Microsoft's 'affordable flagship' smartphone arrives in PH

MANILA - (UPDATED WITH NEW PRICE) Microsoft's Lumia 830, which is being referred to as the company’s affordable flagship smartphone, is now available in the Philippines.

The handset, which carries a suggested retail price of P18,990, comes with the brand's PureView technology that complements an on-board 10-megapixel camera and a 5-inch 720p display.

It will also run on the latest version of Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim, and packs a quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor paired with 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of expandable storage support.

"With PureView imaging, wireless charging and wealth of other great features, the Lumia 830 delivers the best innovations and experiences from our flagship smartphones at a more affordable price," said Karel Holub, general manager at Microsoft Mobile Devices Sales Philippines, said in a statement released Wednesday.

Other notable hardware features include a 2200mAh battery, wireless charging and NFC support. Those interested will also have access to 15GB of free OneDrive storage upon purchase.

"The Lumia 830 combines high end style and performance in a sleek design. Add to that industry leading Microsoft experiences and superior PureView imaging and it makes the Lumia 830 an attractive proposition for those customers who demand the best experiences at more affordable prices," added Holub.

The Lumia 830 will go on sale from October 24 in a range of colours including bright orange, bright green, white and black.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nokia launches tablet to join Microsoft gadget push

ABU DHABI - Nokia has unveiled its first tablet and large-screen smartphones, which will form part of Microsoft's global push to become a leading player in consumer devices when it takes over the Finnish company's handset business.

The Lumia 2520 tablet, along with the Lumia 1320 and 1520 phones are among the last products Nokia developed before deciding to sell the devices unit to Microsoft in a deal that is due to close in the first quarter of next year.

Nokia, once the global leader in mobile phones, arrived late to the smartphone race and has struggled to catch up with Apple and Samsung, who dominate the increasingly crowded market for large-screen smartphones, known as phablets.

The Lumia tablet, which has a 10-inch screen, will also face tough competition from the likes of Apple, which is expected to unveil slimmer, faster iPads on Tuesday. The phablets, which both have 6-inch screens, will take on a multitude of similar devices from Samsung.

Analysts said the new products, which will retain the Nokia brand after the Microsoft handover, are priced low enough to attract interest.

The Lumia 2520, which comes in glossy red and white as well as matt cyan and black versions, is expected to start shipping in the fourth quarter for about $499.

"The tablet is a nice design, it's a good-value proposition," Gartner analyst Annette Zimmermann said, though she doubts that Nokia's first foray into the tablet market will bring billions in sales.

POSSIBLE CLASH

Others also questioned whether the new launch is enough to lure consumers back to Nokia and Microsoft, while Forrester analyst Thomas Husson said the Lumia 2520's position for Microsoft is unclear, particularly after the software giant launched its own tablets.

At midnight on Monday, Microsoft started selling its Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets. Still feeling its way in the computer hardware business, the company is banking on the lighter and faster models boosting the lackluster sales of its touch-screen devices.

"Despite a more affordable price, the respective positioning of Nokia's tablet versus the Surface 2 is not obvious and will have to be dealt with after the Nokia acquisition," Husson said.

The new devices will help Microsoft to increase the number of Windows users, but Husson said he expects it to remain a long way from "a significant installed base of consumers".

Nokia's former chief executive Stephen Elop, hired in 2010 to turn round the company, decided in early 2011 to drop Nokia's own operating system in favor of the Microsoft's untested Windows Phone software.

The Lumia devices have been well received by technology blogs and critics, but sales have been slow to pick up, partly because of a lack of Windows Phone apps and a limited marketing budget.

(Writing by Ritsuko Ando; Editing by David Goodman)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nokia's Microsoft-Powered 710 Is A Smarter Entry-Level Smartphone

MANILA, Philippines — In 1985, Microsoft launched Windows operating system on graphic user interface (GUI) platform, a year later than its rival Apple Computer. Though a year late, Windows still became the standard for operating systems, establishing Microsoft as the industry leader.

Different versions have been launched through the years, a new version always promising a better experience overall. But that has not been the case, specially referring to the Vista version, which made more users stay with the older version the XP. The young generation most likely will be more familiar with the Windows 7 version.

With Operating Systems, most will agree,it is about user experience – faster boot time, easier navigation, cleaner interface and quicker access to applications. So it is no wonder that phones began adopting more PC-like operating systems.

Driven by the same demand to deliver better experience overall, smartphones do provide more functionality than what it used to. Also, the need to be ‘connected’ all the time required more robust operating systems in a solid hardware device. And this is what I believe Nokia and Microsoft is aiming to achieve, when these two titans of industries created the Nokia Lumia series.

The Nokia Lumia has three distinct series, if you may call it that way -- the 700, 800 and the 900 series (soon to be launched). All devices are currently available in the US and Canada, while Nokia 800 will be available in Asia by March.(MB Technews has both the 710 and 800 lying somewhere in the Techlab)

With the introduction of the other series remains unconfirmed, here is a sneak preview of the Nokia 710, dubbed the smarter smartphone.

Hard Facts

Nokia Lumia 710 has a ClearBlack display screen measuring 3.7inches and if turned off, the display looked seamlessly black, which is a rather nice touch. And speaking of touch, yes this mobile device is all touch and as intuitive as most touchscreen devices.

There is a 5MP camera which takes decent pictures but do not expect quality going beyond average. It is powered by a Qualcomm processor rated at 1400 CPU clock rate, which is the same processor powering the Nokia Lumia 800.

The Experience

First of all, you have to remember that this is an entry-level smartphone so that your expectations will not go awry.

The overall feel of the device is quite solid, however the clean back finish is a bit slippery to hold. But by consolation it is interchangeable and comes in different colors(definite appeal factor for Pinoys).

The device offers a single button at the front for home, back and search. The hitch is with the start button located on top of the unit, a bit difficult to push (unless you are left handed which feels more natural). And this limitation is magnified by the fact that it is the only button you can press to start and turn off the device unlike other smartphones.

The strength of this device is really in its operating system, Windows Phone 7.5, dubbed Mango during its development phase. It marries quite well into the Nokia hardware.

The user interface follows the familiar tile/tab presentation that is unique to this OS. It offers the option to pin apps, those that are intended to be used a lot. But I really wonder why there are two windows, when you can simply have one window and prioritize tiles according to use.

But what Windows Phone OS offers as a remarkable experience is under the People Hub (People tab). It offers integration of all social networking sitesand makes the complicated process of going through individual social networks simpler with a single access page that provides live notifications. No need to go through different apps to find out‘what’s new’.

Nokia Lumia 710 offers a smart advantage especially for socially networked people looking for a smarter smartphone on a budget.Nokia 710 is a smartphone worth watching out for. And by the way, it can also do handsfree text messaging; just make sure you dictate clearly.

Specifications

Dimensions: 119 x 62.4 x 12.5 mm

Weight: 125.5 grams

OS: Windows Phones 7.5 Mango

Display: 3.7-inch, WVGA 800 x 480 pixels, TFT, capacitive touchscreen, Nokia Clear Black Display, 16M colors

Processor: 1.4 GHz, MSM8255 chipset

Camera: 5 MegaPixels, 2592x1944 pixels with autofocus and LED flash

Video Capture: High-Definition 720p 30 frames per second

Audio and Video Playback MP3/WMA/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+

Ports: microUSB 2.0, 3.5 mm audio jack

Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v2.1, 3G HDSPA 14.4 Mbps HSUPA 5.76 Mbps

Network: 2G Network: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 3G Network: HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100

Memory: 512 MB RAM, 8GB internal storage, expandable via microSD, supports up to 32GB

Sensors Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity

Battery: 1300 mAh

Talk time: (GSM/WCDMA) up to 6.9h/7.6h

• Standby time: (GSM/WCDMA) up to 400h

• Music playback: up to 38 hours

source: mb.com.ph