Microsoft and its OEM partners (especially Nokia, but not only) knew that China is a market to aim for, not just because of the fact that it is now the world's largest mobile market, but because of the specifics of the country. Windows Phone was launched in China on March 21 this year and it is already, according to reports, outselling Apple and its iPhone. Of course we need to be fair and consider that this might have less to do with the platform itself and more (everything) to do with the difference in price between Windows Phones and iPhones. However, Microsoft's platform is now ...

It's not easy to admit that you're wrong. Back in 2010 I opined that "your smartphone can't get much better," wherein I argued that handset technology had peaked in many respects, with the newest improvements being mostly incremental in nature. Well I was incorrect: phones have gotten a lot better in that time period, and there's clearly room for improvement still. The biggest reason, I realized, is that there will always be software which pushes the limits of the hardware, along with pretty fierce competition among more than half-a-dozen OEMs. Take processors, for instance. Two years ago ...

Between voice minutes, an SMS package, and a data plan, the cost of wireless service adds up fast. That's why we're so excited when we hear about new ideas for cutting the cost of owning a smartphone, especially when they're set to arrive with unlimited service. In recent months, we've been talking about Republic Wireless, which is trying to offer $19 all-inclusive plans with unlimited data by trying to offload the bulk of its bandwidth onto private WiFi networks. A big beta test is getting underway this summer, so we'll hopefully get a better sense of how it will perform, but if you're in ...

It goes by model number GT-I8350 but the actual denomination of the phone is Samsung Omnia M. It is powered by Windows Phone and was just introduced by Samsung today, to be available first in Europe and later on in other regions. The Omnia M is marketed as a phone for "non stop entertainment". It packs a 1GHz processor and a four-inch Super AMOLED display of WVGA resolution. The rest of the specs include 384MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, five megapixel main camera with LED flash, VGA webcam, WiFi b/g/n, and a 1,500mAh battery. Samsung also throws in a couple of manufacturer specific ...

If neither cyan or black is the color of your choice when it comes to the Lumia 900 on AT&T and you're interested in the white version you can go ahead and purchase one from AT&T for $99.99 on a two-year contract. However, if you want to grab the same phone in the same color for $49.99, you'll need to be a little patient. The device is indeed listed on Amazon with the price mentioned but it currently has a "backordered" status. This could either mean that it sold out like hot cookies or that the listing is already there but there are no phones in stock. If the lower price is important for ...

This year's CES brought exciting Windows Phones to AT&T's 4G network: the powerful HTC Titan II and the new kid on the block, the Nokia Lumia 900. Now the same AT&T 4G LTE network is preparing for yet another refresh: the Samsung Focus 2. It will go for $49.99 with a two-year contract and will be available beginning May 20. Windows Phone 7.5 will be powering the device which sports a four-inch Super AMOLED screen (with of course WVGA resolution), five-megapixel camera with HD 720p video recording capability, and VGA webcam for video calls and Skype. With the above features, Samsung joins ...

Just a few months after Windows Phone 7 launched as a platform, we heard LG talking in January 2011 about its disappointments up until then with sales of the Optimus 7 and Quantum. Granted, things were just getting started for WP7, but even with that in consideration, LG just wasn't seeing the sales that it had projected. While this early reaction didn't bode well for the company's relationship with the OS, LG seemed at the time that it still wanted Windows Phone to succeed, and that it would give the situation a chance to improve. Now, well over a year later, it seems that LG's patience ...

First lets talk about what skeuomorphs are. It's a new buzz word used to describe design elements that have no purpose in their current form but are used to give a familiarity to something from the past. Skeuomorph design elements are extremely prevalent in Apple's software designs. In iPhoto for iOS you'll see your photo albums represented as books sitting on shelves with pictures on them. You'll see pictures of paint brushes and pencils to represent editing tools. The iBooks and Newstand apps show your books and subscriptions on wooden shelves. Buttons have bevels and shadows and fake ...