Archive for the ‘Windows Phone 8’ Category

this WEEK in TECH – a selection of interesting events

Sunday, October 28th, 2012

Here’s a selection of interesting tech events happening this week (28 October – 3 November 2012). It is not an exhaustive list and represents only a sampling of events that gives a taste of the tech pulse in Singapore.

What are some of the more interesting tech events happening in Singapore this week?

What are some of the more interesting tech events happening in Singapore this week?

Lenovo is showing off its exciting lineup of convertible notebook/tablet hybrids for Windows 8 this week. I played with some of the models during the Windows 8 launch in Singapore last week, and they are amazing. Watch this space for the hands-on.

This week sees Microsoft move its focus from the launch of Windows 8 to the formal launch of Windows Phone 8, which shares a common core with its bigger sibling.

Will the Metro-based new smartphone operating system increase its market share from a meagre 3.5% (for the second quarter according to IDC).

Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android dominate with 17% and 68% respectively. Windows Phone 8 smartphones announced thus far include Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, HTC 8S and 8X, and Samsung ATIV S. We might actually see the HTC models showcased in Singapore this Friday!

Midweek, Brother is launching a new printer while A*STAR Data Storage Institute will show off the world’s thinnest 2.5-inch 5mm hybrid drive for consumer and business devices.

Oracle Day 2012: Simpor Ballroom, Level 4, Marina Bay Sands Exhibition and Convention Centre

For those interested in the latest trends in Cloud, Mobile, Social and Big Data, be sure to register for Oracle Day 2012 at Marina Bay Sands. Get the hottest updates on critical business drivers, meet Oracle experts and experience their latest technologies at the Demo booths.

And for photography buffs, the Singapore leg of Canon’s annual PhotoMarathon Asia 2012 takes place at the Marina Bay Sands this Saturday. To be guaranteed a participation slot do register online prior to the event.

Below is the events listing for the week.

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New Windows Phone 8 smartphones: Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820

Thursday, September 6th, 2012

Nokia has unveiled its new flagship smartphone – the Windows Phone 8 Nokia Lumia 920.

Together with the mid-range Nokia Lumia 820, these are its first Windows Phone 8 smartphones to be unveiled. Both will start shipping later this year.

Update (27 November, 2012):

The Lumia 920 (S$899) and Lumia 820 (S$699) will be available in Singapore shelves on 8 December 2012.

Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 - the new Microsoft Windows Phone 8 smartphones.

Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 – the new Microsoft Windows Phone 8 smartphones.

Both phones will be available in pentaband LTE and HSPA+ variants and are expected to start shipping in select markets later in the year.

Nokia will announce pricing and specific roll-out dates country by country when sales are due to begin.

The Nokia flagship Lumia 920 comes in yellow, red, grey, white or black

The Nokia flagship Lumia 920 comes in yellow, red, grey, white or black

The Nokia Lumia 920 incorporates the latest Nokia PureView imaging innovation.

It uses advanced floating lens technology that claims to take in “five times more light than competing smartphones without using flash, making it possible to capture clear, bright pictures and video indoors and at night”.

The mid-range Nokia Lumia 820 comes in red, yellow, grey, cyan, purple, white and black.

The mid-range Nokia Lumia 820 comes in red, yellow, grey, cyan, purple, white and black.

The touch-screen is able to differentiate between a bare finger and a glove one. You can still use the screen while wearing a ski glove.

Yellow Nokia Lumia 920 flagship smartphone running Microsoft Windows Phone 8 operating system.

Yellow Nokia Lumia 920 smartphone.

And it sports the same curved screen design I like in the Lumia 800.

The Nokia Lumia 820 comes with an exchangeable shell design that allows a range of colors, and enables wireless charging.

Beneath the shell is room to insert a microSD memory card.

Although both will feature a new faster 1.5GHz Dual Core Snapdragon S4 processor, the latest phones from Samsung, LG and Huawei will have Quad core processors, as will the iPhone 5 probably.

Nokia location suite

The Nokia Lumia 920 also comes with Nokia City Lens, the latest addition to the Nokia location suite.

The red and yellow Nokia Lumia 820.

The red and yellow Nokia Lumia 820.

By pointing the camera at a city street, City Lens overlays information about restaurants, shops, hotels and more on the surfaces of buildings, for the most intuitive way to explore surroundings.

Nokia City Lens is the start of a new augmented reality experience that also enhances Nokia Maps, making it possible to move between maps view and augmented reality view to help people check their direction and surroundings.

Nokia Drive and Nokia Transport have also been enhanced.

The Nokia Lumia 920 also comes with a large 2000mAh battery and features built-in wireless charging.

Wireless charging partners

Nokia Lumia 820 covers.

Nokia Lumia 820 covers.

Nokia also announced a range of wireless charging accessories and partnerships.

The Fatboy Recharge Pillow provides a fun way to recharge, while JBL introduced the JBL PowerUP, a wireless charging docking station with high quality audio in retro styling.

Deals with Virgin Atlantic to put wireless charging stations in the London Heathrow Clubhouse lounge and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to put charging plates on tables in some of their cafés, were the first of many deals Nokia intends to sign to take wireless charging outside the home and office.

Below are the key technical specifications for the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820, as well as their respective detailed datasheets.

Nokia Lumia 920 Nokia Lumia 820
Display 4.5 inch Nokia PureMotion HD+ WXGA IPS LCD

Super Sensitive touch

ClearBlack technology with high brightness mode and Sunlight Readability Enhancements

4.3 inch ClearBlack OLED WVGA 800×480

SuperSensitive touch

ClearBlack technology with high brightness mode and Sunlight Readability Enhancements

Battery 2000mAh with integrated Qi wireless charging 1650mAh with support for Qi wireless charging
Processor 1.5GHz Dual Core Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz Dual Core Snapdragon S4
Main camera 8.7MP with Nokia PureView advanced optical imaging stabilization and Carl Zeiss optics

Full 1080p HD video capture at 30fps

8MP Auto Focus with Carl Zeiss opticsDual LED flash

Full HD 1080p video capture at 30fps

Front facing camera 1.2MP with 720p HD video VGA
Memory 1GB RAM32GB mass memory with 7GB free SkyDrive storage 1GB RAM8GB mass memory with microSD memory card support and 7GB free SkyDrive storage

Datasheet for Nokia Lumia 920

Datasheet for Nokia Lumia 820

Nokia launches its first Windows Phone 8 smartphones

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

Nokia has unveiled its first hardware running the new mobile operating system from Microsoft.

The Finnish phone maker launched two Windows Phone 8 smartphones – Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 – in a joint media event between Nokia and Microsoft in New York today.

Steve Ballmer (CEO Microsoft) and Stephen Elop (CEO Nokia) brandishing the new Windows Phone 8 Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 smartphones.

Steve Ballmer (CEO Microsoft) and Stephen Elop (CEO Nokia) brandishing the new Windows Phone 8 Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 smartphones at Manhattan today.

The one-and-a-half hour session just ended five minutes ago.

The joint media event saw the unveiling of the Lumia 920 (with PureView) and Lumia 820, with NFC, more powerful processors (1.5GHz Dual Core Snapdragon S4), better displays and new  augmented reality apps (City Lens) for its location suite and enhancements to existing apps (Nokia Drive, Maps and Transport).

Check back at this space for more updates on new features of the two new smartphones.

Nokia and Microsoft media event in New York

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

Nokia and Microsoft are hosting a media event in New York today – probably to launch one or more smartphones running on the Windows Phone 8 operating system.

Nokia and Microsoft joint media event: 9:30am (ET), 10pm (Singapore Time).

Nokia and Microsoft joint media event: 9:30am (ET), 10pm (Singapore Time).

The joint conference from Nokia and Microsoft will take place at 9.30am (ET) today. That’s 10pm tonight in Singapore.

You can tune in here to follow the live webcast.

Preview of Windows Phone 8

Thursday, June 21st, 2012

Windows Phone 8 will get a Start screen facelift; share technology core with Windows 8; support for NFC, in-app purchases and eWallet; more developer tools; and better security for enterprise use.

But existing Windows Phone 7.5 users will only get the revamped Start screen through an upgrade to Windows Phone 7.8.

Microsoft gave a preview of what Windows Phone 8 will be at the Windows Phone Summit in San Francisco.

Windows Phone 8 will probably arrive end of the year although it’s anybody’s guess when Windows Phone 7.8 will be available.The immediate cosmetic change to the user-interface is the Start screen.

In addition to the current square tiles and rectangular (twice the width of the square tiles) tiles, there is now a third size for tiles.

This is what I call the “mini-square” tile. Each of these is a square tile a quarter the size of the original square tile.

Microsoft gave a preview of what Windows Phone 8 will be at the Windows Phone Summit in San Francisco.Whereas Windows Phone 7.5 does not allow users to specify which tile to use for an app – Windows Phone 8 will let users specify which tile size to use for each app.

Bigger tile for more frequently used apps (or to display more live information), and smaller tiles for less used apps.

The smaller tiles also allows more tiles/apps to be displayed on each screen to minimise scrolling.

The future of Windows Phone: Windows Phone 8Existing Windows Phone 7.5 users will get this revamped Start screen through an upgrade to Windows Phone 7.8 (no date given), but that’s pretty much all they’ll get – they will NOT be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 8 when it becomes available end of the year.

Yes, some who have just bought spanking new Windows 7.5 phones are complaining that they’re now landed with “obsolete” handsets.

Microsoft says that Windows Phone 8 is a generation shift in technology so it will not run on existing hardware.

Read more details about Windows Phone 8 on the official Windows Phone Blog.