MobileViews Blog

Category: Windows Phone

  • Tip: Windows Phone predictive text works when using a physical keyboard too (unlike Android)

    I’ve used a number of Android phones with physical QWERTY keyboards over the years (starting with the original T-Mobile G1). Having come from the Windows Mobile world, I never understood why Google turns off predictive text when using the physical keyboard. It only works when using the on-screen keyboard. This was a great feature in Windows Mobile phones with physical keyboard. I recently review the LG DoublePlay (BYTE) and LG myTouch Q (aNewDomain.net) Android phones and noticed that predictive text is still not available when using their physical keyboards.
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  • Why Microsoft insists tablets run Windows instead of Windows Phone (Windows CE)

    I’ve been wondering why Microsoft’s decision makers choose to use Microsoft Windows for tablets instead of the Windows CE platform that underlies Windows Phone. Windows CE was designed for devices like tablets that benefit from lower hardware requirements, lower power use, increased security, and instant on-off (suspend-resume). A Windows CE based tablet would be lighter and less expensive. More importantly, every piece of software written for a touch display. You could argue that the Metro-only ARM based tablets would have software designed just for tablet displays too. But, is a computer that can’t run “legacy” Windows software of much use? The point of using Windows is to access all the software available right now.

    However, if you look at PC shipment numbers, Microsoft’s tablet strategy and statements like There’s nothing more important at Microsoft than Windows by CEO Steve Ballmer make sense (Network World).
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  • Nokia Lumia 900 (Windows Phone): First Lumia with a front-facing camera. Still missing a few features

    The first two Windows Phone devices Nokia announced late last year, the Lumia 710 and 800, looked like decent but unexciting phones. The phones were also missing a couple of feature checkboxes including a front-facing camera, NFC and LTE. The first 2012 Lumia model is the 900. How does it fare spec checkbox-wise?

    + 1 megapixel front facing camera
    + LTE (AT&T)
    + 4.3-inch display
    + Gyroscope
    + Two microphones (one presumably for noise cancellation)

    It is still missing a couple of features, however.

    – No microSIM slot
    – No NFC (something Nokia is pushing on its legacy platforms)

    It remains to be seen if the 900’s camera matches the spectacular quality of past Nokia (non-Windows Phone based) smartphones or is the so-so quality seen produced by the 710 and 800.

    You can find the full Lumia 900 specifications at:

    Nokia Lumia 900 specifications

  • Microsoft+Nokia+partners Windows Phone marketing budget = $200M??? More Seinfeld/Gates commercials, perhaps?

    Paul Thurrott, who has a good inside track to Microsoft’s Windows Phone team, said that the rumored $100M 2012 marketing budget for Windows Phone is way off.

    Exclusive: Microsoft and Nokia’s Plans for Marketing Windows Phone in 2012

    He says that he was told that the marketing budget for the U.S. alone is in the $200M range. Despite Thurrott’s general reliability of Microsoft related information, I’m still skeptical. It is not how much marketing money is spend, it is about how that marketing money is spent. Do you remember those Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates TV adds from 2008 to advertise… Well, I’m not sure what they were supposed to advertise. But, Seinfeld was reportedly paid $10M for two or three commercials that fizzled out.

  • $100 Million Microsoft+Nokia+partners Windows Phone campaign? Sure. Remember the $500M 2010 campaign?

    I had to laugh when I read this subject line over at Betanews.

    Windows Phone partners bet $100M on Nokia Ace

    Why laugh? It is because it was so reminiscent of this rumor floated on TechCrunch in August 2010 shortly before Windows Phone launched.

    Microsoft To Pay More Than Half A Billion Dollars To Jump-Start Windows Phone 7

    So, what ever happened to this rumored half-billion dollar campaign? Not much as far as I can tell. We saw a couple of laughable un-smartphone commercials and not much else.

    If you wonder what a $100M marketing campaign looks like, reflect back at what Verizon and Motorola did back in the fall of 2009. It consisted of a series of big budget movie quality alien landing themed TV commercials, paper advertisements everywhere and in-store promotions that left such an impression that many people refer to any Android phone as a “Droid” even today.

  • Lumia 800 Windows Phone a market dud for Microsoft & Nokia?

    Forbes noted survey data from BNP Paribas showing Nokia’s flagship Windows Phone, Lumia 800, only attracted the attention of 2% of Europeans considering a new smartphone. This is not good news for Nokia or Microsoft. Nokia’s first generation of Windows Phone devices were supposed to vault the platform into contention with Android and iPhone. Instead, it remains at the back of the pack trailing even the faltering RIM BlackBerry.

    The problem with the Lumia 800 is that it does not have any features to make it stand out in crowd. And, it actually lacks expected features like a typical outstanding Nokia camera subsystem, front-facing camera, NFC and LTE.

    Nokia Still A $7 Stock Even Though Lumia Falls Flat In Europe