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A quick look at LG Optimus 7 with Windows Phone 7

Img_20101226_055139

I picked up an LG Optimus 7 yesterday, one of the brand new crop of phones running Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 operating system. I'm unsure why Microsoft had a fragmented global roll out of its Windows Phone 7 devices but I'm glad SingTel carries the LG unit. As far as value goes, it is probably offers one of the the better combinations of features and cost.

In terms of hardware, the Optimus 7 is among the "smaller" ones with a 3.8 inch TFT 480 * 800 pixel screen as opposed to the 4 inch or larger screens found on most other Windows Phone devices but a tad on the heavier side at 157 grams. Having said that, it's still quite a large phone if you're used to using an iPhone, which I am. Even considering the Nexus One, the LG is still taller. This combination of size and weight gives the Optimus 7 a sturdy feel.

This tri-band HSDPA phone also sports 802.11b/g/n wifi, Bluetooth 2.1, Assisted GPS, accelerometer, and FM radio through the headset.

Img_20101226_055256

It has a five megapixel rear-facing camera with flash support which takes high definition 720p videos at 24 fps and photos at up to 2592 * 1944 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio or 2560 * 1440 at 16:9. The camera and flash can be found deeply recessed at the back of the phone near the top.
Some may think the camera could be better or sport more pixels, but for the most part, five megapixels is more than enough and it's already a decent pocket camera that takes sharp photos. When you're sharing photos on the web, you want to spend seconds, not minutes, to upload them.

Its back, Start, and search buttons are all physical buttons which make them easier to identify by the touch of your finger. Popping the rear shield open to access the SIM card slot and battery is also very easy with a button underneath the Windows Phone logo at the back. Changing SIM cards on this LG unit requires removing the battery as with almost every other phone model out there.

Unfortunately the USB port is hidden behind a flimsy cover. Understandably, this was done to keep the Optimus 7 looking very sleek and smooth but they could have simply made it a recessed port like on the Nexus One. The power button is a bit on the small side.

The screen is very bright, too bright as a matter of fact and the brightness setting in the OS might as well not be there. One trick to keep it from burning your eyes (okay, I'm exaggerating here) is to set the background to black. That way you also get a nice contrast with the colorful tiles on the home screen.

Charging and synchronizing the phone is done through a micro USB port. This initiative by most phone manufacturers to adopt micro USB is something that's very welcomed. I can now for example borrow someone's BlackBerry or HTC cable for use with this LG unit and vice versa. Very simple.

The camera shutter button makes it really easy to take photos. You can even set it to wake the phone and immediately take photos instead of having to find the camera app first. Its auto focus works really well and quite fast.

Setting up the phone is a snap, you can quickly go from out of the box into tweeting or making phone calls within minutes as activation is done directly on the phone. Contacts can be synced directly from Gmail, Live, or Facebook and they're all lumped together under the People tile.

A Windows Live account necessary only if you're planning to download apps, which you're likely to do anyway, otherwise what's the point of buying a smartphone these days?

Far from being a hassle, this is now par for the course when you're dealing with smartphones as you go through the same deal with Android and BlackBerry. While the iPhone doesn't require a MobileMe account, you can only activate it using iTunes on a computer.

All in all, the Optimus 7 is a very well put together package. The general specifications may be on the lower end of the scale among Windows Phone 7 phones but the build quality is right near the top, if not on it. It's got a good grip, decent size and weight, and easily identifiable buttons. Using this phone has been nothing less than a delight. Having LG's own apps store built-in with a collection of free starter pack apps only add to the value this phone brings to the table.

(download)

Filed under  //  LG   microsoft   review   windows phone 7   wp7  
Posted by Aulia Masna 
 

Sony Ericsson wants a slice of Windows Phone 7 too

Sony-ericsson-logo
Sony Ericsson has published its Q3 financial results and as it gains more profit despite of selling less number of phones compared to previous quarter, Sony Ericsson clearly stated that now smartphone is their new gold mine. More than 50% of this quarter phone sold are smartphones -- thanks to Android platform for this -- and Bert Nordberg, CEO of Sony Ericsson, as cited by Bloomberg, said that their side want to diversify into Windows Phone 7, without telling much detail.

Sony Ericsson has been a slow adopter in smartphone world. Previously it was one of the latest big player to enter Android army, due to much of consideration of converting from current market leader, Symbian Oyj.

Sony Ericsson had unveiled two Windows Mobile phones in the past, Xperia X1 and X2. Current Microsoft partner for Windows Phone 7 are HTC, LG, and Samsung. Windows Phone 7 require high specifications, including 1GHz processor, dedicated graphic card processor, 256MB RAM, etc.

[via]

Filed under  //  Microsoft   Sony Ericsson   Windows Phone 7  
Posted by Amir Karimuddin 
 

Menlo, the new Mobile OS platform from Microsoft

Menlo_microsoft

Mary Jo Folye from ZDNet recently reported the results of investigations into the 'Menlo', a mysterious project being worked by Microsoft. Through this project the researchers reportedly about  Menlo Microsoft was reviewing the possibility of new Mobile OS platforms.

A PDF document related Menlo project has also been published by Microsoft Research. From these documents revealed that Menlo is a prototype mobile device with 1.4-inch capacitive touch screen, runs Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2 and equipped with an accelerometer and barometer.

It also called named Greenfield applications that run on top of Menlo platform. Through this application, Menlo expected to detect a 'path' user activity. This is why the document titled 'User Activity-Based Experiences With Latest Mobile Navigation Device'.

[via ZDNet]

Filed under  //  Microsoft   OS   gadget   mobile   rumor  
Posted by Oki Rosgani 
 

No next of Kin. Microsoft rolls Kin team into Windows Phone 7

About two months ago Microsoft and Verizon launched Kin. A month ago Microsoft defended the pricing of Kin which, while quite affordable at $100 or less, required a monthly fee equal to high end smart phones despite being more equal to Sidekicks. At the same time they announced that the Kin will eventually be merged with Windows Phone 7. At that time it was pretty obvious that the Kin will not have a long or bright future. A few days ago, they dropped the handset pricing to $29 and $49 and not only was the writing on the wall, it was carved. With laser. In big bold letters.

Today came the news via Engadget that there is to be no more Kin.

Microsoft has decided to roll the team behind Kin into Windows Phone 7. I said about a month ago, 

"The obvious question is then, why release the KIN in the first place if you're only going to merge it with your main platform? There's no time frame set by Microsoft so "over the longer term" could be next year, could be two years from now, could be never. What is the compelling reason for anyone to choose the KIN over other phones?"

Seems that many people shared my thought. The Kin was a distraction to Windows Phone 7. There really was never any strong reason for Kin to exist. If Microsoft is betting their mobile strategy on Windows 7, that's what they should be focusing on, not push an oddball product with no future of its own. 

We hardly knew you Kin, but nobody will miss you.

[Update] Engadget has the exclusive on why Kin was scrapped.

Filed under  //  kin   microsoft   windows phone 7   wp7  
Posted by Aulia Masna 
 

Windows Phone 7, new age of advertisement

Windows phone 7 which will be launched by Microsoft mentioned will be a qualified engine advertising publishers. This was stated by Kostas Mallios, General Manager of Strategy and Business Development of Microsoft in his presentation at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in France.

Windows Phone 7 who was said to be launched next October will carry the push notification system that allows advertisers to deliver ads directly to the home screen phone. In other words, the owners of your Windows Phone 7 will accept such ads when receiving an SMS or email push.

There are two main methods that enable advertisers to send ads to the home screen devices Windows Phone 7.

First is the Tiles. Home screen on your Windows Phone 7 is composed of such small square icon called Tiles. Since Tiles is not the icon, then any tiles can be filled with applications such as games, application specific product or brand names and any applications that users want. Not just advertising a product, through the application makers Tiles can also display a notification when the latest application update available.

In addition, the second method is Toast. Using Toast the advertisers may display pop-up ads on the home screen. Unlike the first method, the ads are displayed while the application brand or product is not installed on the Tiles. As long as users install applications on the device brand or product they are, even when the application is not running, the advertisers still be able to send ads to mobile phones.

Windows Phone 7 offer an easy way for advertisers to reach their target market. To find out more detail about the ads system in Windows Phone 7, This is good news for advertisers but bad news for user..I think... :) but you can see the video below:

[via wmpoweruser]

Filed under  //  Apps   Microsoft   Mobile   Windows Phone 7  
Posted by Oki Rosgani 
 

KIN to be merged with Windows Phone 7. Eventually

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Microsoft announced the KIN pair of phones a short while ago to excitement of the mobile industry. It seemed like it's a good product aimed at youngsters who would connect via social network services. While KIN doesn't support downloadable apps and games, it does offer cloud backup, similar to the canceled Sidekick phones by Danger, which itself was bought by Microsoft not too long ago. The KIN phones cost either $50 or $100 after rebates. 

Then came the first red flag. Microsoft is teaming up with Verizon to deliver the KIN. Sure, Verizon has arguably the best mobile coverage in the United States but they also come with caveats. In the past they've blocked bluetooth data so subscribers are forced to buy data plans to perform backups or data transfers between devices.

The second red flag is the monthly fee which stands at $70 with a two year contract, similar to what they and other operators charge for full fledged smartphone. It sounds like Microsoft and Verizon copied the playbook from printer companies; Charge a small fee for the device, hit them through the roof with ongoing costs. 

Their argument is that these phones are heavy on data usage because cloud backup of photos, videos and other data will eat a good chunk of bandwidth, which is no different from what a full smartphone does.

The third red flag is a doozy. In defending the pricing, Microsoft announced that the KIN platform will eventually be merged with Windows Phone 7. 

Microsoft's Greg Sullivan said, "Over the longer term, we'll be merging [Kin and Windows Phone 7] platforms and having downloadable apps."

The obvious question is then, why release the KIN in the first place if you're only going to merge it with your main platform? There's no time frame set by Microsoft so "over the longer term" could be next year, could be two years from now, could be never. What is the compelling reason for anyone to choose the KIN over other phones?

In the same article, Brenda Raney from Verizon is quoted as saying that the phones are meant for those, "whose life is about networking." Does that seem clear to you?

It's difficult to see the logic in releasing this product after reading that statement from Sullivan. There's also no guarantee that the first generation of KIN phones will even be eligible for the eventual upgrade, highly unlikely it seems, given the specifications. 

If you're going to spend $70 a month, might as well go with a real smartphone.

Filed under  //  kin   microsoft   verizon   wp7 windows phone 7  
Posted by Aulia Masna 
 

Microsoft's KIN, will it resurrect Sidekick euphoria?

Kin

Once upon a time, in the United States, there was a popular gadget among youngsters, named Sidekick. Manufactured by Japan's Sharp for Danger Inc, this handset was hugely popular because of its QWERTY keyboard and texting-friendly it had. Sadly, when RIM's BlackBerry emerged to offer more complete solution on messaging and the acquisition of Danger by Microsoft, slowly but sure the Sidekick is drown to the deadpool.

It's 2010 now, the era when multimedia and apps begin to conquer, while messaging section still has its own loyal audiences. The King of messaging is still BlackBerry, now in its OS 5.0 and more beautiful figure. Becoming part of Microsoft development, they [was Danger] want to kick ass one more time. They know the market, they know what this market want. The result is the rebirth of unique QWERTY phone in KIN series, still manufactured by Sharp this time. 

KIN boasts social network into different level, ease users on sharing by drag-and-drop (KIN Spot) and picking which friends' updates they want to know more (KIN Loop). Mcrosoft team observes human behavior, especially teenagers, and here's the result. KIN has Windows Phone core, but it's not really a Windows Phone as it doesn't have Windows Phone's full functions. 

The initial launch of KIN reveals two models, KIN One and KIN Two. Kin One is smaller, chunkier, and perfect for early youngsters. KIN Two is bigger, bolder, and having better camera that can record HD video. Both have big space for music, 4GB and 8GB respectively, allowing them to store 1000 - 2000 songs. It's no doubt that 12-18 years old section will be the ultimate target. The question now, can they ousted BlackBerry from its throne?

While KIN has fancier interface and more hip design, BlackBerry still has better closed system to offer. It's up to USA's teenagers to decide their preferences and these battles may lead to new idea on how cashing money from younger generation that usually crazy for Disney musicals, Twilight series, and MTV reality shows. Oh wait, I think I have found the perfect ambassador to make KIN sales goes crazy. Just signs Justin Bieber as KIN's endorser.  

Filed under  //  Danger   KIN   Microsoft   Sharp   Sidekick   USA   Windows Phone  
Posted by Amir Karimuddin 
 

There will be no more 'Series', just Windows Phone 7

Wp7noseries

Finally! Well.. it's not that Windows Phone 7 Series is a bad name, it's just.. the name is too long, and the 'Series' part? it'll only raise a lot of questions like, the standard one - 'what's the series stands for?' or 'is there going to be a 'series' of Windows Phone 7..err..Series? (see how weird that is?)'. But that stops now, as today, @windowsphone has tweeted that Microsoft is dropping the 'Series' and keeping the 'Windows Phone 7'. 

It's still a long name, but at least its simpler and won't raise a questions if there will be a different series of Windows Phone 7

Filed under  //  Windows Phone   microsoft   windows phone 7  
Posted by Bayu Wicaksono 
 

Windows Phone 7 Series ported to HTC HD2

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It's a pretty disappointing news when Microsoft has confirmed that the HTC HD2 would not receive an update to Windows Phone 7 Series, their reason? the HTC HD2's hardware specification doesn't comply with Microsoft's hardware standards for Windows Phone 7 Series. It's not technical stuffs like the processor clock or display size or even camera resolution, no, it's because the HTC HD2 doesn't have the dedicated hardware button for Bing and system-wide search.

But that's not going to stop a team of Russian tinkerers over at htcpedia, who have manage to port WP7S over to the HTC HD2. Aside from laggy stuffs here and there, which probably has something to do with the graphics driver, everything seems to be working just fine, GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth all works! Tom Codon also has confirmed that, currently there are only two buttons that are working, the start button and back button, but they also working to map the search button to the home button.

You may going to loose the HTC Sense that the HTC HD2 originally came with, but who needs 'em if you can have the awesome UI of Windows Phone 7 Series (damn that's a long name!).

Read the rest of this post »

Filed under  //  HTC   HTC HD2   Windows Phone   hack   htcpedia   microsoft   video   windows phone 7   wp7s  
Posted by Bayu Wicaksono 
 

No copy/paste on Windows Phone 7

Not-on-wp7

Engadget reported that Microsoft has decided to go iPhone OS 2.0 on everyone when it comes to Windows Phone 7. First of all, it will have apps that are available only on the Windows Phone Marketplace, similar to Apple’s App Store for iPhone OS. Secondly, copy/paste will not be a feature. They just won't have it.

Supporters had been trumpeting the announcement that Windows Phone 7 will be better than iPhone OS because it will support Flash, but suddenly the Redmond Giant announced that the new mobile OS won’t have copy/cut/paste function.

The iPhone was ridiculed for not having this apparently important function until Apple relented in 2009. Relented, finally figured out a decent way to implement it, or took a feature from a jailbreak add-on, you be the judge, but regardless, it was finally built in in iPhone OS 3.0, and there was much rejoicing.

So it comes as quite a surprise that at MIX10, Microsoft told everyone it’s not going to be in Windows Phone 7 even more so when in Windows Mobile it has always been available. According to Microsoft, even Office users will not be needing copy/paste.

CNET quoted Todd Brix, a Windows Phone executive saying, “We don’t enable copy & paste and we do that very intentionally.” He continues, "It's actually an intentional design decision," he said. "We try to anticipate what the user wants so copy and paste isn't necessary."

Given that Windows Phone will have an Office suite like other smartphones, it will be interesting how they get around the issue when it comes to dealing with tables, cells, and general actions in those apps. While a handheld device may not be an ideal or even practical way to work on documents, it’s handy to have that ability given that people are beginning to increase their time spent with such devices as opposed to the traditional portable computers.

Filed under  //  Microsoft   OS   WP7   Windows Phone 7   flash   iPhone   mix10   mobile OS  
Posted by Aulia Masna