Windows Phone 7 - Devices
Windows Phone 7 - Phone facts & rumors
The list of known Windows Phone 7 devices is still fairly short, but this is a compilation of the known devices, and a bit of rumors regarding what might be to come.
When revealing Windows Phone 7(WP7), Microsoft also listed the partners that they would be working with to supply the hardware. The selected partners are Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC, HP, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm.
Dell
So far Dell hasn't confirmed any devices, but a leak in late April made the world aware of a handset referred to by Dell as Lightning.
Lightning's specs are as follows:
- 4.1 inch OLED screen
- 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor(QSD 8250)
- Portrait slider form factor
- 5 Megapixel camera
- 1GB of flash, 512MB ram and 8GB storage on a micro SD card
- GPS
- Accelerometer
- Compass
- FM Radio
- Ambient light sensor
- WLAN 802.11b/g/n
- Bluetooth
- Micro USB 2.0
- 1400 mAh battery
- Full Flash support
For a render of the handset, please see the picture below.
Dell - Lightning(click picture for large version)
For more information about the Dell leak, see Engadget.
Garmin-Asus
During the presentations at MIX10 we got to see a lot of the Garmin-Asus prototype device for Windows Phone 7. So far there isn't a lot of info available regarding it specs, or anything else for that matter. There is a lot of rumors regarding this prototype though.
One of the rumors being that Microsoft and Asus were in fact working on a Microsoft Phone, a device branded with Microsoft's name but produced by Asus. Maybe this wasn't the device we got to see at MIX10, but it was said that Asus and Microsoft had been working together to reach this goal for some time, and maybe this is why we got to see the Ausus prototype used as the demo device used at MIX10 as it surely would have been one of the most tested units by then.
Another rumor says that the Asus phone has run in to severe problems, that the development has been halted and that the device release will be delayed from Q4 2010 to some time in 2011. A part of this rumor also states that it is not only hardware based, but in fact due to the software as well and hence would affect all planned WP7 devices. This rumor appeared only three days after the MIX10 presentation where Steve Ballmer stated that Windows Phone 7 would be released for holiday season 2010.
Next gen Asus WP7 devices
During the Windows Phone 7 Developer Hub in Stockholm we found out that the Asus device is named Galaxy, and that it was indeed the first Windows Phone 7 prototype designed in colaboration between Asus and Microsoft. It was said that this this is just the first prototype, and that the devices being produced by Asus now looks very different in that they are much more slender and improved upon compared to the Galaxy.
HTC
Microsoft and HTC has been partners for a long time and produced nice devices such as the mighty HD2, so it's no surprise that HTC CEO Peter Chou confirmed that there is indeed a WP7 device scheduled for release in late 2010. To date no specs have been released for this handset so we will just have to wait and see if it can impress as much as the HD2 did.
Mondrian
A WP7 ROM has been leaked and that ROM was built for a device called HTC Mondrian. So most likely HTC's first WP7 device is named Mondrian. So far no official information is available, but the information in the ROM suggests it will have a 1.3GHz QSD8650A/B Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm and a 4.3-inch WVGA (480x800) display made by Optrex.
Other HTC devices
Recently a whole lot of rumors regarding HTC devices has surfaced. Reportedly HTC is developing five or more different WP7 devices, and most of them have been already dedicated for different carriers over the world. No hardware specs have surfaced so far unfortunately. The names of the devices are HTC Spark_W, HTC Gold_W and HTC Shubert. The "W" in those names stands for world phone and means that they will be equipped with dual-mode CDMA and GSM radios.
Mozart
In June there was a roadmap leaked from Australian carrier Telestra, in it is mentioned another previously unknown device form HTC called Mozart. The device had a picture as well but it was just a mockup sadly, and not a real device.
The latest information says that the HTC Mozart and the HTC Shubert are in fact the same phone, they are just going to be shipped by different carriers. In the very same spirit, it's also possible that the HTC Mondrian, HTC Gold and the HTC Spark are the very same handset, just aimed at different carriers/markets.
HTC HD2 upgrade to Windows Phone 7
Unfortunately Microsoft has revealed that there will be no upgrade of the HD2 to WP7, this was stated by Natascha Kwan, Microsoft's General Manager for Mobile Communications Business for Asia-Pacific.
There are speculations as to weather it's the fact that it hasn't got the, by Microsoft defined as a must, three WP7 buttons that disqualifies the handset for an upgrade or if it is some hardware inside that is missing (speculations about some graphics chip needed). Whatever the reason it's a shame on such a nice phone.
For those willing to install third party hacks on their phones there are a few projects ongoing to port the Windows Phone 7 experience to older Windows Mobile OS'es. If you are interested you can check out Jaxbot's Windows Phone 7 theme at xda-developers. For a peek at how it looks, check out the vid below.
LG
The second WP7 device to surface was an LG device named Panther and this was shown during MIX10. It is also most likely going to be the device that Microsoft is going to hand out to developers when that time comes around (most likely during July -10 according to info from TechEd and Windows Phone 7 Developer Hub in Stockholm). The device has already been floating about and had it's fair share of reviews.
I got some hands on with this device and the latest WP7 build in Stockholm during the Windows Phone 7 Developer Hub and this is what I thought about it:
Samsung
At MIX10 a Samsung device was demoed running Windows Phone 7, looking a lot like the Samsung Omnia HD.
Afterwards it was confirmed by a Samsung rep that the phone indeed was a modified Omnia HD. The phone had been tweaked by Microsoft engineers and customized to follow more of the WP7 hardware requirements. So this is most likely not how the planned Samsung WP7 device will look.
It is rumored that Samsung is developing up to four Windows Phone 7 device, some of them with their new Super AMOLED screen. The rumors states Samsung will have these planned for release as early as during June/July -2010, but question is if Microsoft will have finished up the OS by then.
More to follow...
One of the rumors being that Microsoft and Asus were in fact working on a Microsoft Phone, a device branded with Microsoft's name but produced by Asus. Maybe this wasn't the device we got to see at MIX10, but it was said that Asus and Microsoft had been working together to reach this goal for some time, and maybe this is why we got to see the Ausus prototype used as the demo device used at MIX10 as it surely would have been one of the most tested units by then.
Another rumor says that the Asus phone has run in to severe problems, that the development has been halted and that the device release will be delayed from Q4 2010 to some time in 2011. A part of this rumor also states that it is not only hardware based, but in fact due to the software as well and hence would affect all planned WP7 devices. This rumor appeared only three days after the MIX10 presentation where Steve Ballmer stated that Windows Phone 7 would be released for holiday season 2010.
Next gen Asus WP7 devices
During the Windows Phone 7 Developer Hub in Stockholm we found out that the Asus device is named Galaxy, and that it was indeed the first Windows Phone 7 prototype designed in colaboration between Asus and Microsoft. It was said that this this is just the first prototype, and that the devices being produced by Asus now looks very different in that they are much more slender and improved upon compared to the Galaxy.
Garmin-Asus - Prototype phone(click picture for large version)
HTC
Microsoft and HTC has been partners for a long time and produced nice devices such as the mighty HD2, so it's no surprise that HTC CEO Peter Chou confirmed that there is indeed a WP7 device scheduled for release in late 2010. To date no specs have been released for this handset so we will just have to wait and see if it can impress as much as the HD2 did.
Mondrian
A WP7 ROM has been leaked and that ROM was built for a device called HTC Mondrian. So most likely HTC's first WP7 device is named Mondrian. So far no official information is available, but the information in the ROM suggests it will have a 1.3GHz QSD8650A/B Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm and a 4.3-inch WVGA (480x800) display made by Optrex.
Other HTC devices
Recently a whole lot of rumors regarding HTC devices has surfaced. Reportedly HTC is developing five or more different WP7 devices, and most of them have been already dedicated for different carriers over the world. No hardware specs have surfaced so far unfortunately. The names of the devices are HTC Spark_W, HTC Gold_W and HTC Shubert. The "W" in those names stands for world phone and means that they will be equipped with dual-mode CDMA and GSM radios.
Mozart
In June there was a roadmap leaked from Australian carrier Telestra, in it is mentioned another previously unknown device form HTC called Mozart. The device had a picture as well but it was just a mockup sadly, and not a real device.
The latest information says that the HTC Mozart and the HTC Shubert are in fact the same phone, they are just going to be shipped by different carriers. In the very same spirit, it's also possible that the HTC Mondrian, HTC Gold and the HTC Spark are the very same handset, just aimed at different carriers/markets.
HTC HD2 upgrade to Windows Phone 7
Unfortunately Microsoft has revealed that there will be no upgrade of the HD2 to WP7, this was stated by Natascha Kwan, Microsoft's General Manager for Mobile Communications Business for Asia-Pacific.
HTC HD2 phone(click picture for large version)
There are speculations as to weather it's the fact that it hasn't got the, by Microsoft defined as a must, three WP7 buttons that disqualifies the handset for an upgrade or if it is some hardware inside that is missing (speculations about some graphics chip needed). Whatever the reason it's a shame on such a nice phone.
For those willing to install third party hacks on their phones there are a few projects ongoing to port the Windows Phone 7 experience to older Windows Mobile OS'es. If you are interested you can check out Jaxbot's Windows Phone 7 theme at xda-developers. For a peek at how it looks, check out the vid below.
LG
The second WP7 device to surface was an LG device named Panther and this was shown during MIX10. It is also most likely going to be the device that Microsoft is going to hand out to developers when that time comes around (most likely during July -10 according to info from TechEd and Windows Phone 7 Developer Hub in Stockholm). The device has already been floating about and had it's fair share of reviews.
I got some hands on with this device and the latest WP7 build in Stockholm during the Windows Phone 7 Developer Hub and this is what I thought about it:
- The device it self feels pretty solid but there is still a plastic vibe there that they need to chip away before release.
- The slider keyboard is actually much nicer than I had originally thought.
- The keyboard felt easy to use and enter text on.
- The slide out mechanism was distinct and felt good.
- The OS felt responsive and quite complete, I was honestly expecting a less finished feel.
Samsung
At MIX10 a Samsung device was demoed running Windows Phone 7, looking a lot like the Samsung Omnia HD.
Samsung WP7 device next to Omnia HD(click picture for large version)
Afterwards it was confirmed by a Samsung rep that the phone indeed was a modified Omnia HD. The phone had been tweaked by Microsoft engineers and customized to follow more of the WP7 hardware requirements. So this is most likely not how the planned Samsung WP7 device will look.
It is rumored that Samsung is developing up to four Windows Phone 7 device, some of them with their new Super AMOLED screen. The rumors states Samsung will have these planned for release as early as during June/July -2010, but question is if Microsoft will have finished up the OS by then.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
