launch

We've been talking up the Fujitsu IS12T for some time now. Not only is it Japan's first Windows Phone, it's also the first Windows Phone with Mango and some killer new specs to hit the market. We've heard that it was coming August 25th and sure enough, it's now official. Makes sense now why the Windows Phone developer tools (RC) was pushed today with Japanese language support.

KDDI has posted on their site that the IS12T will be available in certain regions starting on the 25th, which is in just two days--lucky! Those regions and dates, according to KKDI are as follows:

• August 25 (Thursday): Hokkaido · Tohoku · Kanto · Central · Kansai · Kyushu · Okinawa
• August 26 (Friday): Chugoku
• August 27 (Sat): Shikoku

The 32GB phone with a 13.2MP camera, water proof case and latest-generation Qualcomm chipset/GPU (see benchmarks) makes this one unique and tempting device. Big congrats to Japan, KDDI and Fujitsu for the launch and being the first.

Source: KDDI; via NanaPho

Just the other day it was revealed, surprisingly, that KDDI of Japan (via their mobile operator brand 'AU'), will be launching the Fujitsu-Toshiba IS12T (still love that name!) in July. What makes this big news of course is that this will be the first "Mango" device in the world to go on sale.

Now we're getting word that KDDI, Fujitsu-Toshiba and Microsoft Japan are set to make it official by having a press event on July 27th. Evidently media invites have gone out and yes, they plan on showing off and announcing the pink-n-waterproof handset for the Japanese market--the first Windows Phone for Japan and the first worldwide with Mango.

Combined with that Nokia Sea Ray leak and confirmation that it is running Windows Phone 7 build 7710, which is RTM and guess what folks? We're pretty sure Mango is way, way closer than we thought.

Source: Gigazine; via Nanapho

As if there was any doubt left: the Verizon Trophy is near ready to launch, it's really happening.

First Best Buy, then the forums, then employee training, then a potential release date (May 12th) and now the phone has showed up on Verizon's interactive "online smartphone guide" in it's full glory.

Although they have yet to officially announce the device, this is pretty close to it and shows that this phone is finally on the cusp of release. So we can now say: yes, get excited, this looks real this time.

Source: Verizon; via Drewkkake; Thanks, Grubish360, for the heads up!

The big news making the rounds today is in regards to how the smartphone landscape changed in Q4 in terms of market share. New numbers came out from The NPD Group today showing that Windows Phone 7 grabbed as much market share as the nearly two-year old WebOS:

• Apple iOS: 19 percent (-4%)
• Android OS: 53 percent (+9%)
• RIM OS: 19 percent (-2%)
• Windows Mobile: 4 percent (-3%)
• Windows Phone 7 OS: 2 percent (-)
• Palm’s WebOS: 2 percent (-)

But some seem to be taking these numbers is that Windows Mobile outsold Windows Phone 7--yet what is being reported is market share, which includes an established user base. In other words, Windows Mobile has been around for years, there are a lots of users and not everyone suddenly gave up their WM phone for Windows Phone 7 (especially with 2 year contracts binding people). As a result, Windows Mobile still lost three percent and Windows Phone 7 gained two (though no correlation is implied).

What is worth noting is the following: "Windows Phone 7 also entered the market with lower share than either Android or webOS at their debuts, according to NPD's Mobile Phone Track". Of course even those numbers are relative as the smartphone market was certainly thinner and less aggressive two years ago than it is today, especially with Android taking off.

Should we have expected Windows Phone 7, which only went on sale in mid-November, to have made more a splash than it did? Perhaps. But we see this more a problem of message and getting the OS "out there" than anything else.  The numbers are certainly not awe-inspiring, but we also don't see it as greater interest in Windows Mobile either. Sixty days is not much time to prove yourself in such a volatile market--Android and the iPhone are certainly tough competition to make headway with.

Source: NPD Group (PR); via WirelessWeek

We know from previous reports that Verizon (and Sprint) are close to launching Windows Phone 7--by all accounts January is the big month--and now we're starting to see some real evidence.

Three apps--Slacker Radio, Netflix and My Verizon Mobile (to manage your account)--all tailored for Verizon, are now live in the Marketplace. While nothing crazy about it, it's nice to know that our CDMA brethren will be getting in on some of this WP7 love sooner than later.

So you guys getting excited yet?

Thanks to AtomicAgeZombie for the tip!

In what has to be obvious by now, those listings on Amazon.com for AT&T's lineup won't be active till next week. How come? AT&T are not taking pre-orders for any Windows Phone 7 device.

It’ll be available in AT&T Corp stores and online @att.com/wireless, sold on a first come first serve basis on 11/8.

Reason? None given. Which means we can speculate that perhaps stock is low and they will on have on hand what they have in the stores. We hope that is not the case and that everyone here can get their phone on Monday or Tuesday without having to get a raincheck.

Anyone going to be at the store when it opens?

Source: AT&T Twitter; via: Windows Phone Secrets

The Windows Phone Marketplace has been steadily adding apps for the last few days (see yesterday's flood) and to quantify that, Microsoft's Joe Belfiore Tweeted that they hit a whopping 777 apps yesterday.

That surely is quite a feat for any new mobile OS on launch (and for us in the U.S. that launch is still 2 weeks away). Will they hit the magical (and arbitrary) 1,000 apps or more for the States? We think they can do it. Either way, when we log in on November 8th, we'll have a nice selection of apps from the big studios to the indys.  Can't wait!

Source: Twitter (@joebelfiore); Thanks, Steve, for the tip!

We know the date: November 8th (in the U.S.). We know the money: (supposedly) half a billion dollars; 100 million on adverts. The only question is when? Specifically, when will we start to see some WP7 ads on TV, the bus, annoyingly before your $13 movie?

Answer: late October

According to TWICE, who spoke with AT&T on the matter.

AT&T’s advertising will include national TV, print and online ads, a spokesman said without disclosing details.

For its part, Microsoft’s marketing campaign will include “a mix of TV, print and digital, allowing us to go direct with a broad group of people at time and targeting niche audiences at others,” a company spokesperson said.

No word on T-Mobile's plans, though they had a big bachelor party for the HD2, so we'd imagine they would do the same for the HD7.

Source: TWICE

It was a big day, to say the least for Microsoft. And the nine Windows Phone 7, erm, phones dropped on us here in the United States were just the start. Here's a rundown of every device released worldwide:

In North America:

• AT&T: HTC Surround, United States; Samsung Focus, United States; LG Quantum, United States
• T-Mobile USA: HTC HD7, United States; Dell Venue Pro, United States
• TELUS: HTC 7 Surround, Canada; LG Optimus 7, Canada
• América Móvil: LG Optimus 7, Mexico

In Europe:

• O2: HTC HD7, United Kingdom, Germany
• Orange: HTC 7 Mozart, including France, United Kingdom; Samsung OMNIA 7, including France, United Kingdom
• SFR: HTC 7 Trophy, France; Samsung OMNIA 7, France
• Movistar: LG Optimus 7, Spain; HTC HD7, Spain; Samsung OMNIA 7, Spain
• Deutsche Telekom AG: HTC 7 Mozart, Germany; Samsung OMNIA 7, Germany
• Vodafone: HTC 7 Trophy, including Germany, Spain, United Kingdom; LG Optimus 7, including Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom

In Asia Pacific:

• SingTel: HTC HD 7, Singapore; LG Optimus 7, Singapore
• Telstra: HTC 7 Mozart, Australia; LG Optimus 7Q, Australia
• Vodafone: HTC 7 Trophy, including Australia

Via Microsoft