Omio News Blog

LG ‘Still On Board’ With Windows Phone 7, Will Focus On Android Devices

Flying in the face of recent speculation that the Korean manufacturer would be turning its back on the Windows Phone 7 operating system, LG has spoken out to the contrary with Pocket-Lint.

“None of it is true. Korea Herald is showing its speculative side again,” said an LG spokesperson to the site.

“We are still on board with Windows Phone, but right now, we’re focusing on Android because that’s where the demand is.” Can’t argue with that rationale, especially with the closeness (and subsequent success) between Finnish phone maker Nokia and Microsoft’s mobile platform with its Lumia range of devices.

In stark contrast, the LG Optimus 7 failed to stand out amidst a crowded Windows Phone launch in Q4 2010, releasing few devices since that have run on the fledgling OS.

Rather than scrapping their Windows Phone…phones, LG state that they will still be bringing out handsets on a range of platforms:

“Regardless of which OS, LG is committed to offering consumers as wide a choice as possible.”

With recent handsets – including an attractive reboot of the LG Prada handset – not quite garnering the traction expected, their mobile division posted a 14% drop in year-on-year revenues whilst the company as a whole turned a profit for the first quarter of 2012.

Samsung Announce Windows Phone 8 ‘Apollo’ Handset, Should Nokia Be Nervous?

Samsung have confirmed that a Windows Phone 8 ‘Apollo’ handset is in the pipeline and set for release later in the year.  The Korean manufacturers have previously dallied with Microsoft’s OS.  The Omnia W and Omnia 7 were previously made for Windows Phone 7.

Samsung have had a fruitful relationship with Google’s Android OS, that has brought us the current (still) UK number 1 handset: the Samsung Galaxy S2.  Samsung are clearly married to Google’s OS but they are clearly not afraid to taste a bit of Metro UI on the side.

Recent analysis has shown Samsung eating into Nokia’s sales, so Samsung’s and also HTC’s modest, yet continued support for Microsoft could make the beleaguered Finns uneasy.  Analyst Ian Fogg of IHS highlighted the precarious position that Nokia was in, as Samsung threatened its standing as the world’s number one phone manufacturer.  Nokia meanwhile, are still occupied by the release of the new Nokia Lumia 900 handset, so will probably hold back for a while before lifting the lid on future Windows Phone 8 models.

Nothing other than the mysterious Samsung handset’s existence has been confirmed, but with Windows Phone 8 development keeping Redmond’s UI workers busy until its release in the autumn, the rumor mill is pointing towards a possible launch release in October at the earliest.  We will post with any more details as and when they become available, but on our wishlist is definitely multi-core for premium app support, as well as a vastly improved resolution from the standard 800×480 available to Windows Phone 7.

Could it be that the sharks are circling for Nokia already?  Or will a multi-manufacturer melee spur on healthy competition in the market.  Either way, Microsoft will be happy for Samsung’s continued support of its OS, whose survival will be made or broken on the volume of users.

Samsung To Topple Nokia As World’s No.1 Mobile Manufacturer?

Independent polls conducted by Reuters and Bloomberg have analysts pegging Korean manufacturer Samsung to have outsold Nokia in the mobile phone stakes for the first time, ever.

With Reuters reporting predictions of 88 million mobile sales for Samsung (92 million according to Bloomberg) versus 83 million for the ailing Finnish phone maker in the first quarter of 2012, it shows that the volume of feature phone sales in the developing world – a sector that has buoyed Nokia for 14 years – has been seriously eroded.

A recent ‘disappointing’ first quarter performance for the company according to CEO Elop – including a 50% drop in smartphone sales compared to Q1 2011 – saw 15% wiped off Nokia’s share price before the end of trading.

“After 14 years as the largest global mobile phone maker, getting knocked off the top spot will come as a bitter blow to Nokia,” said Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight.

With the Samsung Galaxy S2 soon to have stayed the UK’s most popular mobile phone for a whopping 12 months according to uSwitch’s Mobile Tracker, the Korean handset maker has managed to leverage the Android mobile platform to create a range of highly successful devices at a variety of price points.

Quarterly earnings for Samsung to be revealed on April 27th look certain to confirm this.

However, with a continued focus on Windows Phone and early Lumia 900 sales looking strong Stateside, Nokia seem to be on the right track towards alleviating the situation.

However, the competition is simply performing far better. Nokia’s priority moving forward is likely to be keeping up with the mobile Joneses, rather than regaining the smartphone crown…

Nokia Lumia 900′s Bumpy Launch: Early Adopters Benefit, For A Change

Nokia’s big US launch of the Lumia 900, its $99 flagship smartphone, has been embarrassingly setback by a software glitch that has affected data transmission.  However in a remarkable move, Nokia have offered early adopters a $100 rebate off their next bill, effectively meaning that customers will be $1 better off for taking up the handset.

It’s been a rollercoaster of a week for Nokia.  First weekend sales in the US of the aggressively priced flagship Windows Phone handset were promising, topping the Amazon sales charts despite some mixed reviews.  Critics praised the familiar design, essentially an XL version of the Lumia 800, built around a large ClearBlack 4.3” AMOLED touchscreen, and the addition of 4G LTE data speeds.  The addition of a front facing for video calls and Skype was also welcomed, this being a notable omission from its predecessor.  However they did note a lack of multi-core processor, and relatively low screen resolution, in comparison with its major competitors.  Despite this, customers showed that their priorities lay with their wallets and snatched up the handset on-contract for a mere $99.

The celebrations were short lived however, as reports started to emerge of a significant bug in the handset causing loss of data connectivity. Nokia were swift to offer an explanation of the fault on their blog yesterday, offering either a downloadable software patch on the 16^th April or an immediate in-store exchange for an updated handset.  In a bold and clearly costly move, they have offered $100 credit to each person who buys the phone between its release and the 21^st April, effectively paying customers $1 to take up their phone on contract.  One dollar may barely get you a free lunch, or even a cheap app, but the principle stands.

It’s yet to be seen how this swift manoeuvre will sit with customers.  Will they smell desperation and run a mile, or will this give them an additional sales boost? As a third place runner behind Apple’s and Google’s Android, the key to long-term success for Nokia and Microsoft is to boost the Windows Phone ecosystem.  Any significant rise in user numbers will be supported by increased app purchase and in turn, further developer support.  Nokia’s decisive response is in stark contrast with the silence and denials from Apple over launch bugs on previous iPhone releases, so we wait to see whether Nokia have managed to pull a last-minute save with this move.

The Nokia Lumia 900 is available for pre-order now in the UK, and set for a 27^th April release date, by which time the UK handsets won’t be affected by the software glitch. The Lumia 900 is currently being offered from free on a two year contract via Phones 4u.

Check Omio’s deals page for a full list of tarriffs and offers.

Orange To Range New Nokia Lumia 610, First NFC-Enabled Windows Phone

Finnish manufacturer Nokia has just announced a new version of their Lumia 610 smartphone, giving it the honour of being the first Windows Phone 7 device to boast Near Field Communication capabilities.

The product of baking in third party gubbins from both the hardware and software side – NFC doesn’t play nicely with WP7 at present - the Lumia 610 NFC is certified for both Mastercard and Visa’s contactless payment solutions, dubbed PayPass and payWave respectively.

It isn’t only financial transactions that NFC is good for, with the Nokia Lumia 610 just as easily able to hook up with a new breed compatible accessories in a manner not entirely dissimilar to Bluetooth connectivity.

Already showing interest in a card-free future with their ‘Quick Tap’ payment service on selected mobiles in the UK, fruity phone network Orange/France Telecom seems eager to range the NFC-enabled Lumia 610 for an early third quarter release.

Given the affordable nature of the Lumia 610 at present, this seems like a strong device to get the younger demographic in the habit of tapping in and out for more than just Tube journeys in future…

Source: Nokia Conversations

Nokia’s Mobile World Congress Lineup Arrives Early?

We’re yet to even pack our socks and dongles for the trip to Barcelona for Mobile World Congress 2012, and already handset names are leaking out ahead of the annual phone symposium…

This time it’s the turn of Finnish phone maker Nokia, with PocketNow apparently grabbing a list of their runners and riders…and it seems an even operating system spread.

Two Windows Phone devices are touted in the form of the Nokia Lumia 900 going global and an entry-level Nokia Lumia 610, whilst S40 keeps the developing world turning with the Asha 202, Asha 203 and Asha 302.

Rounding out the list is apparently a full-touch reboot of the Symbian-powered Nokia N8, dubbed the 808 Pureview.

Whether truth or falsehood, we’ll not have long to wait…

Via Recombu, image via Mobile Choice

Nokia OS Gets Last Hurrah, Belle Update Lands On Symbian Smartphones

 Nokia’s Symbian operating system seems to be getting a last nip and tuck before being put out to pasture, with the latest ‘Belle’ update set to grace the Finnish manufacturer’s range of pre-Windows Phone blowers from today.

The Nokia N8, E7, E6, C6-01 and C7 will all be receiving the long awaited revamp, with updates to all manner of features including a notifications bar, customisable homescreens and improvements in navigation. See if your handset is compatible by clicking here.

Whilst some may argue that this is all ‘too little, too late’, it’s nice to see the Nokia old guard getting the respect they deserve before focus turns to supporting Microsoft’s mobile platform in earnest.

In related news, Nokia have also announced cuts of 4,000 staff across three manufacturing facilities and a move of their production processes to the Far East. With a protracted time to market a major factor in the above being ill-equipped to compete with an Android avalanche and Cupertino’s finest, a move towards agility is a smart one.

Source: uSwitch Mobiles

Nokia World 2011 – Nokia debuts new ‘Lumia’ series Windows Phones for November release

At the Nokia World 2011 conference yesterday, CEO Stephen Elop introduced the first fruits of their ‘strategic partnership’ with Microsoft.  The Nokia Lumia 800 and Nokia Lumia 710 are being heralded by the marketing blurb as the ‘first true Windows Phones’, (which presumably had executives at HTC and Samsung spraying their coffee over the boardroom table in shock). 

NOKIA LUMIA 800

First up is the Lumia 800, the flagship handset, and the one to drool over. Phonespotters and Nokia fanboys among you (yes, you over there in the corner) may find it somewhat familiar, as externally it looks pretty much identical to the Meego-running N9. It has the same highly engineered ‘unibody polycarbonate’ shell, looking similar to the last vertical iPod Nano, although with a 3.7” curved glass front and a fantastic ‘ClearBlack’ AMOLED screen running 800×480 pixels.

When it comes to the internal gubbins, the Lumia 800 is unlikely to win any games of Mobile Top Trumps. The processor is a qualcomm single core running at 1.4GHz, running 512MB of RAM, which won’t scare off drag-racers like Motorola Atrix or the Galaxy SII. This should be perfectly adequate for the resource-light Windows Phone 7.5 Mango operating system, (plus the iPhone 4S runs just fine on the same amount).  Storage is also somewhat disappointingly limited to 16GB, with no memory card slot, although users will be able to use 25GB of cloud storage with the Microsoft SkyDrive service. The Lumia 800 has removed the front facing camera of the N9 (not that anyone really uses them anyway) but it does pack a whopping 8MP camera at the back with Carl Zeiss optics and the (essential for shooting on nights out in Helsinki) good low light performance.

The handset will be released this November in the UK and Europe in three colours, black, cyan and magenta in the UK and Europe with a suggested price of around 420 Euro’s.

LUMIA 710

Playing the 800′s less attractive but no less powerful sibling, the ‘no nonsense’ (read affordable) Lumia 710 comes with the same 3.7” screen, 1.4GHz processor ad 512MB ram, and a smaller yet respectable 5MP camera with all the usual social network hook ups for image uploading. Users will however only have 8GB of unexpandable storage for music, video and images however, although Microsoft’s SkyDrive cloud storage is here aswell.

Whilst it lacks the smooth unibody appearance of the 800, the Lumia 710 is available in both black and white flavours, with the distinctly Nokia interchangeable back covers making a return in black, white, cyan, fuchsia and yellow.  Hello Kitty ones are probably being moulded in China as we speak, coming to a market stall near you.

The Lumia 710 will still have access to all of the same services such as Nokia Drive navigation, Nokia Music, a Spotify-esque service and also run a fully functional Internet Explorer 9. This handset is aimed at the fun young and price conscious market, and will bring Windows Phone functionality to a lower price point of 270 Euro’s.

Both Microsoft and Nokia are pinning a lot of hopes on this  initial lineup. Whilst Nokia were arguably the original smartphone manufacturers with classic handsets like the Nokia Communicator and the N95, the App-led (pardon the pun) ecosystems of Apple’s iOS and Google’s Andoid Marketplace have since left Nokia shivering at the bus-stop. In the year that we’ve had it, Microsoft haven’t managed to make a mark with their Windows Phone OS, outside of critical commendations, and whilst a few handsets are available at present, none really have the ‘wow factor’ or mass market appeal of a ‘killer handset’.

With Lumia, Nokia and Microsoft are making a two pronged invasion of the marketplace. The Lumia 800 is clearly targeting  phone fashionista’s and getting people talking about Nokia’s design skills again. The Lumia 710, whilst not as flash, is aggressively priced to give a much needed boost in numbers to the Windows Phone platform, which will live or die on the number of users in the marketplace.

No doubt anyone that remember Nokia’s domination of the mobile market, back when Snake was the pinnacle of mobile gaming, will be hoping that the Lumia range will be the first step to restoring some of their former glory.

Check back here for more info as we receive it, and on Omio’s deals page for and the best contract deals for the Lumia 800 and the Lumia 710.

Symbian Anna OS Shown Off In Slick Nokia Video

Still not sure that the Symbian Anna OS update will give the brand new Nokia E6 and Nokia X7 or your existing Nokia N8, C7, E7 or C6-01 handset shiny teeth and a glossy coat when it arrives in Q3?

Well, this impressive video courtesy of Nokia Australia might convince you otherwise.

From the new keyboard and updated Ovi Maps to the improved Ovi Store, this video takes you on a whistle-stop tour of the revamped operating system in just two minutes and twenty seven seconds.

Don’t worry if the music proves a tad familiar…it’s Adam and Joe’s Text The Nation remix! Gawd bless you, GarageBand.

Nokia X7 Now Available On Three: Symbian Smartphone Set To Supplant Nokia N8

The Nokia X7 is now available to purchase via the Three website, as the Finnish manufacturer’s stylish and striking device marks revitalised efforts to promote their beleaguered Symbian smartphone platform.

Now buffed up to a sheen as Symbian ‘Anna,’ the Nokia X7 also boasts a 4-inch AMOLED touchscreen, an 8-megapixel camera with a dual-LED flash and HD video recording, as well as Nokia Maps-powered GPS and turn-by-turn voice guidance.

“Not much that can’t be handled by a vanilla Android phone,” you may say. “True,” we may reply, but the Nokia X7 also comes equipped with 16GB of memory out of the gate as well as a futuristic and angular form, with speedier browsing and a new feel to the operating system.

Benefits from shacking up with the data-chomping network include a wi-fi hotspot app on the device called “3Spot,” enabling Three consumers to connect to laptops or other Wi-Fi enabled devices.

The sad news is that the refurbished Nokia N8 released back in October of last year may well be reaching the end of its days with Three, with the shiny new X7 said to take its place in their smartphone line-up moving forward.

Pricing sees the Nokia X7 available from just £30 or £35 per month on The One Plan with unlimited data and 5,000 texts, whilst the prepay option is a slightly more weighty £379.99.