not have been the smartphone itself that was the center of attention but the 41MP camera that comes with this Symbian-powered device.

The camera technology of the Nokia 808 PureView smartphone will reportedly be used on uses the same technology that is found on Windows Phone devices.

According to the EVP of smart devices for Nokia, Jo Harlow, the technology on the Nokia 808 PureView device will not take too long to be transferred into a Windows Phone device although no specific schedule was mentioned.

However some industry watchers are expecting the technology on the Nokia 808 PureView smartphone to be integrated into a Windows Phone device once the Windows Phone 8 is released by Microsoft.

The camera on the Nokia 808 PureView smartphone features digital zoom as well as cropping capabilities to allow it to produce sharp images even if the subject is far from the device. Observers have indicated that Nokia and Microsoft will collaborate closely to offer a solution for the software of the camera.

However it appears that the added megapixels on the camera will not automatically indicate that it will be a better device. A recent demo of the Nokia 808 PureView smartphone revealed that the Symbian OS on the device made the device a bit unwieldy to use.

Nokia opted to use the Symbian OS since the technology on the Nokia 808 PureView smartphone reportedly took five years to create. However with the upcoming integration of the Windows Phone OS on Nokia smartphones, the technology on the Nokia 808 PureView smartphone will definitely come to a Windows Phone device.