Admittedly only on Verizon only at first, but launched today was a version of HTC's aluminium One (M8) design for Windows Phone - the M8 launched on Android earlier this year and was notable in its use of virtual controls. A factor which no doubt helped the reconfiguration of the handset for Windows Phone 8.1. Details below.
Another Windows Phone 8.1 handset just got announced this morning by Microsoft, the Nokia Lumia 530, coming in under the existing Lumia 630 (reviewed here). The 530 (available in single and dual SIM form) drops down specifications slightly, with 4" screen, Snapdragon 200, and 4GB of internal storage, but also comes in at an initial estimated High Street price of under 100 Euros, so I'm guessing about £60 on pay as you go.
The Nokia Lumia 630 and Lumia 635 were announced today by the Finnish company at Microsoft's Build 2014 conference. The low to mid-range handset comes in three variants - two of them are labelled as the Lumia 630, a 3G design with dual-SIM or single-SIM options, while the Lumia 635 brings 4G connectivity to the table.
The Nokia Lumia 930 was today officially announced by Nokia at Build 2014, essentially a world equivalent to the Verizon-exclusive Icon, but running Windows Phone 8.1 from the outset. The device can be thought of as a successor to both the Lumia 920 and 925 and has a five inch, 1080p resolution, AMOLED screen and a focus on media capture with a 20-megapixel PureView branded camera with Carl Zeiss optics, LED flash, and quad omnidirectional microphones. Availability is June 2014.
Today, at MWC, Nokia announced the Nokia X range of affordable smartphones, running on a customised version of AOSP (Android Open Source Project) software. The devices, the Nokia X, X+, and XL, are aimed primarily at "growth economies" and are compatible with generic Android apps, but also run a range of Nokia and Microsoft apps and services.
At a pre-MWC press conference, Microsoft announced that it is expanding the range of hardware supported by Windows Phone, with a focus on low cost, high volume devices. The most significant addition is that of support for the Snapdragon 200 (8x10 and 8x12) SoC, which will enable the creation of a new generation of low end Windows Phone devices, but other highlights include the introduction of dual-SIM support and improved external memory (microSD) support.
Microsoft has announced that it is now working with nine new Windows Phone 8 hardware partners as it seeks to "scale the platform" to higher volumes. The new partners include industry heavyweights LG, ZTE, Lenovo, and Foxconn, plus a number of smaller OEMs in the form of Gionee, JSR, Karbonn, Lava (Xolo), and Longcheer.
The Nokia Lumia Icon, a much previewed Windows Phone 8 device, was today officially announced by Nokia and exclusive operator partner Verizon. The device, a follow on to the Lumia 928, has a five inch, 1080p resolution, AMOLED screen and a focus on media capture with a 20-megapixel PureView branded camera with Carl Zeiss optics, LED flash, and quad omnidirectional microphones.
At the National Retail Federation (NRF) Annual Convention and Expo, Microsoft is showcasing a range of technologies aimed at helping retailers create digital platforms for their businesses (e.g. fulfillment systems, management of data flow and consumer insights, and more). On public show for the first time is the next generation of line-of-business geared mobile devices powered by Windows Embedded 8 Handheld, which is based on the Windows Phone 8 platform.
In what may be an accidental unveiling a page for the Nokia Lumia Icon, a new Windows Phone with a 5 inch and 1080p resolution screen, has appeared on Verizon's website. The device, which is understood to be exclusive to the US operator, is a follow on device to the Lumia 928 and, based on the available information, is essentially a smaller screen version of the Lumia 1520.
