Germany

Good news for those in Germany yearning for a Lumia 620 with Windows Phone 8. The low-cost Nokia Lumia will be headed there in just five short days with a non-contract price point of € 269. On contract via Vodafone the phone will fetch for a modest € 9.90. And at least according to the press release, mobilcom debitel will also be fielding the spritely Windows Phone, to give users options.

Huawei's Ascend W1 is believed to be heading to Germany this month, with reports over on WPArea suggesting the Windows Phone could be released as soon as next week (with retailer Conrad stating such a date). As a Windows Phone 8 solution, the W1 would offer German consumers a new option, one which would be aggressively priced against competition.

Microsoft has been busy celebrating Windows Phone 8 alongside the Christmas period, with stalls set up in several markets in Germany. The country is well known for its Christmas markets (we even have them here in the UK) and WParea managed to trek down to one in Hamburg Ottensen where a Windows Phone hut was discovered.

German retailer Media Markt has listed both the Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 on its website with release dates of November 1st. Both Windows Phones are expected to be made available on that day, should the reported date hold true, and will be priced at €449 (approx. £360) and €649 (approx. £520) respectively.

Update: It seems Media Markt has bumped the date from November 1st to November 15th. This change has occured the same day a German Vodafone store stated on its Facebook page that they will be stocking the Lumia Windows Phone 8 handsets at the start of November. We'll have to see if the date sticks. Thanks, Schneppe, for spotting the alteration!

Hamburg, Germany

One of our eagle-eyed readers spied this Nokia banner hanging in Hamburg, Germany today. It shows Nokia is gearing up for their round 2 with Windows Phone and the Lumia 920.

The banner, in its simplicity shows a 920 peeking in with the phrase 'Jeder Liebt Ein Comeback' or 'Everyone loves a comeback'. Indeed, we wouldn't disagree with that assessment at all. Thanks, Damon B., for the photo!

E-Plus in Germany is currently preparing to release the Windows Phone Tango update to consumers, according to reports. Much like Australia's Telstra, the update is set to hit Lumia 800 owners. "Tango" introduces a number of new features and improvements to the experience, including added MMS functionality and WiFi tethering (depending on carrier restrictions and firmware versions).

Be sure to keep an eye out for any update notifications and let us know when you receive the release.

Source: Mobile Professionals, via: WP7App.de; thanks, Tali, for the tip!

We do love our Amazon Mobile app for Windows Phone--beautiful, useful and well designed the app is one of our must-haves (especially since we have Prime). However, we do get a lot of complaints about it, specifically its lack of support for the UK market (and others).

Version 1.8 just went live in the Marketplace today and support for the UK and Germany is now included (in addition to un-named bug fixes). Our own Rich Edmonds verified that the app is working there which should make many of you finally pleased. This update follows a previous one just weeks ago which added social features to the popular app.

Amazon Mobile gives you access to Amazon.com's vast array of goods from their location as well as 3rd party retailers. Allowing 1-click purchasing and a nice bar-code scanner, the app allows you to comparison shop when you're out in a brick-and-mortar store. In addition, you can access your account and track your orders.

Since the app is "new" to the recently added Marketplaces you can't search for it just yet. No worries as you can just use our download link to get it now. Thanks, Ben D., for the tip

Nokia has an enticing television advertisement for Germany, which sports an identical theme to commercials aired in other countries. What's special about the Lumia 900 in to Germany is a 32GB version (16GB only - was a typo on O2's end), which appears to be exclusive to O2 DE thus far, is on its way.

This Windows Phone will feature the amount of storage that has been continuously requested by consumers. Still no word on when the device will be available for order, but for the meantime (should storage not be an issue) you can always pick up the 16GB version from Amazon.

Source: YouTube; thanks, Jan, for the heads up!

Motorola has been granted an injunction on Microsoft products being sold in Germany. The Xbox 360, Windows OS, Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player will all fall under the ban, should it be put into place. The injunction follows a ruling claiming the software giant had infringed two Motorola patents required to support H.264 video coding and playback.

An official statement from Motorola reads the following:

"We are pleased that the Mannheim Court found that Microsoft products infringe Motorola Mobility's intellectual property. As a path forward, we remain open to resolving this matter. Fair compensation is all that we have been seeking for our intellectual property."

According to reports, this is just one of several cases involving around 50 properties owned by the smartphone manufacturer. Microsoft has stated that should the software giant meet the demands of Motorola an annual bill would be in the region of $4bn (£2.5bn). The manufacturer has denied this claim.

A statement from Microsoft has been published, which highlights how the company will look to appeal the decision.

"This is one step in a long process, and we are confident that Motorola will eventually be held to its promise to make its standard essential patents available on fair and reasonable terms for the benefit of consumers who enjoy video on the web. Motorola is prohibited from acting on today's decision, and our business in Germany will continue as usual while we appeal this decision and pursue the fundamental issue of Motorola's broken promise."

Motorola cannot enforce the ruling made by the German courts until a Seattle-based judge lifts a restraining order. This restriction was put in place by Microsoft after it claimed Motorola was actively abusing its Frand-committments (pact to license innovations required for widely used technologies under "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory" terms). A hearing is to be held on May 7th.

Source: BBC