Bluetooth Low Energy coming to select Nokia Lumias via software update

Bluetooth 40 coming to select Lumias in upcoming Amber update, says Nokia Hong Kong

It looks like some of Nokia's Windows Phones have a notable change in store. At a gathering in Hong Kong, as reported by BlogJack, the company said that Bluetooth LE support (part of the 4.0 standard) will come to the Lumia 520, 620 and 720. Strangely absent from that list are the Lumia 820, 920 and the 925 -- all of which are powered by Qualcomm chips that support BT 4.0 at the hardware level. We're also not entirely sure if this update is a part of a more mature Windows Phone release that Microsoft plans on pushing out later this year or whether it's specific to the "Amber" refresh that's tailored to Lumia devices. We've asked Nokia for further details, and we also plan on getting some face-to-face time at its unveiling of a whole new Lumia this Thursday.

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Via: WMPoweruser

Source: BlogJack (translated)

The Weekly Roundup for 04.15.2013

The Weekly Roundup for 12032012

You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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The Daily Roundup for 04.19.2013

DNP The Daily RoundUp

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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Nokia Lumia 720 review

Nokia Lumia 720 review

With the shared unveiling of Nokia's Lumia 720 and Lumia 520, the company's running flush of Windows Phone 8 models was complete. All WP8 handsets we've reviewed essentially fit into two distinct tiers based on shared core specs. That begs the question: why come out with two new models now when both share the same SoC, amount of RAM and screen resolution as the established Lumia 620 and HTC 8S? Obviously, there are differences in design, cameras, display tech and all the other bobs and bits that create the 720, but is it worth the significant markup over the 620, and more than double the price of a 520 or Huawei Ascend W1? Enough with all the rhetorical questions -- join us after the break as we find out exactly what the Lumia 720 has to offer.

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Nokia Lumia 720 starts shipping, costs £300 prepaid at O2 UK

Nokia Lumia 720 launches worldwide, available for free on O2 UK

Nokia courted fashionistas back at Mobile World Congress with the Lumia 720, and it's ready to embrace them more fully now that the slim Windows Phone is rolling out to its first countries. We've already seen it launch in Australia and the UK, where it's available for free when subscribing to relatively frugal postpaid plans of either $29 AUD (on Virgin Mobile Australia) or £22 (on O2 UK); Brits can also spend £300 at O2 to use the phone on a pay-as-you-go basis. Other countries will get their units in short order, including Italy next week (for €349 off-contract) and Russia. As a reminder, it's not coming to the US in an official capacity: while the mid-tier device made a visit to the FCC, the absence of LTE largely precludes American carrier deals. Some of us will have to gaze on the Lumia 720 from afar as a result, but many of those craving the most stylish of Nokia smartphones can get some satisfaction very shortly.

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Via: All About Windows Phone

Source: O2 UK, Virgin Mobile Australia

Nokia Lumia 720 swings by the FCC in high style

Nokia Lumia 720 swings by the FCC

Take a good look: this may be the closest most Americans get to the Nokia Lumia 720 without going through an importer. The fashion-focused Windows Phone has passed through the FCC's approval and, as expected, doesn't include the LTE that most US carriers would demand. The agency does throw a few bones, though. The smartphone's full manual is on display, and there's support for HSPA+ on AT&T's frequencies for those who just have to get this slenderest of Lumias running on a local network. We'll keep an eye out for a version with US-native LTE should Nokia ever have a change of heart, but those who can't afford to wait can have a gander at the source link instead.

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Source: FCC

Visualized: Nokia’s product smorgasbord at MWC 2013

Visualized Nokia's product smorgasbord at MWC 2013

What you see in the shot above (and the gallery below) is a display containing almost every Lumia handset and accessory currently manufactured by Nokia -- all arranged buffet-style for your viewing pleasure. These photos, captured during a special event at MWC 2013, include the Lumia 920, 820, 720, 620 and 520, PlayUp speaker, Purity HD stereo headset and Luna Bluetooth headset (among others).

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The Engadget Interview: Nokia head of design Marko Ahtisaari at MWC 2013

The Engadget Interview Nokia head of design Marko Ahtisaari at MWC 2013

Hot on the heels of our interview with Stephen Elop, we sat down with Marko Ahtisaari -- head of design at Nokia -- to chat about the Lumia 720 and Lumia 520 Windows Phones along with the basic Lumia 301 and 105 models. The four handsets, which were introduced today at Mobile World Congress, share the same design language -- in fact, this marks the first time the company's extending its signature Lumia look and feel to devices costing as little as €15 ($20). We discussed the evolution of Nokia's current aesthetic from the Nokia N9 (and the Lumia 800) to the present day. Mr. Ahtisaari touched upon the engineering challenges involved in building affordable smartphones like the €139 ($184) Lumia 520. We talked about the Lumia 720's thin and light unibody shell and the Lumia 620's double-shot color scheme, then asked how the Asha design language fits into the current lineup. Curious about the answer? Watch our video interview after the break.

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The Engadget Interview: Nokia CEO Stephen Elop at MWC 2013

The Engadget Interview Nokia CEO Stephen Elop at MWC 2013

Nokia just launched the stylish Lumia 720 and Lumia 520 Windows Phones plus a pair of affordable candy bar handsets (Nokia 301 and 105) here at MWC 2013. We spent a few brief minutes with CEO Stephen Elop to discuss the announcement -- chatting about the common design language and the incredible price points for these devices (€15 / $20 for the Nokia 105 and €139 / $184 for the Lumia 520). I also quizzed Mr. Elop about the Lumia 920's ongoing camera woes and what's being done to address them we discussed the company's recent focus on entry-level smartphones like the delightful Lumia 620 and what it means in terms of strategy. Hit the break to watch our video interview.

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Nokia Lumia 720 preview: a slim and ‘trendy’ Windows Phone 8 handset for the social networking set (update: video)

Nokia Lumia 720 preview a slim and 'trendy' Windows Phone 8 handset for the social networking set update video

It's what the 920 should've been -- the Lumia 720, that is. And that's likely what other press will claim, as well. From the moment Nokia laid the slim, 4.3-inch device in our hands, it was apparent the company has a different user in its sights: the hyper social and style-obsessed. With a profile of 9mm, the Lumia 720 is now the thinnest Windows Phone 8 device in the Finnish company's lineup. And it's also the "trendiest," as Nokia will no doubt remind you in its eventual marketing. So, you can forget about dazzling specs -- the 720's demo supposedly isn't concerned with bleeding edge tech. In fact, some of what you'll find in the 720 can also be found in its lowest end cousin, the 520; like that dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon processor and 800 x 480 Sensitive Touch display.

The question then is: what makes this Lumia sleek enough for the fashion crowd (and their tiny purses and skinny jeans)? At its base, the 720 is all about color(s) and camera, just not in the way the Lumia 920 was. For starters, the slight-looking 720 will come in five different shades (matte: cyan, yellow, black and red; glossy: white) and includes a 1.3-megapixel front facer with wide-angle lens and a new 6.7-megapixel rear camera module with f/1.9 lens (developed with Carl Zeiss labs) for lowlight performance. There's also a new digital lens Nokia's pre-installed, dubbed Glam Me, to give selfies (aka personal portrait shots) an extra bit of sheen -- something Nokia tells us its Asian user are clamoring for. Apparently, this new filter adds the ability to whiten teeth, widen eyes, soften skin and even overlay a rainy day window or magazine-like layouts to shots.

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