Soon after Skype for Windows Phone beta came out (and went gold months thereafter), users were dismayed to discover the app didn’t work, well, like Skype. That is, it couldn’t run in the background to receive phone calls or IMs from friends and family. Circulating reports suggested that perhaps “push notifications were too slow” or that the problem was a result of “[…] how Skype works and how the Windows Phone OS works.”
The real reason? Well, it’s complicated…
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For many of us, the original Samsung Focus (review) was our first foray into the Windows Phone world. And truth be told, it was an excellent experience. With it's 4" Super AMOLED screen, slick design, light body and decent (for the time) camera, the Samsung Focus set the precedent. Recent numbers also reflect that status with upwards of 90% of AT&Ts first generation Windows Phone being the Focus.
Today, AT&T and Samsung have released the Focus 2, a moderate update to the original design (check out today's unboxing video). Eschewing glossy black for the new hip white, dropping in a faster 1.4GHz CPU and adding 4G LTE are the most notable changes. Adding a more rounded design with some updated sensors and cameras are the more under-the-hood type differences.
So how does it stack up in the first few hours I've been toying with it? For $50 on contract or $399 off, the Focus 2 is a nimble little guy that has certainly caught my attention.
The feel of the device is really good in the hands albeit a touch slippery. The roundness of the device, while slick, makes it a joy to hold and at 4" for the screen size, it's a more natural fit. The chrome accent adds a touch of class and while the device is very plastic, it doesn't feel cheap. The buttons have an interesting layout with the volume keys to the left, power and camera to the right. While odd, it does make it less confusing than the Lumia 900's where they are all lumped together on the same side. Travel of the keys is good and they're tactile with no rattle.
The Super AMOLED screen is really brilliant but obviously not as good as the Lumia 900's. Still, it holds its own and it's great to look at while not getting to grimy.
Audio quality is moderate with very little distortion when maxed out. It's a touch tinny but not by much.
The camera is surprisingly good even at 5MP, in fact forgetting the loss of resolution, it's as good if not better than the Nokia Lumia 900's. While it doesn't really contain any advanced settings e.g. no anti-shake or panorama, photos are well detailed and pleasing to the eye. We do however recommend turning up sharpness and contrast a smidge more to make the most of it.
Any extras worth reporting on? No, not really. There are the advanced GPS settings (GLONASS) and Samsung's "extra settings" present but other than that it has the same wallpapers as other Samsung Windows Phones and their regular cheesy ringtones.
Overall though, we're impressed and like the Focus 2 a ton. It feels great in the hand, is fun to use and makes a solid addition to AT&T's lineup. I'm going to have little problem adding it to my repertoire of Windows Phones.
Check after the break for a few more pics of the device and a couple camera samples (compared to the Lumia 900)...
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Just a week ago, we looked at a number of Xbox Live games whose Achievements were discovered by avid French gamer Zebrasqual: Mirror’s Edge, Battleship, and Fling. I daresay Mr. Squal’s sleuthing rivals my own, as he has uncovered two more future games’ Achievement lists. Both titles will surely appeal to console gamers: Final Fantasy and Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition.
Head past the break for full details on both upcoming games.
Read moreWhere do mobile gamers go for first looks and details of upcoming Xbox Live titles? Why, Windows Phone Central of course! Today we’re pleased to bring you the first screens and trailer for MonstaFish, the final Xbox Live release of the month. It comes from UK developer IronSun Studios, makers of IonBallEX and Battlewagon.
In MonstaFish, too much toxic waste has been dumped into the water, resulting in gnarly mutations known as MonstaFish. As you can imagine, these toxic fish aren’t good to eat and must be removed from the environment for the good of all. That’s where the player comes in…
Head past the break for pictures and details of each game mode!
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On an interesting podcast over at Platform Biased, Daniel Smith who's a CX-XBLA Producer at Microsoft, reveals some interesting numbers about those first generation handsets. Out of the three that came out (putting the Dell Venue Pro to the side), the Samsung Focus (see our review) reportedly accounted for about 90% of the sales while the LG Quantum (review) had about 8% and the HTC Surround (review) only garnered a meager 2%.
Smith doesn't mention AT&T directly nor does AnythingbutiPhone (where we grabbed this story from) but obviously that can't be the whole tale. T-Mobile launched the HTC HD7, Sprint followed months later with the HTC Arrive and Verizon even later with the HTC Trophy. T-Mobile and AT&T also both had the Dell Venue Pro, though that was an unofficial as it was never available in stores. Likewise, AT&T eventually picked up the HD7s (review) late in the game.
So there weren't three Windows Phones but rather nine for the first generation and the three mentioned were AT&T specific.
Still, it was quite obvious that the Samsung Focus, which is getting a sequel this weekend, was always the big seller on the platform early on and for good reason. It also explains why we'll probably never see an HTC follow-up to the Surround and why LG became gun shy on Windows Phone.
Source: Platform Biased; via AnythingbutiPhone
Windows Phone Central, with the help of Mobilicity, is having another Photo Contest to win a Windows Phone -- the Nokia Lumia 710 (review) which just arrived on the Canadian carrier. This time around, we've scaled things down a bit and instead of a black/white theme, we are going with the Great Outdoors. It doesn't have to be a picture of the Grand Canyon and a picturesque shot of your front yard will do. It can be a sunset, a photo of the lake, the mountains, a garden, just anything outdoorsy that is eye appealing.
Here's the fine print...
We will announce the winners by Thursday, May 24, 2012. First prize is a Nokia Lumia 710 with six months of service from Mobilicity. Second prize is $100 gift card to the Windows Phone Central Accessory Store. Third Prize is a $50 gift card from the Windows Phone Central Accessory Store.
Remember in order to post in the forums, you will need to register with Windows Phone Central. You can find that easy process here.
Good luck everyone and happy shooting.
We've touched on the basics with Microsoft's SkyDrive services and the SkyDrive App for your Windows Phone. But how does all that translate into every day use?
The obvious every day use for SkyDrive and your Windows Phone is to free up storage space and make content easily available. Why bog down your Windows Phone with documents, pictures, and music files when you can store them in the Cloud and access them at your leisure? But did you know that several quality apps utilize SkyDrive? Of course you did... and we'll try to cover a few along the way as we look at every day uses for your SkyDrive account.
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One of the main reasons so many of us like Windows Phone is because the UI design is not only unique but equally mesmerizing. From Windows Media Center to Zune HD to Windows Phone, the Metro UI lineage is as clear as the subway signs it's based on.
The popular and influential business magazine Fast Company has named the Design Lead for Windows Phone, Jeff Fong, #81 in their 100 Most Creative People in Business for 2012. Not only is that a heck of an honor it's a telltale sign of the continued influence Metro is having on the mainstream, something that we'll see a lot more of when Windows 8 drops this fall. From the Fast Company entry for Fong:
"Airports may be frustrating, but give them this: "The signage is so clean, pure, and direct, it helps you navigate a very complicated environment," Jeff Fong says. "I wondered, Can we apply that same approach to designing our user interface?" His team culled photos from London's Heathrow and designed the smartphone's software--with its animated, colored tiles, and straightforward imagery--based on the signs' typography and simplicity."
Over at the Windows Phone Blog, they get behind the scenes with Fong and ask quite a few questions on design and what he sees as the future. Quite the interesting read both for his insight and for the fact that we get to put a face on one of the team that has brought us the fresh UI experience to our mobile phones.
A hearty congratulations to Mr. Fong!
Source: Fast Company and the Windows Phone Blog
Looks like there may be some good news for Nokia and Windows Phone after all, at least according to Kantar Worldpanel who has been accumulating sales of smartphones for the last 12 weeks across the globe.
The data suggests a strong increase in sales of Windows Phone in the United States where sales jumped from 1.9% in 2011 to 3.6% during the same time frame in 2012. What's more, that period for sales ends on March 18th which is a full 3 weeks before the AT&T Lumia 900 was available for purchase.
The increase in Windows Phone sales would mostly be attributable to the Lumia 710 on T-Mobile and the "Mango refresh" on AT&T with the Samsung Focus Flash, Focus S and HTC Titan making up the bulk of sales. Of course that 3.6% pales in comparison to Android (47.6%) and iOS (42.9%) during the same period though for the first time sales of Windows Phone outpaced RIM (3.2%) which is certainly a good sign.
World wide, Windows Phone also saw a large increase in Germany where Windows Phone has 6.2% sales (up from 2.9%). Great Britain and France all had sales at or near 3% while Spain and Australia were much lower at 1.1 and 1.6% respectively.
While these numbers are interesting, we're certainly more curious about the next batch of sales figures to see how the Lumia 900 helped sales in the US and the rest of the world.
Windows Phone certainly has a long road ahead but the OS may be finally breaking that glass ceiling from the last two years.
Source: Kantar Worldpanel; via TechCrunch; image via Nokia
Tower defense addicts, you can stop scratching and relax at last. geoDefense Swarm from Critical Thought Games in now on the Marketplace!
geoDefense Swarm is the sequel to fan-favorite tower defense game geoDefense. The new entry switches from predefined enemy routes to a grid-based field. Enemies can approach from all directions, so players will need to construct mazes in order to keep them at bay. Like its predecessor, Swarm features an appealing neon geometric look and easy to learn gameplay.
It also has the same balance issues as before (tower costs and abilities vary from level to level), but said issues didn’t keep its predecessor from winning many gamers’ hearts. Here’s a tip to get you started: switch the difficulty from Hardcore to Novice in Help & Options if you want to ease into things and take the stress out of those Achievements.
geoDefense Swarm costs $2.99 and there is a free trial. Get it here on the Marketplace.
Thanks Zebrasqual for the tip!
