So far on All About Windows Phone 'imaging' has all been about the rear-facing cameras on our smartphones, i.e. taking a photo of something. But what about the other camera - the one that points back at you? Now that 'selfies' are officially a thing (though I draw the line at special 'sticks'!), I thought a comparison, in terms of specs at least, of the front-facing cameras on Windows Phone hardware was in order - though it quickly becomes apparent that there's a 'sweet spot', beyond which it really is a case of diminishing returns. There is precisely zero point in a 13MP front facing camera. Really.
Yes, I know that Nokia's market research team told them that bright orange would be well received. But it wasn't in this household. So, despite having an orange 930, I set out to find a replacement back that was black - the colour all good smartphones should be(!) Here's my pictorial tale...
The idea of grabbing stills from video footage has taken on a new trendiness in recent times with the likes of the Lumia 930 and 1520 able to shoot 4K video and take out useable 8MP JPG photos - shoot a kid or pet or sporting moment and then worrying about the exact frame to use as a still later on, etc. The 830 gets in on the act with 2K video and 2MP stills, but what about the older hardware? It turns out the Lumia 920, 925 and 1020 can match the newer 830, extracting images of similar quality.
Late last week, a stylish new Twitter client was launched for Windows Phone - Aeries. It's in my review list, but I'm waiting for the application to stabilise before delivering a full verdict. In the meantime, though, I caught up with its developer, Brad Stevenson, chatting about his new Twitter app and all things Windows (Phone). See the video below.
Just to clarify, I'm talking about the Microsoft-written Podcasts client that ships alongside Windows Phone 8.1 and above - not the generic class of podcatchers, rounded up last year. Unless you're a podcast power listener, the 'official' client may be all you need, so I thought a quick set of tips might help a new Windows Phone user get going and comfortable with Podcasts.
With the Windows 10 Technical Preview now out for phones - at least, for a variety of mainly lower end devices, and with the chance to play with it at AAWP Towers, I wanted to assess its state and what is and isn't included. Find below a handy reference table, plus screenshots and comments. More from us on this in the podcast!
I've had many requests for a camera head-to-head between the Nokia Lumia 830 and 930, not least since they're now about the same price at some outlets. But I thought I'd wait until they both had Lumia Denim and the new camera software. And then, heck, I couldn't resist adding in the Lumia 1020 and Symbian-powered Nokia 808 PureView into the mix. Plus an Android imposter, just to add an extra reference point. Gulp! So much to analyse and comment on below.
I do hate mysteries. Such as old, long-deleted images appearing in my Photos live tile, Marie Celeste-like. Why are these shown at all and how can you get rid of them? Plus, how to filter them better in the first place...
Now, don't get me wrong - I love fiddling with alpha and beta builds of anything as much as the next geek, plus I'm already using and enjoying the Technical Preview version of Windows 10 on my laptop, but I'm having serious doubts about Microsoft's wisdom in releasing such an early build of Windows 10 for phones. Why? Because there's little to be gained at this stage and a lot to lose in terms of time, effort and confusion. In the face of much whooping in the mobile blogosphere, I beg to disagree....
With the arrival of Lumia Camera 5 on the UK Lumia 830, we get a chance to look at the pre/post Denim controversy from the perspective of a conventional 10MP camera phone, i.e. with no oversampling. Previously we'd looked in detail at the dramatic changes in image processing preferences on the Lumia 930 and 1520. See the differences here too on the Lumia 830, especially in low light, with contrast and sharpening now cranked right up to match the 'excesses' of Samsung and the rest of the industry. Do I sound a little unhappy? See the PS. for the silver lining. And see the PPS. if you're really feeling adventurous!
