Here in the states we’ve been enjoying Windows Phone 7 for about a year and a half now.  When doing phone comparisons it is very common to refer to the “Big 3” mobile operating systems as the only ones who really matter, discounting BlackBerry OS, Symbian, and other seemingly anachronistic and obsolete systems.  The war for mobile dominance seems to be between Android, iOS, and WP7.

In China, however, this has not been the case.  One of the biggest world markets has not had any WP7 devices as of yet, and HTC is looking to rectify that when they drop the Kaixuan (meaning “triumphant return”) on mainland China later this month.  HTC is taking pre-orders for the phone on it’s online store for what comes out to $698 in USD.

The Kaixuan comes loaded with similar specs as the Titan, loaded with a 1.5GHz processor, 4.7″ screen, and 8MP rear camera.  It is powered by Windows Phone 7.5 with more localized versions of apps made specifically for Chinese consumers.

MS is trying to get their foot in the door in China, a market share of 56% Android in 2011 and Apple obviously being another key player.  The entrance of WP7 into China may boost the still new OS into better sales and more world-wide acceptance as a major player in the mobile wars.

Miracle or Fantasy, we are seeing some less blurry photos of the new LG Windows Phone that appeared on a Romanian online trading site. So far, all the images we’ve seen since December have been consistent and the mock up images look rather spot on. It’s just the name that seems to get a little confusing.

We expect the LG Windows Phone to sport a 4″ WVGA NOVA display, 1ghz second gen CPU, 8gb of internal storage, plus a 1.3mp front/5mp rear set of cameras. Hopefully all will come into focus on LG’s new Windows Phone later this month at the 2012 Mobile World Congress.

Credits go to wpcentral and GSMArena for the tip!

Nowadays, you can’t really claim to have a mobile OS worthy to mention unless you can produce an Angry Birds title…Well today Windows Phone 7 enters that category. Windows Phone 7 has got Angry Birds in the market place for $2.99.  So now we can shot those birds at the pigs and get our eggs! There is a trial version that gives you the first few levels free – this is really just for those who never played the addicting game and need a reason to spend $2.99. Find it here in the market place.

So it seems Symantec did an independent study of mobile operating systems. They attempted to measure how secure Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platforms are, and also determine how the mobile systems stack to today’s desktop operating systems. Symantec claims that these mobile platforms are much more secure than today’s popular desktop operating systems, though the firm does suggest that the key variable as always is the “human element”.

“Today’s mobile devices are a mixed bag when it comes to security” said Carey Nachenberg, Symantec Fellow and Chief Architect, in a statement. “While more secure than traditional PCs. these platforms are still vulnerable to many traditional attacks. Moreover, enterprise employees are increasingly using un-managed, personal devices to access sensitive enterprise resources; and then connecting these devices to 3rd-party services outside the governance of their enterprise, potentially exposing key assets to attackers.”

While Symantec does not come right out and say who is better in security it is pretty clear they favor iOS more than Android. It says iOS’ app screening procedure plays a HUGE role in the platforms security and also says the platform’s architecture makes it better at resisting mal-ware attacks and data integrity attacks.

So PPCGeeks, it seems that iOS is better in security than Android; of course this is all relative and nothing is official as it is always changing in the mobile world. What do you think is better secured (iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7)? If mobile OS anti-virus/mal-ware protection was offered would you buy into it? How safe do you feel while using your device?

source: BGR

The leaked video footage shows that Nokia CEO Steven Elop revealed the company’s first Windows Phone 7 handset. Essentially a Nokia N9 looking phone bearing the code-name ‘Sea Ray’, (possibly the W8-00).

A lot of mobile news comes in the form of leaks, crafty and often blurry taken photos of upcoming devices, tweets, whispered exclusives from disgruntled employees, forum discussion, and those who just can’t resist the temptation to spread new news. It would seem as though Nokia wants us to believe that this revealing of the first Nokia Windows Phone 7 handset is also a leak. We don’t know if Stephen Elop is really so naive as to believe that no one would take a shot of one of the most highly anticipated devices of the year, at least for Windows devices. Well, we have our doubts about that. Was this just another clever way to gain some extra publicity?

Check out the leaked footage and photos below:

“This is something that’s super-confidential and we do not want to see it out in the blogosphere, wherever that is,” Elop said very seriously.

If the Sea Ray looks familiar, it’s because Nokia introduced a similar phone, the Nokia N9, earlier this week. Some differences include a dedicated hardware camera key, different LED placement and as you know, it is running Windows Phone 7 with the yet to be released Mango update. But while the N9 is based on Nokia’s MeeGo operating system, a platform that Nokia will treat as a “learning experience”. Sea Ray however, represents Nokia’s future as the company adopts Windows Phone for its’ main smartphone platform.

Nokia didn’t reveal many specs for Sea Ray, except for:

• the same 8-megapixel Carl Zeiss lens that the N9 sports
• an added side camera shutter button

We can guess Sea Ray to have, (based on N9 specs):

• processor – (more about this below)
• 3.9″ AMOLED display with 854×480 pixel resolution
• scratch-resistant curved glass
• a polycarbonate body
• 16 GB or 64 GB of storage

That last point would be a big one it seems. As so far, all Windows Phones come with either 8 GB or 16 GB of storage, which can be a deal-breaker if you listen to lots of music or watch lots of movies. It’s still unclear if Sea Ray will bring Dual Core to Windows Phones, but that is something that will come. As we do have some details from conversation with CEO of ST-Ericsson(semiconductor supplier) and Forbes late last month, stating that Nokia’s Windows Phone 7 devices will be powered by the U8500 dual-core CPU and its successors will go on to power Windows Phone 8 phones too. Windows Phone 7 devices have been exclusively powered by Qualcomm chipsets (due to Microsoft’s limiting guidelines, which were revised recently). ST-Ericsson’s CEO however says that they will be one of two chip suppliers for Nokia’s WP7 phones (he didn’t mention who the other one was). The first Nokia devices may well use the dual-core U8500 chipset, which has been seen running at 1.2GHz. Things might change by the time these devices actually come out, but they could well be the first dual-core Windows Phone 7 handsets.

The CEO also said that over the course of 2012 Nokia will release 12 Windows Phone 7 devices that will be based on future versions of the U8500 chipset. He also believes that ST-Ericsson will be a key supplier for Windows Phone 8, yep that’s 8.

So wait a minute you say. I don’t understand why Nokia chose Windows Phone as their new focus as a main platform. What happened to cause this, you ask. Many of you know, but here is a slight breakdown of some main points, just as a little refresher.
Nokia worked on a ‘hobby’ OS on the side, called Maemo. Originally it was built for Nokia’s ‘internet tablet’ line. The only phone that Maemo ever made it onto was the N900 (in late 2009), which was a device created for developers featuring top of the line specs and a shell enabled right out of the box. Maemo was a true desktop-class Linux OS originally created in 2005 and was clearly what Nokia should have been focusing on to replace Symbian all along. It wasn’t until early 2010 however that they realized this and partnered with Intel to create the MeeGo project, a fully open-source Linux-based post-PC (smartphone, tablet, TV, in-vehicle) platform for ARM and x86, essentially the successor to Maemo.

Fast forward a year, and MeeGo still is just not ready. It’s absolutely filled with worlds of potential, but it’s still a good six months to a year away from being shippable on a consumer’s device.

However, one of the biggest reasons that lead Nokia to dump Symbian in favor of Windows Phone 7 from Microsoft is to really try to win back some market share and mindshare in the U.S. But it looks like it will try out its first WP7 devices in markets where it is already strong. In the last quarter, Europe remained Nokia’s biggest market, with revenues of $2.9 billion out of a total $10 billion. Greater China was second with less than $2 billion. Currently 65 percent of all smartphone users in Europe have Nokia devices, with overall smartphone adoption at a hefty 40 percent of total mobile subscribers. In a speech at a conference in Amsterdam, a Nokia executive leaked out the fact that the first countries to see their new Windows Phone devices will be France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK.

In this latest sneak peak at the first Nokia WP7 handset, Elop also told his employees that Nokia has other Windows Phone devices in working condition, so Sea Ray may not be the only handset we’ll see from the company this year. But for Windows Phone 7 fans and users who saw the N9 and hoped for a Windows Phone version, Nokia has granted your wish.

We gotta admit, the device looks impressive.
What are your thoughts on this leak? Intentional or no?
Do you think this device will be the first dual-core Windows Phone?
Will this fresh breath of Windows Phone on Nokia handsets save this long time manufacturer?
Are you looking to get yourself one of these when they arrive stateside?

source: technet

Today Nokia announced that its annual Nokia World Conference would be held on October 26-27 in London…Leading many to the conclusion that this will be when they “kick-off” their Windows Phone 7 devices. However, there is nothing that gives us 100% truthfulness to the agenda. Right now we don’t even know who the keynote speakers will be for the 2 day event.

What is known is that Nokia World Conference has historically been where the Finnish phone maker makes big announcments. At Nokia’s N9 today Communiasia in China, CEO Stephen Elop also lent credence to earlier rumblings that WP7 devices would arrive Q4 this year. If this is in deed true then this conference in October would fit nicely for the announcement, and showing of these Windows Phone 7 devices. Plus lets not forget that Mango (Windows 7.1/7.5) is due out this same time frame. So what a better time than not for releasing something new and fruitful.

Tell me PPCGeeks – does this partnership with Microsoft + Nokia have you wondering what to come? Is a Nokia device calling your name, but the current OS is holding you back? How about a N9 with WP7 on it? Tell us below what your dream Nokia Wp7 device would be like…

Source: WPcentral

There’s a bit of good news coming from the ChevronWP7 team, it seems it’s been a while since we have heard much from them. That is besides them actively coding, running Aussie DDD WP7 Mango presentations, releasing fixes for the “Walshie” WP7 forced Nodo tool and twittering away… Well, now they have made a pretty big Windows Phone announcement, completely backed by Microsoft.

This announcement was based on the initial vision which brought the ChevronWP7 team together in the first place. This vision was for a lower-cost alternative method to Developer-unlock your Windows Phone handset, along with the side-loading of Apps, homebrews and other community based initiatives. Unlike the iPhone Dev Team, this service won’t be free. Customers will have to pay a minimal fee via PayPal and then they will have the ability to jailbreak and load homebrew apps on their handsets.

The ChevronWP7 team at their core, came about out of the shared vision of Home-brew and the enthusiast community creating, developing and pushing this new OS platform to its fullest potential, even if not supported by Microsoft. Well, Microsoft has taken the high road with all of this and has embraced their creativity and invited them to a meeting. That is when things got quiet until now.

The announcement on their Blog (pictured below), confirmed a forthcoming initiative from the newly created CHEVRONWP7 LABS team. It would appear that this is going to be the name under which any further WP7 software, tools or general releases from the ChveronWP7 team will be made under. The specific Blog post on their site confirmed a forthcoming low-cost alternative to Developer Unlocking your Windows Phone handset, in-line with their objectives to promote and support the home-brew, developer and enthusiast WP7 communities.

Important enough to mention again, is that this initiative will be fully endorsed up-front by Microsoft.
I have to give a huge amount of credit to the Chevron team (Chris, Long and Rafael), for standing strong behind their initial goal of supporting the WP7 enthusiast community and developers.

Will you pay a fee to jailbreak, knowing you have Microsoft’s permission to do so?
Is Microsoft starting to also see the value of the developer and enthusiast community?
What are your thoughts on all of this? Let us know in the comments below.

source: chevronwp7

Recently we did a review of IM+ Pro for Android. On top of that, we have started a giveaway contest for 4 licenses of IM+ Pro for Android. Well, for those of you who are using a WP7 device and have been waiting for IM+ to arrive in the Windows Marketplace, it seems that day is very near.

Shape Services announced earlier today via Twitter and Facebook, that they are now submitting the WP7 version of their application for approval. So, it should not be long, as they are accepting requests now from beta testers, bloggers, and review sites.
Here is what they posted:

Have you been waiting for the ultimate IM application for your WP7 device?
Will you be buying this when it arrives?
Give me your thoughts below.

source: Shape Services via Twitter and Facebook

The HTC HD7 is a Windows Phone 7 handset designed to bring what you care about, to one central place. The most noticeable feature about this device is the large 4.3” display screen. The capacitive touchscreen display, which is the largest screen on a Windows Phone 7 device, is great for viewing movies, pictures, TV or videos on the go. The HD7 also comes equipped with a kickstand for easy, hands-free viewing.

The HTC HD7 runs on a 1GHz Snapdragon Processor, which enables robust multimedia and gaming experiences. You will be able to watch movies through the Netflix app, game on the go with Xbox Live or tune into T-Mobile TV with pretty good speeds. Other ways of staying connected is with the People Hub, a Windows Phone feature that lets you easily stay in touch with friends and family. The HD7 is all about bringing together what you care about most. With a customizable start screen, you can pin people, apps, playlists, and other favorites to the main page so they are always at your fingertips.

Some other well known features for the HTC HD7 include a 5MP camera with dual LED flash and automatic zoom for taking sharper pictures, Micorosoft Office Mobile for taking your work with you on the go, video capture/playback for capturing those special moments and GPS, Bluetooth and WiFi capabilities.
The HD7 is pretty much a redesigned HD2 with a Windows Operating System, instead of Android. It has that same 4.3-inch blueprint that HTC has been focused on with the HD2 and EVO 4G.

The first question you may want to ask yourself is whether or not you want to be aboard the WP7 gravy train.
Is the HD7 still current enough to make this a tempting deal?
Will the upcoming Mango update be enough of a refresh to make this device stay relevant for a while longer?

HTC HD7 (T-Mobile)
Known Specs:
• Windows Phone 7 OS
• Large 4.3″ Capacitive Touch display
• 5MP Camera with Dual LED Flash
• 1GHz Snapdragon Processor
• 720p HD Video Capture
• Kickstand for ultimate viewing experience
• Netflix Movie App
• Xbox LIVE
• Microsoft Office Mobile
• View/edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• GPS, Bluetooth, Wifi
• 3.5 mm Headset and MicroUSB Data/charging port

source

The PPCGP, All the Mobile News You’ll Ever Need!

Season 2, Episode 22

Be sure to follow us on twitter!

Host: Laos101 AKA Joshua Sherman

Guests: Our Newsies! Mr. Hoodracer, and News Manager Jason Fieldz

Topics:

Verizon Data Woes! Tying in with the overall crisis of unlimited data’s disapperance

Verizon Ramps up their Phone Selection!

Security and your cellphones!

Marketplaces and their security – Google’s Malware Incidents!

Windows Phone 7 Mango update has just had some features leaked that I thought we would all like to know about. It does seem Microsoft is actually listening to people and and working to improve their OS. With Mango being the BIGGEST update for Windows Phone 7 to this point, we have some sweet tropical leaks that make us all salivate over the new features.

Features include:

1. Bing Audio – Allows us users to find the title of the song like Shazam does – but all in Bing.
2. Bing Voice – Allows for transcription of words to text – This will be amazing in text messages.
3. Bing Maps – IMPROVED – Microsoft is giving us Turn-By-Turn native support with Bing Maps (Think Google Maps).
4. Bing Vision – Think Google Goggles – This allows for searchers to scan bar codes, QR Tags, Microsoft Tags, and other camera assisted
5. MULTI-TASKING – which we already knew of but this is still the biggest anticipated update to the system since then.
6. IE9 – HTML5 support – we saw this at MIX11 this year – but still going to be part of Mango.

So Geekers, with these updates who is ready to salivate over the new and improved Windows Phone 7? This update could be the biggest thing that will drive up the sales and users since it began! This tropical fruit flavor sneak peek has me salivating all over myself and all I can say is I want it NOW! How about you fellow Geekers, is this going to help Microsoft get their numbers where they want? Tell me below – and remember Microsoft does watch pages like this – so you never know – maybe one of your comments will make a new feature for Windows Phone…

Source: MobileTechWorld

Next Podcast on April 14th!

The PPCGP, All the Mobile News You’ll Ever Need!

Be sure to follow us on twitter!

Host: Laos101 AKA Joshua Sherman

Guests: Our Newsies! Mr. Hoodracer,

Topics:

The Roadmap from Verizon is released!

Is Android Fragmenting?

AT&T And Its Locked Android Devices!

It’s been a year since WP7 was released, how was it?

This is great news for Sprint customers! Verizon Wireless recently started doing this on most of their smartphones and looks like Sprint caught wind and decided to do it also.

I myself do everything to avoid paying the extra $100 everytime I need to upgrade to another smartphone. It seems Sprint is starting to realize they’re are losing some money on hardware sales by pushing their customers towards other vendors such as Best Buy, Radio Shack, Amazon and a few other to avoid those Rebates.

Is their next step to be more competitive in their hardware pricing?

Geeks, what do you think?  Let us know by responding in that cool white box below.

Source: Phonescoop

The technology group Ovum is predicting that by 2016 Android will drive the smartphone market growth by double. The predictions see Android owning 38% of the market, Apple owning 17.5 and Blackberry holding 16.5%.

What is really interesting about this report is Microsoft’s very own Windows Phone 7 holding 17.2%. Way better than RIM?! Ovum is claiming that Windows Phone 7 will be the third place winner in the cell phone wars. Mostly due to the partnership that has been established with Nokia.

However, Ovum points out some potential rewards to the Nokia/Microsoft deal but also some risks. Ovum principal analyst Adam Leach states in the research release: “For Microsoft the deal provides a committed handset partner that has the potential to make Windows Phone a mainstream smartphone platform. The risk to Microsoft is that other handset makers may choose not to compete with Nokia and may turn their backs on Windows Phone.”

While we share all the small frustrations of Windows Phone 7, this report is a friendly reminder to some of the potential that it has in store for users. Who knows, if Microsoft and the carriers can get the update process down pat but if they can this looks to be something good for Microsoft! Then again, if you’re still in the not-so-smart-iverse, you can always get a T-Mobile prepaid cell phone to satisfy your woes.

Tell us PPCGeeks does this surprise you? What do you think of the idea of Windows Phone 7 being third? Is this really a shocking news fact for you, and who knows maybe they will surpass Apple and be in a number 2 spot. Really only time will tell. Tell us your opinion below keep it nice and clean though guys.

Source: wpcentral.com

Thanks to the LG Electronics Corp – we were given the unique opportunity to look at the LG Quantum, one of the first Windows Phone 7 devices currently on the market,we took an in depth look at it in this review! Read on to hear our side commentary as well as see the clip itself!

We just want to note that this review does have a negative impact on the phone – but this is due to the look at the phones current potential, as opposed to the OSes future potential and implementation. Our users may consider this a negative and at best, pessimistic view – this is because we are approaching the major design / implementation flaws still prevalent in a mature product (It’s been out for several months when we got a hold of it,) not to mention the limited capabilities of the device at hand.
BUT, we are also aware it’s in the first 6 months of life since Microsoft unveiled WP7 last November. Like Android, and the G1, we are sure it takes time to invest and develop the product – and that the first of these devices will show as more of a proof of concept, as opposed to what you will see a year from now when the device is ripe. We however are giving the perspective to users who will buy it today – thus we will note the compatibility issues, along with the awesome features and potential we see in WP7. We hope to revisit this review and show the comparison in features and show the development of WP7 much like to Android several years back with the G1.

In the end, it’s a solid device in the hardware end, but needs a lot of software revisisions. There is that seamless integration at times – but then you can see the cardboard edges of the set you are placed on, and it ruins the dimensions of in depth and feel of the game. It’s like seeing the stage props occasionally fall over and break – and it hurts our first impression of WP7 – but this is coming from a WM / Android user. Check out Jason Fieldz’s review to see a WM – WP7 impression of the devices from the Surround.

Enjoy the review!

Microsoft has finally started rolling out the NoDo update after quite a few delays. The latest Windows Phone 7 device (HTC Arrive) has this update and seems to work well. The NoDo update has other functionality updates also, including apps search on the device, performance improvements, Wi-Fi functionality and Outlook e-mail client.

The update is still missing the highly sought after Multi-tasking feature. This function should be added when Microsoft rolls out Mango. Take a look at the video of the copy and paste feature below.

Read the article for more information on the update and let us know what you think. Have you been impressed with the update? Did you expect to see more or are you happy with the update? Leave your comments in the box below.

Source: PCWorld

Folks we got some exciting news for you!

Over at our forums, intx happened to hunt down a training device at his store, which so happens to be an Arrive! He talked briefly about some of its incomplete features and snapped a few photos quickly before anything went array!

He mentioned a wish for better Netflix and landscape support –  features that appear to not be fully ready yet – perhaps a little homage toward that lack of updates for WP7, and perhaps the general update to be what the Arrive is boasting so much about! We’ll find out soon enough!

We thank him for popping those photos here at PPCGeeks and can’t wait to see the Arrive release nationally at the end of March!

Credit: intx @ PPCGeeks.

Take a look at the video Wirefly has recently posted giving you a detailed overview of the Sprint HTC Arrive. This Windows Phone 7 device rocks a 3.6″ LCD screen that does tilt when you slide open the keyboard. The Arrive has a 5MP camera with an LED flash and also supports HD video.

We know several users here have been following the news on this device and thought you may enjoy this video. It will give you several details about this device’s functionality. You will see images taken with the camera, videos taken and also how the copy & paste feature works. Watch the video below for everything you need to know!

What did you think? Is it what you expected? The HTC Arrive release date is March 20th and Sprint offers the HTC Arrive on a 2 year contract for $199.99 (after a $100 mail-in rebate). How do you feel about HTC Arrive (aka HTC 7 Pro)? Is the price tag appropriate? Let us know what you think in the comment boxes below.

Thanks purian23!

UPDATE:It seems some of you may have taken this article the wrong way and thought that it was Verizon saying they didn’t need Windows Phone 7, when actually it was only one person who works for Verizon that made the statement. That’s what we mentioned in the article previously but apparently was overlooked. We are here today not only setting that confusion straight but also to assure you that Verizon Wireless will in fact be getting Windows Phone 7 devices. We all knew this deep in our minds so it’s crazy to think otherwise. The article was a great topic though wasn’t it?

Confirmed all over the internet at places like CNET, phonearena and more we’ve all seen several images of Verizons Window Phone 7 devices. Rumor is they will be available by late March. That’s not far away! Will you get your hands on one? Let us know!

END OF UPDATE

Verizon’s Chief Technology Officer, Tony Melone said Wednesday that they are satisfied with Verizon’s current three major smart-phone operating system players (Android, Apple and Blackberry) and Verizon doesn’t need Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7. He said they could possibly use a third major operating system but isn’t so sure Microsoft is the one for them. See his statement below:

“I do want a stronger third OS out there,” Melone told CNET. “It gives the carriers more flexibility and balances the interests of all the parties. But I still have doubts whether Microsoft will get the traction they are hoping for with Windows Phone 7. I don’t think Verizon needs the Nokia and Microsoft relationship,” he said. “Right now the three OS players we see for our network are Android, Apple, and (BlackBerry).”

We can’t say he speaks for the whole company but I’m sure his decisions and opinions have a lot to do with their decision making. What do you think about his comments? Let us know in the comment box below.

Source: SeattlePI

Our geeks asked for it, well some of them, and now they’ve gotten what they asked for. Nokia announced this morning they have a new partnership that will make Windows Phone 7 become Nokia’s primary platform for higher end devices.  Nokia is very successful already so with these plans in store, who knows, maybe they will be the next to pass Apple.

Take a look at the quote stated this morning from Nokia’s Chief Executive below:

“Nokia and Microsoft will combine our strengths to deliver an ecosystem with unrivaled global reach and scale. Nokia is at a critical juncture, where significant change is necessary and inevitable in our journey forward.”

Basically, what they are doing is combining the biggest smartphone maker in the world (Nokia) with a software maker (Windows Phone 7) and hoping that together they can only improve from here on out. Apple is a hardware and software producer by themselves, stable and also they have enough developers for their applications. However, Windows Phone 7 is falling short for application developers so maybe by joining with Nokia they will have more luck and be able to compete with Apple. Only time will tell what improvements or failures will happen from here on out.

Was this what you wanted? Let us know what you think in the comments box below.

Source: WSJ & Gigaom