Windows Phone 7

Though last month's CES offered plenty of mobile news, committed wireless watchers know that the annual Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona is the smartphone and tablet jackpot.

This year, the fun begins on February 27 with a full afternoon of press conferences coming the day before. And though a possible transit strike is threatening to muck up the logistics of an already logistically challenged event, we're already reveling in a flood of rumors as to what devices might make their debut. Yes, some of this gossip may not pan out, but you can bet that the four … Read more

A raspberry, pointing fingers, flowers, and a cat? Sometimes companies plant exciting clues in their press conference invitations. And other times, you're better off putting the puzzle out of your mind.

Of this I am certain: HTC is throwing a press conference the night before Mobile World Congress officially kicks off (February 26), and I'm going.

Thankfully, there are enough rumors and leaks to guess that one device we could be seeing is the HTC Edge, which could also be the world's first quad-core phone. We caught whiff of that one back in November.

There's also … Read more

Photos of a new Windows Phone, dubbed the LG Miracle, have been revealed by Pocketnow, and boy does it look...underwhelming.

Don't get me wrong, I have no qualms with either LG or Microsoft, and I'm always excited to hear about what new phones will be sporting the Windows Phone platform.

But seriously, if it weren't for that fake lens flare up at the top right, my eyes would have just glazed over the whole picture. It looks like every other (save for the Nokia Lumias) Windows Phone we've seen so far.

As far as the … Read more

Details are still sketchy on Nokia's Mobile World Congress plans, but there are a few more hints than when the company first made its intention to launch something known.

Nokia intends to introduce a minimum of one new high-end phone, according to Forbes, who cited an anonymous industry source.

Don't hold your breath that the handset in question is the Nokia Lumia 910 that was previously "leaked" on a Dutch Web site. While Nokia's PR division kept a strict policy not to comment on rumors or speculation, its head of Imaging Experience of the Nokia … Read more

I was speed-walking out from the press room at a crowded CTIA 2007, when I heard a voice shout my name.

It was Ford Davidson, the founder and CEO behind Dashwire, a brand-new Seattle-based startup, jogging after me. I was exhausted and overwhelmed from a day of mobile app pitches and ready to shuck off my heavy backpack and close out the day.

Instead, Davidson persuaded me to stall 10 minutes, and there, squatting on the tamped-down carpet of San Francisco's Moscone Center, he showed me one of the most useful and original apps I'd seen that show.… Read more

commentary Let's get one thing straight. Microsoft's mobile operating platform isn't called "Windows Phone 7."

How do I know? Because Windows Phone 8 is right around the corner.

Yet "Windows Phone 7" is exactly how CEO Steve Ballmer introduced the platform and its first nine handsets in 2010, and it's how people have commonly referred to the operating system--including CNET.

It isn't that anyone who uses the phrase is wrong, it's that "Windows Phone 7"--or "WP7" in shorthand--refers to a specific version of the OS. … Read more

If you've got that gorgeous Nokia Lumia 900 on the brain, 25 bucks will get you a guaranteed reservation for the phone. The only problem? You'll need to live near one of Microsoft's fifteen retail locations.

It costs $25 to reserve the phone, a fee that comes out of the total price of the handset. You'll have to pick it up at the location as well, a Microsoft store employee told me over the phone, and they'll call to let you know when you can pick up your prize.

Microsoft's retail employees will activate … Read more

The latest Nokia Lumia rumor to bounce around the Web is none other than a slightly updated version of the Nokia Lumia, the 910, headed for Europe with a 12-megapixel camera.

The rumor originated in a tweet a few days back, then gained a little more credence when it popped up on a Dutch Web site with specs.

Who needs lumia 900 in june if they want to launch lumia 910 (12mpx) in may? Europe

Unfortunately, the trail seems to disappear for the time being. Screenshots from site WP Sauce clearly show the 910 … Read more

Nokia is planning something at Mobile World Congress next month in Barcelona, Spain. Of that I'm sure.

Usually the pre-trade-show teasers hint at one thing or another, but this one is frustratingly detail-free. If there's something we journalist types abhor, it's a lack of news clues.

Nokia did e-mail the press with invitations to a press conference on the show's opening day, February 27, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. local time. CNET will be there to cover it.

There are only a few reasons why a company would call a press conference, and … Read more