Microsoft announced on Monday the third update to its Windows Phone 8 mobile platform featuring updates including support for a larger Start screen at a higher resolution. Microsoft also included support for a faster processor, a driving mode, accessibility features and a few more.
The update creates the ability for Windows Phone 8 to support larger 5 and 6 inch mobile devices which some are calling “phablets”. Microsoft did not use the word phablet or refer to any larger devices being released however the main image on the release post from Microsoft had “phablet” in the file name. This would handle 1080p HD resolution and allows for as many as six Live Tiles across the screen. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Nokia come out with a larger device with the updated OS from Microsoft after Microsoft’s recent purchase of Nokia’s handset division.
An update for a faster processor will support the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, and a new Driving Mode will limit distractions and even send automatic replies to tell those trying to contact you that you are driving. The Phone 8 update also includes a set of accessibility features, improved hotspot WiFi sharing, increased ringtone configuration, a rotation lock (something Android and iOS have had for a long time), storage management improvements, the ability to manually close an app quickly, and better Bluetooth.
The update will be rolling out to Windows Phone 8 over the next several months according to Microsoft, and if you are supporting apps for Windows Phone 8 you can get the Windows Phone preview for developers starting today.
Wish that your beloved sportswear brand would bring its connected fitness app to your preferred smartphone platform? If your mind instantly substituted "Adidas" for the former and "Nokia" for the latter, then boom! You're in luck. Adi Dassler's firm is bringing its miCoach fitness app as an exclusive to Nokia's Windows Phone 8 devices. The app, already available on iOS and Android, lets you control playlists, use Bluetooth SMART (where available) for heart-rate monitoring and will even offer voice coaching from LA Galaxy's Omar Gonzalez. Now all we need is to scrape together the cash for a pair of adizeros and we're good to go.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Microsoft, Nokia
Source: Nokia Conversations
Those unofficial Amber ROMs you (briefly) considered toying with 10 days ago? History. Nokia has just announced that the honest-to-goodness, ready-for-consumption Amber code has been approved, and Lumia owners the world over will begin seeing it hit their Windows Phone 8 handset in the coming days / weeks. The software update is a fairly major one, delivering a wide range of new and improved features and apps, like Nokia Glance Screen with the standby clock and an even better imaging experience that mirrors the one found on the 1020. Users will be graced with a new FM radio player and improvements to Xbox music and the Internet Explorer browser, as well as improved image processing and the Nokia Smart Camera app (which debuted on the Lumia 925).
The Glance Screen acts a bit like the glanceable extras added to the Moto X, but sadly, it won't be available on the Lumia 520 and Lumia 625, which have a smaller display memory. Longstanding Nokia loyalists will surely appreciate the addition of "Flip to silence" and "double-tap to unlock," and those who rely heavily on Here maps will find future updates easier to install. The rollout starts now first for the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 in selected countries as well as the Lumia 521, Lumia 810, and Lumia 928 in the US, while owners of the Lumia 520, Lumia 620, Lumia 720, Lumia 820 or Lumia 920 will likely have to wait until the end of September.
Update: There's one more important tidbit: if you're using a Lumia 920, 925 or 928, you also get the Nokia Pro Camera app.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia
Source: Nokia Conversations, Nokia
We knew it was coming to Sprint this summer, and we knew it would run $150 (with a two-year contract and $50 rebate, of course) -- and now the carrier's given us an exact date: August 16th. (Not to say we didn't already have our suspicions...) Samsung's ATIV S Neo will become the Now Network's second Windows Phone 8 handset this Friday. The 4.8-inch smartphone packs a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, an eight-megapixel camera and NFC-based ATIV Beam sharing. More info on all of the above after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Microsoft, Sprint
