Why yes, yes it is another Windows Phone 7 device review. Not that we’re complaining. It’s not everyday that a new mobile operating system this polished arrives at our doorstep. Having already gone in depth with Microsoft’s entirely new OS and half a dozen or so other WP7 devices , it’s now time to dive deep into the life and times of the HTC Trophy. And it’s about time. We first saw the words “HTC” and “Trophy” on the same page in a roadmap leak all the way back in 2009. Several of the leaked handsets eventually launched — but not the 3-inch portrait QWERTY Trophy (codenamed, Spark ) running Windows Mobile 6.5. Perhaps that original design was scrapped along with WinMo’s relevancy to the consumer smartphone market. We don’t know and we may never know. What we can tell you is what it’s like to live with a production HTC Trophy for a week — an average speced touchscreen slate offering anything but a middle-of-the-road experience. This review is primarily of the HTC Trophy hardware. Check out our full review of Windows Phone 7 for our thoughts on the OS. Continue reading HTC Trophy review HTC Trophy review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posts Tagged ‘windowsphone7series’
HTC Trophy review
October 29th, 2010 
admin 
Posted in engadget, htc 
Tags: attentive phone, entry, htc, life, microsoft, polished, review, trophy, video, windowsmobile, windowsphone7, windowsphone7series, words, wp7 launch 
No Comments »HTC Surround review
October 24th, 2010 admin Of all the Windows Phone 7 launch devices, AT&T’s HTC Surround is likely the most curious. It’s a landscape slider built on the same basic internals as the rest of its platform siblings, but there’s no keyboard under that screen — the quarter-inch slide reveals an aluminum speaker bar and integrated kickstand, which combine to create a tiny little stereo system of sorts. Mix in Windows Phone 7′s heavy Zune integration, add in a dash of Dolby Mobile and SRS Wow “virtual surround” audio processing, and top it all off with 16GB of internal memory, and you have what might be the ultimate phone for on-the-go media consumption. But does the Surround live up to all that promise? Read on to find out! This review is primarily of the HTC Surround hardware. Check out our full review of Windows Phone 7 for our thoughts on the OS. Continue reading HTC Surround review HTC Surround review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Windows Phone 7 pops up on a Samsung prototype device, plays Twin Blades
May 27th, 2010 admin Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore certainly piqued our interest at MIX by demoing Windows Phone 7 on an unidentified Samsung handset , but our excitement soon faded when we found out it was just a hacked-up Omnia i8910 and not a real phone. Still, the Sammy remains only the third WP7 device we’ve seen other than the ASUS-built test mule and the prototype LG Panther that’s been popping up recently after debuting on the Engadget Show , so these two videos of it running a recent WP7 build at reMIX in France is still quite notable — the OS seems fast and responsive, and we’re told everything on the device was functional, including the GPS and camera. What’s more, there’s a demo of an Xbox Live Arcade / iPhone game port called Twin Blades by Press Star Studio — it was done in a week by one programmer using 90 percent of the Xbox Live code. That’s impressive, to say the least. Of course, this device may look like an Omnia, but it doesn’t have the Omnia’s OMAP3 processor — as per WP7′s requirements, the internals have been swapped for a Snapdragon-based board. We’re still waiting for Microsoft and its partners to show us some more interesting hardware — let’s face it, the Panther and this Samsung are almost identically boring — but there’s no denying the software itself looks to be coming along quickly. Now let’s just hope it launches with enough heat to save Microsoft from another executive shuffle . Video after the break. Continue reading Windows Phone 7 pops up on a Samsung prototype device, plays Twin Blades Windows Phone 7 pops up on a Samsung prototype device, plays Twin Blades originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 May 2010 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posted in engadget, LG Tags: blades, engadget, engadget-show, i8910, interest-at-mix, omnia i8910, panther, phone, press star, samsung, video, windowsphone7, windowsphone7series, xbox live No Comments »Windows Phone 7 is the new name, ‘Series’ gets voted off island
April 3rd, 2010 admin Regardless of how you feel about Microsoft’s rejuvenated mobile push this year , hatred of the “Windows Phone 7 Series” moniker has been nearly universal — it’s too long, it trips you up every time you try to say it (seriously, just listen to any of our podcasts ), and the “Series” bit doesn’t make a whole lot of sense anyhow. Happily, Microsoft has heard the world loud and clear on this one, officially changing the name today to the simpler, happier, more logical “Windows Phone 7.” The branding move doesn’t have any technical or strategic significance, as far as we can tell — it truly is just a name change, that’s all — so you can expect the same software to launch later this year that we’ve already been anticipating… you just won’t have to deal with a tongue twister every time you’re trying to tell a friend about it. Windows Phone 7 is the new name, ‘Series’ gets voted off island originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posted in engadget Tags: branding-move, engadget, entry, every-time, expect-the-same, microsoft, more-logical, windows phone 7, windowsphone7, windowsphone7series, winpho7, wp7s No Comments »Windows Phone 7 Series emulator unlocked, shows a few surprises
March 19th, 2010 jedwan Microsoft was kind enough to release the software development kit for Windows Phone 7 Series on Monday, and although there was some fun to be had by scrolling around and exploring, much of the cool stuff the company showed off at MIX last week is not included — or is it? As it turns out it’s in there; only a little help is needed to unlock ‘em and then all those magical hubs start them spinning for your enjoyment, including a few things not seen before. Most notable? A comprehensive looking file explorer and even a task manager, something a bit curious given the OS’s effective lack of multi-tasking . The unlock was discovered and initially distributed by engineer Dan Ardelean, but he has since recanted and pulled the required file. Naturally, though, it has been mirrored in numerous places, links to which can be found at the xda-developer forum if you’d like to try this yourself. Just keep in mind that this is a far from final version of the OS, so don’t be too disappointed if it doesn’t quite pop like it does when Anna or Luca use it . [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Windows Phone 7 Series emulator unlocked, shows a few surprises originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posted in engadget Tags: danardelean, emulator, engadget, entry, microsoft, sdk, windows-phone, windowsphone, windowsphone7, windowsphone7series No Comments »Microsoft takes a note from Palm in new Windows Phone 7 Series ad
March 18th, 2010 admin We’ve held no punches in sharing our thoughts on Palm’s recent ad campaigns , but the one spot that was actually not heinous has seemingly served as the basis for one of Microsoft’s first-ever WP7S commercials. Debuting here at the tail-end of MIX , the ad spotlights Anna — a fictitious gal we’ve certainly heard of before — using her new smartphone to share photos with her dear lover Miles. It also features Luca, a kid with an undying love for playing Xbox LIVE titles , who seems to be caught somewhere in between the world of nature and nurture. At any rate, it’s worth your while to give the new Microsoft commercial and the Palm ad which it has oh-so-much in common with right after the break. Oh, and Palm — we guess “Windows Phone 7 Series was your idea ,” right? Update : Yes, that definitely looks like an HTC HD2 at the 0:43 mark, but you can rest assured WP7S won’t ever come to that gem in native fashion. [Thanks, Sean] Continue reading Microsoft takes a note from Palm in new Windows Phone 7 Series ad Microsoft takes a note from Palm in new Windows Phone 7 Series ad originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posted in engadget, htc Tags: advertising, copycat, marketing, mix, mix 10, mix10, operating-system, operatingsystem, palm pre, palm-pixi, pixi, windows phone 7, windows-phone, windowsphone7series No Comments »Windows Phone 7 Series’ cutting room floor is an extravaganza of bright colors and chunky fonts
March 18th, 2010 admin It’s hard to argue that Windows Phone 7 Series’ Metro UI concept isn’t utterly unique in the mobile world, but it was wasn’t the only option Microsoft considered — far from it, in fact. The company has published a bunch a design concepts it churned through on its wild, wacky journey to finalizing Metro as we know it today, and one thing’s for certain: they’d clearly planned on simple, square lines, partially-obscured typography, and in-your-face colors pretty much from day one. After careful consideration of everything they’ve got here, we still think we like the production design best, but that’s kind of besides the point — why, pray tell, couldn’t these have just been user-selectable themes? Windows Phone 7 Series’ cutting room floor is an extravaganza of bright colors and chunky fonts originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 23:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Windows Phone 7 Series gaming, all up in the club (video!)
March 18th, 2010 admin So… look. Sometimes you find yourself in a Vegas club at 3AM, holding a Windows Phone 7 Series testing device loaded up with a working copy of The Harvest, and you shoot what might be world’s shakiest video of the gameplay using a nearby Nexus One. It’s practically a rite of passage in this town, right? Video after the break. Update: Also, sometimes you find yourself in a Vegas hotel the day after the Vegas club, nursing your brutal headache and desperately seeking a second opportunity to film that hot unreleased game with a better camera. Video of that is after the break, too. Continue reading Windows Phone 7 Series gaming, all up in the club (video!) Windows Phone 7 Series gaming, all up in the club (video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posted in engadget Tags: 7 series, after-the-break, entry, gameplay, harvest, live, microsoft, phone, testing-device, theharvest, windows, windows phone 7 series, windowsphone, windowsphone7series, xboxlive No Comments »Windows Phone Marketplace can remotely revoke app licenses
March 17th, 2010 admin Speaking at a MIX10 session about Windows Phone 7 Series architecture this morning, Microsoft’s Istvan Cseri mentioned that the Windows Phone Marketplace — the one and only clearinghouse for apps in WP7S — will be able to remotely revoke licenses. Since devices will only run properly-licensed apps, this effectively means the company will be able to shut down apps remotely — a capability they’d probably invoke if a Marketplace app were to badly misbehave en masse, for example. To put it bluntly, Cseri says that apps simply aren’t in control of their own life cycle; the user controls installation and removal while the Marketplace ensures that the license is valid. On a related note, we know that Microsoft has a series of not-yet-finalized “business, technical, and content” guidelines for accepting and rejecting apps submitted to the Marketplace, and we’ve got a particularly interesting case: apps are being “discouraged” from using the phone’s Back button. They’re being so strongly discouraged, in fact, that Todd Brix — senior director of mobile platform services product management at the company — told us that apps can and will be straight-up rejected for using Back for anything but dismissing dialog boxes. We won’t know the full rulebook until Microsoft releases it in May — but in the meantime, don’t bother making anything too controversial with those free tools, eh? Windows Phone Marketplace can remotely revoke app licenses originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Windows Phone 7 Series preview, MIX10 edition
March 17th, 2010 admin We just spent some quality time with the MIX10 build of Windows Phone 7 Series running on the same prototype hardware sourced from Garmin-Asus that we saw at MWC — and apart from a few Murphy’s Law-style demo hiccups, we loved what we saw. One thing that immediately caught our attention was the fact that lists of items “compress” slightly once you’ve reached their end — something we hadn’t noticed before. In general, it’s pretty impressive how much attention Microsoft is paying to the finer aesthetic points of the platform, from the slight “tilts” of items that you’ve pressed to the 3D effects you encounter as you flip through photos. Another thing we’ve confirmed here is that the test units do have accelerometers, refuting an earlier rumor that had been spreading out in Barcelona — we know this because the display auto-rotated while viewing a photo. Check out the full video — along with a shot of the phone resting alongside its Zune HD cousin — after the break. Continue reading Windows Phone 7 Series preview, MIX10 edition Windows Phone 7 Series preview, MIX10 edition originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posted in att, engadget Tags: after-the-break, been-spreading, display, engadget, microsoft, platform, windows-phone, windowsphone7, windowsphone7series No Comments »
