"Going by Microsoft's Greater China COO Michel van der Bel, the launch of Windows Phone in China is off to an auspicious start -- enough to give Apple the shakes. He claims that devices like the Nokia Lumia 800c have helped Windows Phone reach seven percent of the Chinese market, or just enough to get past the six points of the iPhone."

The tricky part of this news item posted on Engadget, as they point out, is confirming the market share numbers. That being said, it has to be somewhat encouraging for the Microsoft team. Could 2012 turn out to be a stellar year for Windows Phone? Only time will tell.

"SnapCrowd is the most advanced DAM (Digital Asset Management) platform on the market and we plan to keep it that way. Whether we like it or not our lives are now digital in some way or another, so why not keep it simple and secure. At SnapCrowd a user can store photos, video, documents, audio and even contacts, all in their original form protected behind SSL / TLS and HTTPS protocol layers."

Cloud storage has hit mainstream, and in the past week or two you may have noticed a number of reviews of Google Drive, Microsoft SkyDrive, Dropbox, and Apple iCloud. These services offer a number of unique and competitive features, and are worth checking into. I would definitely add SnapCrowd to your list though. It has a some compelling features and very competitive pricing, and may just facilitate your computing and mobile life in ways you might not expect.

The SnapCrowd developers state they allow larger file upload sizes than their competition, like 200 MB for photos, 4 GB for video, audio and documents, and allow RAW files from all the major camera manufactures. Their proprietary user interface allows all user functions even while uploading files. What's more, if for any reason your file gets interrupted in the upload process, you can just log back into your account and queue the file back up and it will continue where it left off.

The SnapCrowd WP7 app looks well designed and is very functional (see the demo on the linked page). The user-interface directly guides you to manage specific file types (like documents, music, photos and video). Meta data about your files is clearly presented, and interactions seem very straight-forward. Hit the Read link for additional information and a demo of how the WP7 app works.

"Some Nokia Lumia 900 customers have been experiencing a loss of data connectivity-both LTE and 3G-on their new handsets. Nokia has identified the problem and devised a software fix, which will be rolled out on or around April 16th. Customers not wanting to wait can have their phones swapped for updated versions in AT&T stores. The company will also give any AT&T customer buying a Lumia between now and April 21 a $100 credit on their next bill."

At the price AT&T are retailing the Lumia for (with contract), that $100 credit means you're effectively getting the Lumia for free. If you aren't afraid of hooking up with AT&T, that's a pretty good deal for what looks like one of the better Windows Phone 7 devices out there. And kudos to Nokia for the fast turnaround.

Smartphones are now more popular than conventional mobile phones among the U.S. adults, according to a study released on Thursday, confirming a trend of aggressive spread of these “pocket minicomputers”. 

In an interview with people at The Verge, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, was extremely pleased regarding the company’s performance after the first year of strategic partnership with Microsoft.

Apple’s strategy of aligning the iPhone to a single mobile operator seems to have failed in China, where Samsung has achieved impressive market share. According to Bloomberg, iPhone has a 7.5% share of smartphones sales in China, while Samsung has 24.3% market share.

Pocketnow.com managed to take a look at a video presentation of the future Windows Phone 8, in which Joe Belfiore, Windows Phone Senior Vice President at Microsoft, speaks to Nokia partners and from which results major changes that will affect the platform in the fall.

"Microsoft has some major changes in store for Windows Phone 8, we've learned, which is the version of the platform currently being referred to by codename "Apollo" (the one scheduled for deployment after the upcoming Tango update)."

Details of Windows Phone 8 "Apollo" are now available thanks to a video meant for Nokia hosted by Joe Belfiore seen by pocketnow.com.

Looking at the features coming in Windows Phone 8 Apollo, this upgrade will definite put the OS in the running for top three mobile OSes. Here are just a few of the changes as cited by pocketnow.com.

- Multicore processor support

- Four new screen resolutions

- MicroSD card storage

- NFC wallet and tap sharing

- Windows 8 integration

- Data management

- And many more...

So, the question now is do you pick up the Lumia 900, wait for the 910 or hold out for Apollo and the phones that will inevitably follow?

"Beginning this Sunday, January 22, AT&T will begin offering new data plans to its US smartphone and tablet customers, its first change to the plans since June 2010."

If you are constantly finding yourself using just a tick over your data plan allowances and thereby incurring overages, AT&T's new data plans may be for you. Smartphone plans are now available in either 300MB ($20), 3GB ($30) and 5GB ($50). Subscribers of the 5GB plan will get tethering tossed in for free. Tablet plans have also been revised to 3GB ($30) and 5GB ($50). The low end 250MB tablet plan for $14.99 is the only plan that remains unchanged.

Of course if you are happy with your current plan, you may elect to stay with it but new subscribers will have to choose from one of the new plans.

Product Category: Windows Phone 7 Smartphone

Manufacturer: Samsung

Where to Buy: Expansys [affiliate]

Price: $775 USD (unlocked, no contract)

System Requirements: Comes with Windows Phone 7 Mango (7720) installed.

Specifications: 1.4Ghz single core CPU, 16Gb internal storage, 1Gb RAM; 4.3in WVGA (480 x 800) Super AMOLED screen; Quad band (850/900/1800/1900) GPRS, Tri band UTMS (900/1700/2100), HSPA+; GPS; 8mp colour camera w/autofocus + LED flash, 720p HD video recording; BT 2.1 EDR & A2DP; 802.11b/g/n; 3.5mm stereo audio jack; microUSB 2.0; G-Sensor; 124mm (4.96in) x 66mm (2.6in) x 8.4mm (0.33in); 110g (3.9oz). Full specs are available at the Samsung site.

Pros:

• Large, bright screen with amazing contrast;
• Light weight, but solidly built;
• All round, an amazing phone!

Cons:

• Positioning of the power button makes it easy to 'accidentally' hit and turn it on/off when not intended;
• A keyboard slider version of this phone would be a big bonus;
• Sorry, it only comes in black :-).

Summary: The original Samsung Focus, despite some niggling flaws, multiple versions, and difficulties with upgrades, has been the Windows Phone 7 'phone to beat' almost from the day it arrived. While the HTC Titan and HD7 have been making inroads, the Focus still holds a significant portion of the Windows Phone 7 user community. Now, Samsung has issued the successor in two slightly different models - the Focus S with better specs and screen, and the more budget-minded Focus Flash. While not quite the massiveness of the HTC Titan, Samsung has again shown that it can 'lead the pack' in design and features with the Focus S.

Introduction

I was introduced to the Samsung Focus S by a friend of mine who had secured on through a friend who got it from the Microsoft Store in Seattle. Normally, I wouldn't even have considered the Focues S since I'd convinced myself that I had to have a hardware keyboard to handle all the emails, etc during my day. But, after seeing and playing with the Focus S for about half an hour, I was hooked. The screen was much bigger than I had on the LG Quantum and it was just plain gorgeous. I immediately started trolling eBay for an unlocked version, since they aren't available from any of the cellular providers here in Canada.

I had to spend a little bit more than I usually do on new phones, but I eventually found an unlocked one from AT&T still in its original box.

What Comes in the Package

The contents of most phone packages are getting pretty standard these days, with just the basics needed. There was, however, a nice surprise here when it came to the earphones.

Figure 1: Here's what came in the box. As mentioned, this particular unit was pretty well direct from AT&T. I suspect the only reason the box was opened was to unlock the unit.

The box is the typical AT&T colour scheme but is good and sturdy. To the right of the box is the Focus S itself and just below that is the USB to microUSB charge/sync cable. It was a very nice surprise to find that the cable was almost 1m (39in) long -- almost twice the length normally provided. Below that is the wall charger with USB output, and to the left is the stereo earphones. This set is of significantly better quality than is normally seen included in most phone packages, both in terms of comfort and sound quality. Also included (in the little plastic bag below them) are alternate rubber tips to provide a more comfortable/snug fit in the ears. Nice touch, ATT & Samsung!

Figure 2: A closeup shot of the wall charger (North American), showing the standard USB port in the side of the unit. This is the first time I've seen a charger with this particular configuration. By having the cable come out sideways from the unit (instead of the back), it does cut down a bit on the extrusion from the wall, and protects against the cable being bent by furniture, etc.

Exterior Shots

Microsoft has been pretty prescriptive about the physical specifications for Windows Phones, so there's not a lot of variation when it comes to button and port locations.

Figure 3: Here's the front of the Focus S. Almost the entire front is taken up with the 4.3in (109 mm) screen. The 'buttons' on the bottom are 'soft' keys (specific dedicated areas of the touchscreen) rather than actual hardware buttons, as we've seen on earlier units.

Figure 4: The bottom of the Focus S basically sports the microUSB port for charging and sync. Just to the right is the small hole for the microphone.

Figure 5: The only button on the left side of the unit (as you look from the front) is the volume rocker near the top (just visible on the left side of this picture).

Figure 6: At the top of the unit is the 3.5mm headphone/mic jack. As you can see a bit here, the edges of the phone taper back from the front of the unit, so the back panel is actually smaller than the front. As a result, the headphone plug doesn't appear to seat all the way when it is inserted. Everything works fine though, so I assume there's sufficient contact on each of the rings.

Figure 7: On the right side of the unit is the power/sleep button at the top (near the right side of the picture), and the dedicated camera button (on the left). As of the Mango version of the O/S, the camera button can be configured to wake up the unit even if it is sleep/locked mode.

Figure 8: The back of the unit seems rather 'quiet' at first glance, with just the 8mp camera and integrated LED flash as the major features (top centre).

The case on the Focus S is deceiving, because it actually wraps around the unit and actually indents towards the rear. Because of the indent, you can clearly see most of the controls and access jacks from the back. At the top, just to the right of the camera lens, is the 3.5mm earphone/microphone jack. On the right side is the volume rocker. At the bottom right is the grill for the speakers, and in the centre is the microUSB sync/charger jack. In the lower left is the dedicated camera button, and above that is the power/sleep switch.

The back of the unit is a thin, flexible piece of plastic which actually fits into the back of the case. The back is engraved with what seems to becoming a 'signature' pattern for Samsung phones (I've seen it on the Infuse, the Galaxy S 2, and this phone) which helps to make the phone easier to handle.

Figure 9: With the back removed, you gain access to the battery and SIM card slot. Sorry, no removeable storage available.

Screen

The screen on the Focus S is a 4.3 inch superAMOLED capacitive touch unit, and it is simply amazing to use. It's huge compared to the LG Quantum I had been using, and at 4.3 inch, it's certainly able to hold its own against the big boys in the Android handsets these days. The colours are rich and stay consistent through a wide range of viewing angles. Although there have been discussions on some forums of a greenish 'tint' when viewed at extreme angles, I haven't seen it. (Mind you, I don't tend to look at my screen from the edge very often :-))

For those not familiar with the AMOLED technology, one of the neat features is that black pixels are actually turned off, providing much better contrast than other screens which display 'dark grey' instead. The result is not only a better looking, more readable screen, but one that also uses less power and extends battery life.

Figure 10: Here's a shot of the Focus S using the 'standard' AT&T lockscreen. It's tough to get a feel for the vibrancy of the colour and the contrast from a photograph.

Figure 11: Take a look at this shot, compared with the 'commercial' screenshots shown at the top of the article. I don't know why they continue to use those stock shots, because to my eyes, the colours are washed out and faded. On the Focus S, they literally glow with intensity and depth. It's wonderful to look at.

Comparisons

While it can't quite compare to the HTC Titan in sheer landscape, the Focus S can certainly hold its own. And is this thing light? It feels like a feather compared to the first gen Focus and LG Quantum I used before.

Figure 12: I thought it might be a better comparison to show the Focus S against a similar generation of device. On the left is the Samsung Infuse, a 4.5 inch Android 2.3 device, which has a similar weight and size to the Focus S. On the right is the Focus S.

Figure 13: Here's the Focus S stacked on top of the Infuse. As you can see, they are pretty similar thicknesses, with the Infuse being just that tiny bit longer.

Figure 14: Here's a side-by-side comparison shot of my older LG Quantum (on the left) with the Samsung Focus S (right) so you can see the difference in colour and contrast.

The picture above doesn't really do the Focus' screen justice. Although you can see the increase in size of the tiles, what isn't being shown is the depth of colour and better contrast on the Focus screen. Blacks are much blacker and the colours are much more saturated. You can especially see it in the greens and blues. I also don't see the 'pixelation' problem I saw with the Dell Venue Pro on its expanded screen.

Benchmarks

Thanks to an application called WPBench (available in free and paid versions from the Marketplace), we can get a relative comparison of the Focus S' capabilities compared to the other WP7 phones available. I just ran the Speed tests, since battery life is largely a function of how you use the device.

Figure 15: Here's the raw results from the speed tests on my Focus S. Many thanks to WPBench for providing a Screenshot capability in the program.

Figure 16: As you can see, my Focus S had 'great' numbers, but certainly wasn't the speediest racer on the block. (If you look at 'Manny's' profile, he is also using a Focus S. Wonder how it got it to run that fast?)

Figure 17: However, if you look at WPBench's consolidated statistics, the Focus S (also known as a Samsung SGH-i937) is the fastest device.

Figure 18: The downside is that that the Focus S isn't (yet) one of the most popular devices out there. You can see it near the bottom at number 17. The top unit is the original Focus (SGH-i917)

Windows Phone 7

The Focus S comes standard with the Mango (build 7720) version of WP7 installed. I haven't been notified yet of the 7740 update, but that seems to be focused mainly on the European and Asian markets right now. Apparently, there is a newer version due out soon, to address some problems with disappearing keyboards and that messaging security bug.

Software Included

Of course, AT&T includes applications to access AT&T services and your account, but these are easily removed. Like other manufacturers (HTC, LG, etc.) Samsung has its own 'zone' in the Marketplace, where it provides free apps for use on its phones.

Figure 19: The top level of applications available from the Samsung Zone

Figure 19: ...And here's the rest. Not a lot of selection here.

Most of the apps work pretty well. The exceptions are Samsung's Wireless Manager and Network Profile apps which are supposed to configure various parameters for working on specific cellular providers. As noted by many others on the Marketplace, they're basically a waste of time and don't work properly for most North American providers.

Radios

The radios are the heart of any cell phone. Without them, you've just got an expensive media player :-). Samsung has done a great job of cramming very good quality radios (and antennas!) into a compact, lightweight box.

GPRS (cellular)

Generally, the cellular coverage is about the same or perhaps a little bit better than my other phones, judging by the highly subjective number of bars. There have been no problems with connection or lost calls ever on my network (Rogers), but then again, I've never really had a problem with that no matter what phone I've used. I did notice that higher speed data connections are now noted as '4G' rather than H. (No, Victoria doesn't yet have true 4G networks; we don't even have LTE yet.)

I have noticed that call volume and voice quality are better with the Focus S than on my previous phones.

I've also noticed lately that I'm getting a lot fewer 'Unknown' callers on my phone. I have Name Display service from Rogers (which is different from Caller-ID) which is supposed to show me the actual name of the caller, rather than just their phone number. For a long while, I would receive calls from a large number of 'Unknown' sources even though they were people listed in my contacts. Since switching over to the Focus S however, the number of unknown calls has dropped significantly and calls from my contacts are now properly identified. I don't know if this is something in the O/S, something that Samsung's radio firmware does better, or it's because Rogers has fixed their Name Display service, but I'm much happier with the result.

Bluetooth

The Focus S includes support for BT 2.1, including the EDR and A2DP profiles. It connected easily to the handsfree units in the Prius and the GMC Sierra and all the connections were consistent, automatically established and stayed connected. Voice quality was clear, and they responded consistently to call pickup and call end commands from the phone (and vice versa).

Pairing with my Motorola stereo headphones was also straightforward and the audio quality was as good as I've ever heard from a phone.

WiFi

The WiFi radio in the Focus S is generally pretty good. It was easily able to connect to both the 2G (b, g) and 5G (n) networks from anywhere in my house, even with all of the microwave oven interference and heating ducts. It actually seems to be a bit more sensitive than the LG Quantum, since it's detecting more networks from around my neighbourhood. Unfortunately, WiFi still tends to be a battery burner though, since leaving it on goes through power much quicker. Fortunately, the Mango version of WP7 is providing better management of radios by powering down the WiFi when the phone is put in sleep mode, which really helps.

There are some discussions on the forums about the Focus S using GPRS connections even when the WiFi is available. I haven't seen that situation, except when the WiFi network loses its connection to the internet.

GPS

The GPS receiver seems faster and provides quicker locks than on my previous phones (including those running WP7). Again, I can only provide a subjective opinion, since WP7 doesn't appear to give developers access to the specific, detailed satellite data that was available in WM6.5, so it's hard to determine when exactly the GPS receiver is acquiring a lock. I know that WP7 is also utilizing cellular triangulation via AGPS to get into the general location faster, allowing the GPS to acquire more accurate location info when it gets a satellite lock. The Focus S also has the ability to use the Russian GLONASS satellites to assist with GPS location. I'm not sure if this is specific to the Focus S or was included as part of the Mango O/S, but it's the first reference I've seen to it.

FM

Usual FM radio and application using the headset wire as an antenna. Nothing to see here, moving on....

Battery

Samsung includes a 1650 mAh battery in the Focus S. According to the specs, it will provide 6.5 hours of talk time or 250 hours (over 10 days!) on standby. In terms of real use, it takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to charge from the wall charger to full charge and lasts about 1.5 days under moderate use (10 to 15 calls/day, probably the same or a little more texts, email checks every hour on 3 different accounts, browsing and YouTubes at night over WiFi).

Camera

There are two cameras provided on the Focus S. There is a 1.3mp on the front which you can use for video-chatting (still not supported by Rogers in Canada :-() or to take pictures of yourself. Just judging from the view screen (I wouldn't DARE show you the picture!) the front camera seems to have a bit of a fish-eye effect for some reason.

The back camera is a higher end 8mp with autofocus, LED flash, image stabilization, smile detection, and 4x digital optical zoom. I'm not sure why they call it digital optical zoom since I'm pretty sure there is no optical zoom components built into the camera lens. I'm willing to bet it's just digital zooming.

So, let's take a look at some pictures...

Figure 20: Here's an indoor shot at night, with minimal light from a ceiling fan (you can see the reflections in the window and the TV) The lights are 'bright white' fluorescents, so you'd expect to see a bluish tinge. The camera does a pretty good job of handling the low light conditions and compensating for the colours.

Figure 21: Another indoor shot but this time with the light sources in the picture. Some phone cameras have difficulty dealing with the overload from the lights and the otherwise low levels in other parts. The Focus S does a pretty decent job. The colours are pretty close to actual.

Figure 22: Outdoor shot on a grey, cloudy, rainy morning. Sorry, that's what winter is like around my neck of the woods.

Figure 23: A shot taken with the camera set to Macro in outdoor light (as above). The phone is less than an inch away from the foreground leaf, and I did no other adjustments. Not too bad.

Audio

For audio, the Samsung Focus S supports MP3, WMA, AAC audio formats. I've tried all three and they work great. The Focus S also works great with the TuneIn internet radio app.

The included earphones were of noticeably better quality than the earbuds normally provided. The sound produced was much fuller and the volume had much more headroom than on the LG.

Video

According to the specs, the Focus S will play MPEG4, WMV, H.264 and H.263 video formats. Unfortunately, I'm not sure Zune has the same compatibilities. When I placed our test suite of videos on my PC, Zune wasn't able to 'find' the 720p nor 1080p H.264 .mov files (10 min, approx. 690mb to 1gb). Nor could it find the 1080p MP4 .mov file or a Quicktime 1080p .mov, so I wasn't able to transfer these to the Focus S to test them. Zune was fine with the 640x360 .m4v file and all of the avi, mp4, and WMV files, though. I'm not sure if it has to do with the size or the resolution, but I'm hoping it's a restriction that will be addressed soon. All the ones I could get onto the Focus S played just fine. YouTubes and TED videos are absolutely stunning on this screen.

Conclusion

When I was using my LG Quantum, I thought I was in heaven. I REALLY felt I had to have a hardware keyboard in order to be effective using my phone for all those texts and emails. With the Focus S and the new Mango O/S, I'm a convert. The look, feel and operation of the Focus S is just head and shoulders above any of the older WP7 phones. It's also a prime contender in the Android/iOS/WP7 wars, but that's more about the operating system and available apps than the phone itself. It'll be a while before I give this one up, at least until the next best WP7 phone comes along :-)

Don is a Senior Solution Architect for Fujitsu Consulting, specializing in Enterprise Mobility, Security and Privacy. When not bugging the local Rogers retailers about the availability of the latest and greatest handsets (which they never have), he's helping his sons and wife fully appreciate the wonderful, social side of cell phone ownership :-)

Do you enjoy using new hardware, software and accessories, then sharing your experience with others? Then join us on the Thoughts Media Review Team! We're looking for individuals who find it fun to test new gear and give their honest opinions about the experience. It's a volunteer role with some great perks. Interested? Then click here for more information.

Intel has announced a series of progresses on its entire activity in the smartphones industry, including the signing of a partnership for several years on many devices with Motorola Mobility and provided information on a Lenovo smartphone based on the new platform of the Intel Atom processor. More Intel Atom-based smartphones are to hit the market in 2012.

"Packed with advanced imaging technology, the HTC TITAN II features a 16-megapixel camera with a wide-angle lens, autofocus, dual LED flash, red eye reduction, image stabilization, a backside-illuminated sensor and a physical camera button, offering a viable replacement for digital point-and-shoot cameras. The HTC TITAN II delivers a number of features that HTC has developed to help consumers capture photos in a variety of conditions; for instance, panoramic shot for sweeping landscapes and burst shot for action photography. The smartphone also enables 720p HD video recording with the rear-facing camera, as well as on-the-go video chat over Wi-Fi with its 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera.

Today, at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) being held in Las Vegas, Nevada, HTC introduced the HTC TITAN II as the company’s first Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) device to run on a 4G LTE network. Packed with an impressive feature list, including a 4.7-inch LCD display, a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera (for video chat), this phone provides the largest display among Windows Phones, an advanced digital camera and access to 4G LTE speeds. If you are in the market for a new smartphone, be sure to check this out and perhaps buy yourself a "little" present. Read on for the full press release.

HTC Press Release

HTC ANNOUNCES HTC TITAN II —HTC’S FIRST 4G LTE WINDOWS PHONE

HTC’s LTE Portfolio Expands With Fourth LTE Smartphone;

Latest Windows Phone from HTC to Run on AT&T’s 4G LTE Network in U.S.

LAS VEGAS — Jan. 9, 2012 — At the 2012 International CES, HTC Corp. today introduced the HTC TITAN™ II as the company’s first Windows Phone to run on a 4G LTE network. Available in the coming months to AT&T customers, the smartphone includes the largest display among Windows Phones, an advanced 16-megapixel digital camera and access to 4G LTE* speeds.

“HTC’s history of innovation in 4G technology includes delivering the first 4G-powered devices to each major carrier in the U.S., so it is exciting today to continue that leadership with our first 4G LTE Windows Phone, the HTC TITAN II,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corp. “This full-featured smartphone combines HTC’s design with AT&T’s high-speed 4G LTE network and Microsoft’s powerful Windows Phone software, giving people more of what they crave.”

The HTC TITAN II comes equipped with a brilliant 4.7-inch super LCD capacitive touchscreen display for an optimized viewing experience when watching movies, playing games or enjoying photos and videos. The HTC TITAN II offers quick and easy access to the latest movies and TV shows via HTC Watch and on-the-go gaming with Xbox LIVE.

Packed with advanced imaging technology, the HTC TITAN II features a 16-megapixel camera with a wide-angle lens, autofocus, dual LED flash, red eye reduction, image stabilization, a backside-illuminated sensor and a physical camera button, offering a viable replacement for digital point-and-shoot cameras. The HTC TITAN II delivers a number of features that HTC has developed to help consumers capture photos in a variety of conditions; for instance, panoramic shot for sweeping landscapes and burst shot for action photography. The smartphone also enables 720p HD video recording with the rear-facing camera, as well as on-the-go video chat over Wi-Fi with its 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera.

Access to AT&T’s speedy 4G LTE network paired with Qualcomm’s 1.5 GHz Snapdragon™ S2 processor, enables the HTC TITAN II to deliver fast Web surfing, streaming and downloading. This new powerful smartphone will also feature a 1,730mAh lithium ion battery to support the robust mobile experience on one of the fastest 4G LTE networks.

Featuring the latest version of Windows Phone, the HTC TITAN II enhances connectivity, efficiency and productivity for busy consumers with its large on-screen keyboard and instant access to Windows Phone Office Hub, Microsoft Exchange 2010 and Outlook Mobile. The Live Tile display brings friend and family groups to life and delivers the latest updates and news from popular social networks directly to the home screen. HTC TITAN II customers will also be able to download a number of exclusive HTC applications for free within Windows Marketplace through HTC Hub.

The HTC TITAN II is expected to become available exclusively from AT&T in the U.S. in the coming months.

*Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. 4G speeds delivered by LTE, or HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul, where available. Deployment ongoing. Compatible data plan required. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. Learn more at att.com/network.

About HTC

Founded in 1997, HTC Corp. (HTC) is the creator of many award-winning mobile devices and industry firsts. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC pushes the boundaries of design and technology to create innovative and personal experiences for consumers around the globe. HTC’s portfolio includes smartphones and tablets powered by HTC Sense™, a multilayered graphical user interface that vastly improves user experience. HTC is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE: 2498). For more information, please visit www.htc.com.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Waggener Edstrom for HTC

htcpr@waggeneredstrom.com

425-638-7000

Nokia Lumia 800, although very promising at the time of launch, fails to stop the manufacturer Nokia from its sharp decline in the smart devices market.

Nokia has launched, on Wednesday, at Nokia World event held in London, its first smartphones running Windows Phone 7 Mango, Nokia Lumia 800 and 710, phones that did not make a splash whatsoever.

Microsoft and Samsung have signed an agreement targeting three important goals: developing Windows Phone solutions, distribution of Android devices and exchange of patents. The formalization of this agreement, of a great importance for its content and its strategic value, will undoubtedly lead to significant changes in mobile devices.

Samsung, the world’s number two mobile phones manufacturer, has announced the launch of the Samsung Omnia W, the first company's smartphone based on the latest version of the Microsoft Windows Phone, also known as Mango.

Nokia President Chris Weber has come up with a greatest insight into the Nokia’s latest strategy in an interview with VentureBeat. He made an astonishing comment saying that interfaces and app-based models such as Android and iOS will “outdate” soon.

The first smartphone that uses the new Mango OS is produced by Fujitsu-Toshiba and has been launched on Wednesday, during an event held in Tokyo. IS12T is the first in a series of devices to be launched in coming months, by which Microsoft hopes to signal that it is still a serious player in the smartphone market.

Buying a smartphone is more difficult than it seems. Often, after you do finally purchase it, you feel like you didn’t take the best. And even if it is not so complicated it's still a frustrating process. The guys at Business Intelligence did a survey in which they asked buyers what are they taking into account when buying a phone

Recent IDC research revealed that Windows Phone will pretty soon lead the market almost all over shadowing the current popular contenders Apple and Android.

Microsoft has announced the new version of Windows Phone, Mango, which is said to bring over 500 new features to Microsoft's mobile OS users. The new version will be available from this fall and will be downloadable for free.

Nokia mobile phone market share dropped from 30.6% to 25.1%, reaching its lowest level since 1997, selling in the first quarter of 2011 107.6 million units, according to a study made by the research firm Gartner.

In Q3 2010, the worldwide smartphone market grew an impressive 95% over the same quarter a year ago to 80.9 million shipped units, according to Canalys. Nokia retained its leadership position, albeit by a diminished margin, with a 33% share of the market. Apple’s healthy performance this quarter saw it achieve a 17% share worldwide, a little ahead of RIM, which held a 15% share this quarter.

It's a story I need not go into too many details about: anyone who's owned a PDA or phone running Windows Mobile, from the first Pocket PC to the latest Windows Phone 6.5, knows the horrors of device ROM updates. Whether it's a new ROM image designed to fix bugs and enhance performance, or a whole new OS, as buyers of these devices we've always been at the mercy of the device manufacturer and/or the wireless carriers. Who amongst us hasn't raised a fist in anger at being denied a vital software update that would fix a problem with our device? This is how the entire underground ROM scene was born - out of frustration and desperation.

Or, if you were "lucky" enough to have an update offered for your phone, you'd have the pleasure of re-installing and re-configuring everything on your phone; often a process that would take hours. Microsoft's broken model, combined with OEM/carrier refusal to offer updates likely drove more customers away from buying a second Windows Phone than any other factor. We could only look on with envy as our iPhone-using kin happily docked their phones, got an update, and were using it minutes later.

Well, envy begone! Windows Phone 7 solves this pain point once and for all - witness my interview with Andrew Brown, Program Manager for Windows Phone Update, and be amazed...

WPT: Let's start with the best news I've heard about Windows phone 7: how will device updates work now? What will the update mechanism be?

Brown: Like many other things in Windows Phone 7, we're taking a different approach to updates than we have in the past with Windows Mobile. To start with, we're going to leverage the world-class infrastructure we already have with Microsoft Update today and use that to deliver updates directly to Windows Phone 7 phones - no more worries about figuring out where to go to download an update. We're also making it much easier on our partners (OEMs and Mobile Operators) by establishing a single, consistent update process that they can take advantage of, meaning they don't have to be responsible for their own individual update creation and delivery like they've had to do in the past. So it's really a win for everyone.

We've also built in a notification that pops up right on the phone that tells you when an update is available. When you see that, you connect your phone via USB cable to a computer running the Zune client software. At that point it's literally just one click and the update is downloaded and transferred to the phone, a restore point is created, and the update is installed, all done automatically.

WPT: Gone are the days of "You do an update, you wipe everything out on the device". How does the process work now?

Brown: Yes, that was very painful for users, and was one of the most important things on our list to fix for Windows Phone 7. Our new update process won't do anything to your personal data, settings, or installed apps. When the update is complete, you'll be able to use your phone right away, exactly as it was before, along with all the new benefits from the update itself, of course.

WPT: The backup that's made during the update - is that a backup that the user can restore at any time?

Brown: We actually don't refer to it as a "backup" because people have different ideas of what that means - in our case, the intent is very specifically to recover you back to a "snapshot" of the phone taken directly before the update, in case there are any problems as a result of the update process. To answer your question about when you can recover your phone to its previous state: the idea is that even if there's something in an update that is causing you trouble later on - maybe there's a third-party app that you really like that hasn't been updated to be compatible with the latest OS, for example - you can restore your phone back exactly the way it was before the update. In most cases, the restore point will remain on your computer so you'll be able to keep it as long as you want.

WPT: Microsoft creates the update, but does it go right to the phone from Microsoft update servers? Or is there carrier or OEM testing first that has to happen? And if that's the case, knowing the carriers the way we all do, will the process drag out during their phase? Can a carrier stop Microsoft from releasing an update? Or can Microsoft override the carrier in a worst-case scenario?

Brown: In terms of who creates the update, I should clarify that Microsoft is ultimately responsible for "packaging", if you will, the update, as well as delivering it to the phone. But OEMs and Mobile Operators can submit their own update code as part of an overall update that is delivered through Microsoft Update. We definitely will work very closely with our partners to make sure updates are tested thoroughly, but also released in a timely fashion, following standard practices in the industry today for smartphone devices.

WPT: Let's get technical here. One of the reasons we were told the original update model worked the way it did was because Microsoft made the software, then the OEMs had to do their customization of drivers and whatnot for the hardware. We were told a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) was the only way to have Microsoft software work on a variety of hardware without the involvement of the OEMs. Does Windows phone 7 use a HAL, or is it simply that the new hardware specifications for Windows phone 7 are so exact there's no need for OEM involvement at the driver level?

Brown: Our OEMs definitely play an important role in customizing each phone they develop and adding their own unique expertise, including at the driver level. But we've made it a lot easier for them in Windows Phone 7, in part by having more prescriptive guidance for some hardware specifications, and in part by doing some work "under the hood" to provide a little bit of a cleaner separation between Microsoft and OEM software at low levels of the hardware.

WPT: So no over-the-air (OTA) updates then. Why not?

Brown: For our first version, we really wanted a consistent, reliable solution that our customers could trust 100%. Connecting to a computer and using the Zune client software for the update gives us several advantages, including a large screen for the update user interface, the ability to charge the phone while updating, and a full backup of the phone in case any problems occur. However, we've definitely been thinking ahead as we've designed and built our current process, so we won't have to redo a lot of work in order to implement OTA capability in the future.

WPT: After all of the criticism that Microsoft has taken over the years for the way device updates have worked, it must feel great to deliver a solution that will thrill customers. Any closing thoughts?

Brown: Well, I'm not going to declare victory until I can come back to the community and hear everyone's feedback on how we did once we've shipped. But the great thing is that when we need to make improvements, we've now got a solid process for doing so!

WPT: Thanks for your time Andrew!

Screenshots of the process were also provided - check them out below.

Jason Dunn owns and operates Thoughts Media Inc., a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys photography, mobile devices, blogging, digital media content creation/editing, and pretty much all technology. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his lovely wife, his wonderful son Logan, and his sometimes obedient dog. He's mostly digging Windows Phone 7 so far.

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"Scuttlebutt no more, Microsoft is officially confirming that there will be an app to sync Windows Phones with Macs. Presumably, it'll work not too unlike the Kin Mac apps. I really don't know why they didn't announce this on Monday."

Gizmodo has a post today claiming that Windows Phone 7 devices will eventually have an app that will let them connect to an Apple Mac. It makes one wonder just how far that sync capability will go? Will it include data, image, video and/or music syncing? We'll have to wait a bit to find out more details, but it does suggest there must be a demand for such functionality.