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Samsung Focus 2 LTE Windows Phone coming to AT&T on May 20 for $49

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft,

Samsung Focus 2 Windows Phone

AT&T is preparing to add a third LTE Windows Phone to its lineup with the addition of the Samsung Focus 2. This one is for the budget-minded among you, as the device will sell for just $49.99 with two-year contract--half the price of the Nokia Lumia 900 (see our Lumia 900 review.) As far as features go, the Focus 2 sports a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, five megapixel camera on back that can record 720p video, and a VGA-quality camera up front. Want one? You can scoop it up from AT&T when it goes on sale on May 20th.

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Nokia Lumia 900 unboxing gallery

Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone smartphone

AT&T, Microsoft, and Nokia are all making a big bet on the Lumia 900 Windows Phone, which launched on April 8 for $99 with two-year contract. That's a great deal, being that this is one of the first AT&T LTE devices, and the first major mainstream Nokia Windows Phone device to hit the US. Those who pre-order through Walmart get it at half price ($49 with contract,) and new AT&T customer walk away with the Nokia Lumia 900 for free. We got our Lumia 900 in a bit early, and we're working on getting our final review up. In the meantime, though, we've put together a Lumia 900 unboxing gallery showing off the hardware. Go ahead and take a look--it's a gorgeous device! When you're done with that, then head over and get a peek at our insanely thorough Lumia 900 review!

Gallery:


Nokia Lumia 900 review

Lumia 900 review

With the Lumia 900, three companies are hoping for a runaway success. You've got the carrier, AT&T, launching the first LTE Windows Phone device (and one of the first AT&T LTE smartphones, period.) You've got Nokia, the manufacturer, hoping that the device leads to a revitalization and resurgence of the popularity that it once commanded just a few years ago. Then, you've got Microsoft, the software provider, which is in a position that's much the same as what Nokia's in. A behemoth that had the crown, got cocky, and due to its inability to be nimble in a quickly-changing mobile landscape, got surpassed. The Lumia 900 represents hope for all three of these companies.

What you get in the Lumia 900 is the perfect mixture of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 (or, really, Windows Phone 7.5 Mango,) Nokia's incredible hardware design, and AT&T's (late) entrance into the LTE realm with a smartphone that people are paying attention to. Even better? You get it all at a $99 price point with contract. In the smartphone world, we'd call this one a steal.

With all of that said, the question still remains: is the Nokia Lumia 900 worth your time? Can it really stand in firm in place of popular iOS and Android devices, giving them a run for their money? These are the questions we aim to tackle in our Lumia 900 review.

Click to continue reading Nokia Lumia 900 review


Unboxing Live 083: Samsung Focus S Windows Phone

In this episode we give you a look at the Samsung Focus S, the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango follow-up to last year's Samsung Focus (which was one of the launch Windows Phone 7 devices.) The Samsung Focus S features a 1.4 GHz processor, an 8 megapixel camera that can record in 720p, and a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display. It also supports 802.11n Wi-Fi networks and has Bluetooth built-in as well. You can pick up the Samsung Focus S on Amazon for $119.

Big thank you to MozyPro and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! MozyPro provides simple, automatic, and secure data backup. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.


Rumor: Nokia Lumia 900 to sell for $99.99

Posted by John Ball Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft, Rumors,

Nokia Lumia $99

With January almost over and CES behind us, the rumor mill has moved on to the next big thing. Today, the device in the limelight is the Nokia Lumia 900, Windows Phone Mango device that's at the top of our lust list. Set to launch March 18, 2012, you can expect to start seeing advertisements soon, and if word on the street is correct, the device will be just $99.99 with a two year contract. That is huge. That's half of what we expected the device to launch at, what with its 4.3-inch display and 4G LTE data speeds.


Bleeding Edge TV 408: HTC Titan review and giveaway

The HTC Titan is a beast of a smartphone, and we're here to tell you all about it, and give one away to one of our lucky readers or viewers. This is one of the first Windows Phone 7.5 Mango devices, and it's got a 480x800 4.7-inch display with a 1.5 GHz processor on the inside, along with 16 GB storage and 512 MB RAM. You also get an 8 megapixel rear camera with dual LED flash and BSI sensor that records in 720p HD, and a 1.3 megapixel front camera as well. We give you even more details in this episode, which you can watch above.

Don't forget, you can win one of these from us! Just head on over to our HTC Titan giveaway page to enter.

Big thank you to MozyPro and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! MozyPro provides simple, automatic, and secure data backup. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.


Giveaway: HTC Titan Windows Phone!

htc titan giveaway

Yes - we're giving away an HTC Titan smartphone, running Windows Phone 7 Mango! We know that Christmas has come and gone, and we hope our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide served you all well, but we're not done with the gift-giving just yet. The HTC Titan we're giving away runs on the AT&T network, and is one of the first Mango devices that are available, and sports a 1.5 GHz processor and has 16 GB of storage built-in.

So, how do you enter to win the HTC Titan? Simply use the widget below to keep track of your entries! We've got a lot of ways for you to enter, but don't check off any that you don't actually perform. If you do, you'll be eliminated:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Samsung Focus S review: The best Windows Phone in the US

Samsung Focus S review

When we first reviewed the Samsung Focus Flash, we felt its smaller form factor and significantly lower price made it a better deal than the Focus S at first glance ($199.99 - $19.99 on Amazon). Now that we've tested the Focus S, we're singing a different tune. True, you're only getting a bigger screen, an improved camera, and a thinner profile, but the Focus S brings Windows Phone 7.5 Mango closer than it has ever been to the high-end. That alone makes this  smartphone worth a close look, especially given its slick OS. Click on through to see why in our full Samsung Focus S review.

Click to continue reading Samsung Focus S review: The best Windows Phone in the US


T-Mobile Nokia Lumia 710 hands-on

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft,

And the Lumia 710 shall lead them. T-Mobile and Nokia today announced the first Nokia Windows Phone in the U.S.: not the flashy Lumia 800, but its lower-cost sibling, the Lumia 710. I got some time with it and spoke to Nokia and T-Mobile execs about the companies' strategy.

First, the phone: the Lumia 710 is a medium-sized, slab-style cell phone with cropped corners and a curved back. It isn't really a rectangle, but it also isn't as radically shaped as the Lumia 800. Below the 3.7-inch, 800-by-480 LCD screen there's a large physical button, and there's a 5-megapixel camera that records 720p video on the soft-touch back. The phone comes in black and white.

Nokia used pretty classy materials for a $49-with-contract phone, although the 710 doesn't measure up to the Lumia 800's polycarbonate body. The bright, sharp screen is Corning Gorilla Glass, and the phone feels solidly built. Turned off, the black model has the usual problem where it will blend in with a line of other black slab phones, though.

The Lumia 710 runs Microsoft's Windows Phone Mango OS with a few exclusive additions. Nokia's Drive GPS software offers free driving directions, both on and offline, in 2D and 3D. App Highlights helps point out useful apps among the 40,000-plus in Microsoft's store, and T-Mobile TV offers several dozen streaming TV channels.

Click to continue reading T-Mobile Nokia Lumia 710 hands-on


Nokia’s Windows Phones: Lumia 800 and 710

Nokia Lumia 800 and 710

Nokia finally announced its first two Windows Phones, the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710, which feature exclusive navigation, music, and sports applications.

"Lumia is the first real Windows Phone," Nokia CEO Stephen Elop said. "We are signaling our intent right now to be today's leaders in smartphone design and craftmanship, no question about it."

And while the 800 may not make it to the U.S., "We will be introducing a portfolio of products into the United States in early 2012," Elop said.

Those U.S. phones may include "LTE and CDMA products" as well as "WCDMA and HSPA" phones, Elop said. That means every U.S. carrier is on the table, including Verizon and Sprint. Nokia hasn't made a phone compatible with either of those carriers' networks since 2005.

Click to continue reading Nokia’s Windows Phones: Lumia 800 and 710


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