Top 10: Windows Phone 7 Apps

Windows Phone 7 might be the underdog of mobile operating systems, but it holds a special place in our heart thanks to its minimalist Metro user interface and silky smooth operating system. With the latest Mango update adding hundreds of tweaks including Twitter integration, and new phones from the likes of Nokia and HTC giving Android a serious run for its money, there’s never been a better reason to switch. If you’ve just bought a WP7 handset, or are thinking of getting one, make sure you download our top ten apps from the Marketplace.

10. Network Dashboard

If you frequently find yourself running out of battery, you’ll want to disable features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G. Unlike the Quick Settings option in Android, WP7 users normally have to scroll through the settings menu looking for the right options - Network Dashboard adds a set of stylish tiles to the home screen that will take you straight there. It’s also completely free, so there’s no reason not to have these handy tiles just a swipe away.

A quick toggle for Bluetooth should be handy if you use a hands-free kit

9. SimpiRSS

Google’s Reader web app is fantastic for keeping track of all your favourite websites, but its mobile interface on WP7 leaves a lot to be desired. SimpiRSS mimics Microsoft’s Metro user interface, so it feels like a first-party application. Sign in with your Google account and you’ll instantly be able to read all your RSS subscriptions right away, but unlike other apps you can also add extra subscriptions manually. The free version is ad-supported, and the paid-for version costs £1.49.

Some top wp7 apps intruduction

Guys who have got a new Windows Phone 7 phone may eagerly need to fill it with some top popular Windows Phone 7 apps. It is said over 45,000 apps available for the Microsoft platform, but what are the best ones to get for your smartphone. 

It's just my suggestion for you wp7 phone, you can choose what you like.

1 Facebook

now it's social life ,every body is on facebook, you get contact details, status updates and photos from friends.

2 Spotify

Need to take music on your pocket，Spotify can't be a better choice any more.The music app for the music generation, the Spotify app for Windows Phone 7 is free, although you will need a premium subscription for it to work (£10 a month).

Samsung Omnia M preview: a copycat version of Omnia 7 with Mango

South Korean firm Samsung has announced a new Windows Phone handset for the potential customers in Europe. Dubbed the Omnia M, the new handset is really a copycat of its 2010 Windows Phone handset, the Omnia 7. The new version of Windows Phone 7.5 Mango and integration of various Microsoft-powered multimedia features like Music Hub, SmartDJ, Windows Live SkyDrive and Xbox Live are the notable features of the new gadget from Samsung. The Omnia M will be available in European markets before all other markets.

Samsung Omnia M tech specs
Form factor: Compared to Omnia 7, the new version of Omnia comes with a thinner and lightweight form factor. The newly announced handset touts 10.5mm thin body and a weight of just 119 grams. It is when its predecessor has a slightly thicker 11mm body and 138.2 gram heavier form factor. By design, the Omnia M has a small and cute design and it has simply copycatted the Omnia 7.

Display and OS: The Omnia M sports a 4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels at 233ppi. It is just the repetition of its predecessor, the Omnia 7. When it comes to the operating system, the new version features the latest Windows Phone 7.5 Mango.

CPU, RAM and storage: Being a midrange Windows Phone handset, the Omnia M mounts a single core 1GHz CPU and 384MB of RAM. Samsung hasn’t specified the exact processor and GPU of the handset. Meanwhile, the Omnia 7 has 1GHz Scorpion Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon CPU and Adreno 200 GPU.

Unfortunately, the Omnia M has only 4GB of internal memory. It is when Omnia 7 has two better memory options; 8GB and 16GB. Both devices don’t have microSD slots for additional memory.

                       

Camera: The Omnia M will come with a 5-megapixel rear camera with 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging and image stabilization. You can capture video at VGA quality using the device, which also sports a VGA camera for making video calls.

Samsung Focus 2 review

Ready for Samsung's latest entrant to the Windows Phone game? Hopefully you answered "yes," because we're about to take you through an in-depth look at such a device: the Focus 2. Around the time that we United States-based Engadgeteers were lusting over Nokia's Lumia 800 and getting to know the HTC Titan, Samsung introduced its Focus S and lower-tiered Focus Flash WP7.5 handsets. Redmond's hardware restrictions haven't exactly changed much since then, begging the question as to how the Focus 2 fits in as a late follow-up to the original Focus from back in 2010. The bulk of the answer, of course, is LTE. This handset is the only other Windows Phone aside from the Lumia 900 and HTC Titan II to feature such connectivity on Ma Bell's network. That, and it's priced at just $50 dollars on a two-year commitment. Is it a veritable steal like the Focus Flash proved to be, though? Join us past the break where we'll lay it all out.

No more apps unless you have Windows Phone 7.5, says Microsoft

Microsoft has pulled the plug. Any user who hasn't upgraded to Windows Phone 7.5 can no longer download or update apps from the app store. If you haven't upgraded yet, we'll tell you how to do it.

If you’re running the old version of WP7, you are going to have to upgrade or lose the ability to download apps. Starting yesterday, only Windows Phones running version 7.5 and up can download, buy, update, or review apps in the Marketplace — Microsoft’s name for its app store, according to an official Windows blog. Those who try to access the Marketplace while running Windows Phone 7.0 should already be getting error messages. We feel for you, but you really should upgrade. Windows Phone 7.5 is free and available for every Windows Phone. It has a ton of improvements from the original version. 

How to get Windows Phone 7.5

To upgrade, you should be able to simply plug your phone into your computer via USB. If it doesn’t automatically prompt you to download software, here are links to download the Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac or the Zune software for PC. The software is pretty helpful for organizing pictures, music, videos, and podcasts, but will also update your phone for you. Just click on the Update button if it doesn’t automatically prompt you.

To check if you have Windows Phone 7.5 already, just head to the Settings menu on your phone, then go to About and click the “More info” button. It will say what operating system you are running. 

Part of a larger vision?

Microsoft appears to be making some big changes to its Marketplace and the way it serves apps. According to a blog post in April, Microsoft has removed Marketplace access from the Zune software completely and is instead focusing its efforts on the Web and on-phone versions of the store.

The complete demise of the Zune brand and service have been around for a while. In February, a particularly interesting rumor floated that Microsoft may turn its Zune service into a Spotify-like offering, rebranded with the Xbox name. If Microsoft does have big plans for a new service, we imagine that it may debut around E3 or later this year when Windows 8 is close to launching.

Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/

App error prompts Windows Phone 7.5 update

If you’re the user of a Windows Phone device then we have some important news for you today as yesterday some changes were made to the Marketplace for apps. This means that your phone will need to be running Windows Phone 7.5 from now on to access the Marketplace so that if your device is using an earlier OS version you’ll be unable to download, purchase or review apps.


Many of you with Windows Phone devices will already be running WP 7.5 that arrived last fall and so you won’t notice any changes at all. Nevertheless there may be some users who will still be running earlier software and may be slightly baffled that when they try to access the Marketplace they will come across an error message if they try to download a new app, or also update an existing app.

The changes apply to the phone and also the web Marketplace storefronts and will be implemented over the next couple of days so even if you don’t hit problems now, you soon will if your device is not running WP7.5. It’s simple to update to Windows Phone 7.5 if you need to, so if necessary you can check out how to prepare for the update and see step-by-step instructions here. You’ll need to connect your phone to your computer with a USB cable and then simply follow the Zune software or Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac directions.

As the Windows Phone Blog points out, even if you don’t use apps and don’t visit the Marketplace the update to the Windows Phone 7.5 OS has plenty of advantages with hundreds of improvements made. If you want some idea of the enhancements then check outthis page that shows what’s new in WP7.5. If you’re not sure what OS your device is currently running then head to Start and flick left to the App list. Then tap on Settings >About> More Info to find out.

Have you found the error message when trying to access the Marketplace? If you install the Windows Phone 7.5 update let us know if all goes smoothly and if you can now use the Marketplace again by sending your comments.

From:http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/

Windows Phone is great, so why aren't more people buying them?

Summary: Lately, I have been using the HTC One X, One S, and Samsung Galaxy Note. These devices have fantastic hardware specifications and they overwhelmed me a bit so I was having second thoughts about my HTC Radar 4G and the Windows Phone platform. I then listened to Joshua Topolsky on The Vergecast and read a [...]

Lately, I have been using the HTC One X, One S, and Samsung Galaxy Note. These devices have fantastic hardware specifications and they overwhelmed me a bit so I was having second thoughts about my HTC Radar 4G and the Windows Phone platform. I then listened to Joshua Topolsky on The Vergecast and read a few articles online questioning the long term success of Windows Phone and asking if Microsoft should just give up on the smartphone market. I thus felt the need to put together another pro-Windows Phone blog post after putting my SIM back into my HTC Radar 4G and realizing Windows Phone really is my preferred smartphone platform and I can’t help but believe it truly is the third viable modern platform.

The Verge Lumia 900 review and Windows Phone software

I see there are over 2500 comments on Joshua’s Nokia Lumia 900 review and it is clear that there are some passionate smartphone users out there. I found the review to be very well written and Joshua was clear that the design of the Lumia 900 is fantastic. Great design definitely has a place in the smartphone market.

I completely agree with Joshua that Nokia dropped the ball with the camera on the Lumia 900. They had the opportunity to blow us away with a high quality camera, but it looks like HTC beat Nokia with their Titan II camera in a game that Nokia should have won easily.

Visual Studio 11 Express For Windows Phone Coming Along With WP8 Launch

Microsoft’s Visual Studio team yesterday announced the product lineup for their upcoming major release Visual Studio 11. Visual Studio 11  Beta is already available for download, but Windows Phone developers were waiting for Windows Phone tool support in Visual Studio 11 Beta. Now Microsoft has announced that to make sure customers have the latest tools with the latest platform offering they’ll be releasing Visual Studio Express for Windows Phone with the next release of Windows Phone.

So, developers will be able to download Visual Studio 11 Express for Windows Phone along with Windows Phone 8 platform release. We guess that will happen next month during Windows Phone developer event organized by Microsoft. For now, developers should be able to free download the Visual Studi0 2010 Express and the Windows Phone 7.5 developer tools for Windows Phone development.

From:http://blogs.msdn.com

Best WP7 Apps Charts: Best of The Best

Best of The Best: this chart contains the top seller WP7 apps that also have received great reviews on the Windows Phone 7 App Marketplace. This is the top notch of what is available on the WP7 App marketplace today, you can’t miss any of these apps. Here are 40 top WP7 apps today.

To get our charts directly on your phone, manage your wishlist and have access to more apps in the chart, check out our WP7 application.

Check out more Best WP7 Apps Charts for your Windows Phone 7:

LG backs off Windows Phone for now, report says

Computerworld - Smartphone-maker LG Electronics has backed off producing Windows Phone devices for now and will instead focus on Android phones, according to a report.

The Korea Herald reported Monday that LG, based in Seoul, South Korea, will take a step back from the Windows Phone platform, though it intends to "continue research and development efforts" on the Microsoft operating system.

LG currently makes the Optimus 7 based on Windows Phone 7 and other WP7 handsets.

LG has noted that Windows Phone 7-based devices hold less than 2% of the global smartphone market, according to multiple market analysts.

AT&T mobile chief: Windows 8 can boost Windows Phone

Summary: Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T Mobility, sees a possible Windows 8-Windows Phone juggernaut.

The launch of Nokia’s Lumia 900 on AT&T’s network has exceeded expectations and momentum for Windows Phone is likely to build when Windows 8 launches, according to Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T Mobility.

I am really pleased with what I am seeing out of Microsoft and Nokia coming out with their first product. The operating system works really well. It is simple, it is easy to use, it is intuitive.

The reception to the Lumia launch has actually exceeded our expectations. So we think there is a very good chance that Microsoft will have a very good OS that will be right in there with iOS and Android.

When they come out with Windows 8 in the fourth quarter, I think it will actually add to the value that that OS brings to the marketplace, in that that will be the first time that you can truly have a similar experience on your PC, on your tablet, and on your smartphone from soft Microsoft. From what I have seen and the previews that I have been given, I think it is going to be exceptionally good. I am very upbeat in what they are bringing to the market.

De la Vega’s comments come as analysts are starting to pooh-pooh the Windows 8 launch. Microsoft’s Windows 8 launch will be a key inflection point for the company. If Windows 8 stumbles, Microsoft will struggle with its tablet plans and the Metro interface may hamper Windows Phone too. On the other side of the equation, Windows 8 and its new interface could be a hit and provide Microsoft with its own halo effect.

Place your bets because no one knows how Windows 8—and its effect on Windows Phone—will fare until the fourth quarter.

from:zdnet.com

Nokia Lumia 900 review in the eye of Leawo

Nokia’s Lumia 900 is bigger than the original 800 – but that’s not necessarily better says Matt Warman.

Nokia’s Lumia 800 mobile phone is a beautiful piece of industrial design, matched with the excellent new Windows Phone 7 software. There’s a certain injustice that it is not selling better – Microsoft’s global phone market share is now down to less than 2 per cent.

The new Lumia 900 is a bigger, very similar device, looking almost identical but adding a substantially larger, 4.3” screen and a front-facing camera.

That means, in a sense, that reading a review of the Lumia 800 and then asking yourself if you want a phone with a slightly bigger display should be enough. That added camera is useful but unlikely to be essential; the larger model incorporates a proportionally bigger battery, but the Lumia 800 battery was fine enough to last the whole day anyway, after software was updated by Nokia.

Indeed, the Lumia 900 is basically just a bigger version of its 3.7” sibling – but there are a couple of downsides. The curving corners of the glass on the 800’s excellent screen are replaced here by sharper angles – where the 800 looked like a single unit, now the 900 looks like a phone set in a plastic case. It’s a minor detail, but an important design point.

Nokia 808 PureView camerphone won't sell for Rs. 29,999 in India

Nokia has said that its 808 PureView camerphone will not be priced at Rs. 29,999, after various media reports pointed out the price of the device mentioned in the “source code” of Nokia 808 PureView page. Nokia adds that the price mentioned in “source code” is a dummy pricing meant for its designers and the actual price of the device will be announced at the official launch.

According to reports, forthcoming Nokia 808 PureView camera phone will be priced more than Rs. 29,999. The device, which went for pre-order in Italy last month, was priced at Rs. EUR 599, which is roughly Rs. 40,000. The PureView is likely to be launched in India later this month.

The 808 PureView cameraphone was first unveiled at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) earlier this year. The Nokia 808 PureView features an extra-large 41MP sensor, along with high-performance Carl Zeiss optics and new pixel oversampling technology. Along with a maximum image resolution of 38MP, the Nokia 808 PureView’s camera sensor condenses 7 adjacent pixels into one, downsizing it to an extra-sharp and light-sensitive 5MP or 8MP image. Max image quality at 4:3 aspect is 38 MP, while at 16:9 aspect is 34 MP.

Other specifications are - single-core 1.3GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 16GB built-in storage, USB-on-the-Go, Bluetooth 3.0, HSDPA 14.4Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps, Wi-Fi N with DLNA, GPS and A-GPS, stereo FM radio, and even NFC connectivity. To know more about the new Nokia 808 PureView , read our previous coverage.


Reprint from: thinkdigit

Microsoft cuts pre-Mango holdouts, Zune desktop software off from WP7 app purchases

    Microsoft's Windows Phone team is making a few changes to how users are able to acquire apps on their devices but luckily, they probably won't affect most of you. Starting today, users can no longer get apps from the Zune desktop software (the app store will remain for the Zune HD, as shown above), so they'll need to browse via the website or directly on their phones, which Microsoft says the majority of users were already doing. The other change is that in the next few weeks, any users who have not upgraded their handsets to Windows Phone 7.5 Mango will no longer be able to download, update or review apps. Since the update is available for all Windows Phones (Android, we're mostly talking about you) this shouldn't be too much of a problem, and any laggards will regain their access after upgrading.

   On a final note, the developer blog mentions the software needed for hardware partners to create phones for Bahrain, Israel, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, UAE and Vietnam and that there will be more news on these storefronts "in the weeks ahead." With these moves, the squad has culled any reason to open a heavy memory hungry desktop program just to install some new apps from a PC (iTunes, we're completely talking about you) and devs can write off supporting users still running on old platforms guilt-free. All that in one day? We bet they didn't even have to use their AK -- those old zune:// links however, will be missed.

Reprint from:http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/24/microsoft-cuts-pre-mango-holdouts-zune-desktop-software-off-fro/

Will Windows Phone 7 Devices Get Apollo Our Thoughts?

There has been a huge debate lately on the possibility of current generation devices for Windows Phone receiving and updating to the Windows Phone 8 OS, aka Apollo. Without a peep from Microsoft about this issue, speculation has run rampant after Paul Thurrott vehemently stated via a “source” that no current generation devices would be capable of accepting the new Apollo version due to hardware limitations.

It’s a rather touchy subject, specially since we are half a year away from the unveiling of WP8, and if Thurrott’s claims hold true, thousands of new Lumia 900 owners, many new to the ecosystem, could be left with outdated hardware just months into their new contracts.

With that, our Zunited team has gathered here to share their opinions on the matter, discuss the ramifications of leaving current generation devices stuck on WP7 and the possibility that some or all devices will get the new updated OS.

Josh Martin – So what I think with this whole debacle is that current gen Windows Phone devices (excluding Lumia 800/900) will get the Tango update which will bring performance improvements, as well as limited added features. I’m guessing each OEM will do a refresh of a firmware on top of that to compliment it and then development will stop there (which is fair in my opinion).

Lumia 900 will get the update in my opinion because they have the horsepower to run the type of things that Apollo is claiming to bring. They obviously don’t support NFC or things like that, but otherwise, they will become the new basic standard for future Windows Phone devices.