• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Windows Phone 7 |OT|

Status
Not open for further replies.
Brettison said:
So we know supposedly MS is rolling out an update to get people from the Dev RTM to the real deal, but has their been any confirmation of people actually getting this in the wild? (I haven't checked XDA yet :P )
Click to expand...
I'll be on the lookout.
 
Brettison said:
So we know supposedly MS is rolling out an update to get people from the Dev RTM to the real deal, but has their been any confirmation of people actually getting this in the wild? (I haven't checked XDA yet :P )
Click to expand...
I’m a registered developer and I have heard nothing from Microsoft regards the update.
 
PocketNow got a picture of the AT&T branded Samsung Focus S.

0Tu0d.jpg


Revealed earlier this month by AT&T -- in specs, but not imagery -- the Mango-powered (Windows Phone 7.5) Focus S will run a 1.4GHz processor and feature a 4.3-inch, WVGA Super AMOLED Plus display. The main camera is a 720p-capable eight-megapixel shooter, while the front-facing webcam clocks in at 1.3 megapixels.
Click to expand...
http://pocketnow.com/windows-phone/samsung-focus-s-spotted-in-the-wild-photo

USB at the bottom is great.
 
I haven't heard anything from Rogers (Canada) about Mango. No rumors, nothin. I will be pretty annoyed if they are way behind Telus and Bell. If they fuck up I will use a different provider next time.
 
LG, HTC, and Samsung may have Android phones with HD displays before year's end. WP8 is probably more than a full year. Does MS really expect to be competitive for another year with only 800x480 res?
 
thirty said:
LG, HTC, and Samsung may have Android phones with HD displays before year's end. WP8 is probably more than a full year. Does MS really expect to be competitive for another year with only 800x480 res?
Click to expand...
I know I'm in the minority, but I don't want bigger phones and I haven't seen 3.8"-4" phones with an HD display. And yes, they totally expect that. Same reason we won't see a dual-core phone with Windows Phone OS before Fall 2012. They aim for the mass market anyway.

However, the best excuse is still: "Specs don't matter, if the user experience is still better." /Applefanboy
 
thirty said:
LG, HTC, and Samsung may have Android phones with HD displays before year's end. WP8 is probably more than a full year. Does MS really expect to be competitive for another year with only 800x480 res?
Click to expand...

As long the phones are cheaper, I don't really care about specs. The Android experience is just laughable compared to what you can get with the same-level hardware on Windows Phone. I bought my Omnia 7 for less than half the price of a iPhone 4 at off-contract prices. But the US subsidized phone pricing structure doesn't allow for much leeway. Even 100 bucks vs 200 for an iPhone isn't that big of a difference. They gotta make the phones free with the standard contract to really push it.
 
personally, i think 800x480 is fine for near 4" phones but i bring up the point because it's another negative that carriers, retail reps, media, and some phone freaks will use to keep WP down.
 
thirty said:
personally, i think 800x480 is fine for near 4" phones but i bring up the point because it's another negative that carriers, retail reps, media, and some phone freaks will use to keep WP down.
Click to expand...
That's true, it sucks from a marketing perspective.
 
Totakeke said:
As long the phones are cheaper, I don't really care about specs. The Android experience is just laughable compared to what you can get with the same-level hardware on Windows Phone. I bought my Omnia 7 for less than half the price of a iPhone 4 at off-contract prices. But the US subsidized phone pricing structure doesn't allow for much leeway. Even 100 bucks vs 200 for an iPhone isn't that big of a difference. They gotta make the phones free with the standard contract to really push it.
Click to expand...

Pretty much, because given the choice between a crappy OS on a free phone or WP, it's no contest. My nephew and sister switched to WP and they got their Samsung Focuses for 1 cent with a 2 year contract renewal from Amazon. I got mine for $49 and thought that was a deal.

As far as myself, I don't really get caught up in the specs other than the screen quality (Super AMOLED etc). But I don't ever look at my Focus and think, I wish this thing had a greater screen resolution. And that's coming from someone who bought one of the first 1080p LCDs released and has a 27" and 24" monitors connected to my PC.
 
I was worried about the resolution too, since everyone makes such a huge deal out of it, but even on the ridiculous 4.7" Titan, the resolution doesn't seem to be a big deal. In looking at the videos on Engadget and TIMN, the OS seems to translate well, even at that size.

This is what Engadget said
More importantly, the Windows Phone OS and its vertically-scrolling live tiles are particularly well suited to a greater screen acreage: almost every bit of it is put to good use, but Microsoft's minimalist design stops it from feeling overcrowded. The WP onscreen keyboard also comes to life at this size, turning what was already one of the best typing experiences around into something even more special.

There is one major let-down however: the screen is just 800x480, which is lower than the Iconia Smart and the same resolution as the Radar's screen. We have to admit, we didn't notice a great deal of pixellation on the SLCD panel, which was generally sharp, bright and had great viewing angles. That said, HTC is a plain cheap skate for boosting size so massively without adding a single pixel -- unless it's somehow the fault of Windows Phone OS requirements, although the HTC execs we spoke didn't provide any such justification.
Click to expand...

It's like they WANT to ding it for the resolution even if, in practice, they didn't see anything to whine about.
 
thirty said:
personally, i think 800x480 is fine for near 4" phones but i bring up the point because it's another negative that carriers, retail reps, media, and some phone freaks will use to keep WP down.
Click to expand...

It's not people being "phone freaks".

The iPhone 4 has a 3.5 inch screen at 960x640 resolution. It costs $199 on a three year contract. Windows Phone 7 devices have varying screen sizes (LG Quantum 3.5", HTC HD7 4.3", HTC Trophy 3.8") and cost varying prices ($50, $100, $150 respectively).

People are directly comparing the two. A "higher quality screen" (which is how most people would describe differences in PPI) is going to appeal to people. It's all well and good to say that a 4" 800x480 resolution doesn't look bad. I don't think it looks bad either. But people aren't aiming to buy a phone that "isn't bad", they're aiming to buy the best phone possible for them.

How much they value it at and who the target audience is depends on your phone. A $50 subsidized--or free with subsidy, even--smartphone is not really a direct competitor to the iPhone 4, and so it probably won't hurt that phone in comparison. A $150 phone that has a manifestly inferior screen is going to be hurt by comparison.

I think it's fair to say that if you want to talk about mass market appeal--what consumers as a whole think--the Windows Phone 7 has not been a smash success so far. It doesn't mean it's not a good system with some strengths, but just in terms of how people have responded to it, not a smash success. Changing that is going to be about understanding what people want from phones and providing it, as well as predicting what people will want from phones and leading the market, right?
 
Meh, when do the media and tech enthusiast crowd really know what the public want anyway? Like how Apple brilliantly framed the conversation to how many apps there are, they did the same with the retina display and resolution. The media eats that shit up and Android plays the game that Apple has set. Why bother going in that direction? Truly disruptive technologies don't just play follow the leader. If WP fails and becomes another piece of under appreciated technology by having weaker hardware, so be it.
 
Totakeke said:
If WP fails and becomes another piece of under appreciated technology, so be it.
Click to expand...

I think most people want strong ongoing support for their platform. It is important that their platform is broadly commercially successful in order to achieve that.

But regardless the specific argument that a worse screen is better because it doesn't play into Apple's hands because they made screen resolution a PR argument... I don't know what to say. It's one thing to say that screen quality is less important than most people feel it is, but it's another thing altogether to actually argue that a better screen is worse and a worse screen is better. If WP7 is an underappreciated hidden gem, it won't be because its screen resolution is lower than competitors. :p
 
I just got off the phone with Rogers, Canada - they're exact words were "ummm mango update?" and "we don't know of any updates". This is from a Windows Phone "specialist".

But if you speak to an Iphone specialist they'll know everything, up to which beta version Apple is currently on.

Aggravating. I want to like this phone, jesus christ I really do but it's near impossible with all the waiting, bullshit and problems. I service 25 Samsung Focus phones, I had to return 9 of them within the last 5 months because of issues. Endless notification beeping even after reset, no storage detected, only 15 megs of total storage recognized, etc etc.

Ugh... I've had an Iphone since the initial 2007 unveiling, I still use an Iphone 4 as my daily and at this point im just not looking forward to making the switch.
 
Resolution is also just one aspect of screen quality. the SAMOLED Plus screen on the Focus S is going to be awesome, and no one is going to give a shit about its resolution and go buy an iphone instead. Windows phone is not failing commercially because of the resolution. Let's not get carried away.

And if you're a spec geek, you'd probably go with an Android phone anyway. But that number is and has always been small.

edit: And as far as the "influential" tech press, they've been giving high marks to Windows phones for the past year even though they have an old ass processor inside with a relatively weak GPU. And those glowing reviews haven't sold phones either. Most people are concerned with what's popular (what has momentum), what phones are available, their form factor, etc.

If MS wants to really do something right away to help sales, they'll get rid of the "Windows" branding. IMO that has hurt the phone's mainstream perception more than any other single factor.
 
Frustrated_me said:
I just got off the phone with Rogers, Canada - they're exact words were "ummm mango update?" and "we don't know of any updates". This is from a Windows Phone "specialist".

But if you speak to an Iphone specialist they'll know everything, up to which beta version Apple is currently on.

Aggravating. I want to like this phone, jesus christ I really do but it's near impossible with all the waiting, bullshit and problems. I service 25 Samsung Focus phones, I had to return 9 of them within the last 5 months because of issues. Endless notification beeping even after reset, no storage detected, only 15 megs of total storage recognized, etc etc.

Ugh... I've had an Iphone since the initial 2007 unveiling, I still use an Iphone 4 as my daily and at this point im just not looking forward to making the switch.
Click to expand...

I can already see Rogers fucking this up :(

Regarding the Focus, I fortunately have had none of the issues you have mentioned. I have 8GB SD card in it as well.
 
VanMardigan said:
If MS wants to really do something right away to help sales, they'll get rid of the "Windows" branding. IMO that has hurt the phone's mainstream perception more than any other single factor.
Click to expand...

You're probably right on this point. They should go with something like Metro. Doesn't have the Windows stigma and it's a catchy name IMO. There was no way they would piggy back off of the Xbox brand because people would just expect it to be a mostly gaming platform, which probably would've garnered it more sales and recognition immediately. But then the phones would be expected to more spec heavy and then you've got a really expensive phone on your hands.

edit:

SCHUEY F1 said:
Regarding the Focus, I fortunately have had none of the issues you have mentioned. I have 8GB SD card in it as well.
Click to expand...

I've installed 3 of the 16GB SanDisk cards in my phone and my relatives phones and it's worked seamlessly with no issues.
 
JaggedSac said:
If MS wants to succeed in the US, they need to do whatever they can do to get some more damn phones on Verizon.
Click to expand...
and Sprint.

Microsoft missed the boat by launching WP7 with AT&T.

Google at least recognized that an Android marketing campaign with Verizon made sense when AT&T was the only iPhone carrier and gained marketshare from that.

I don't know who is the business strategist now at Microsoft.

It seems business decisions made more sense under Bill Gates.
 
JaggedSac said:
If MS wants to succeed in the US, they need to do whatever they can do to get some more damn phones on Verizon.
Click to expand...
Verizon probably had enough of "Windows Phone", after the KIN disaster.

Yes, Microsoft branded them as "Windows Phone", too.

225705-microsoft-kin-one-verizon-wireless-back.jpg


They really need to get over that obsession to put the Windows brand on everything they have.

But hey, at least Verizon seems much more optimistic about it, after Mango.

pre-Mango:
Asked whether Verizon saw Microsoft as a major player in mobile, CEO Lowell McAdam said no, and that “Microsoft is not at the forefront of our mind.”

“I can’t really say which phones we’ll offer yet. We like our relationship with Microsoft. But clearly in the U.S. there are three major mobile operating systems: RIM, Google, and Apple,” he said.

McAdam was then asked if his skepticism in regards to Windows Phone 7 had anything to do with the disaster of their Kin phone. He refused to be roped in to the question, but did say this:

“Our device suppliers have to demonstrate to us that they will be developing leading edge products. And if they are not leading edge, then we can’t afford to carry them in our stores. But if they are innovative, we’ll offer them.”

Double ouch. That’s a pretty clear message that Verizon doesn’t think Microsoft is innovative, or making leading edge products. Don’t expect to see Verizon embracing Windows Phone 7 until it turns some heads.
Click to expand...

Mango:
Even though Microsoft’s CEO has admitted that Windows Phone sales have been small, the platform just received a high-profile endorsement from Verizon Communications CEO Lowell McAdam.

“The carriers are beginning to coalesce around the need for a third ecosystem,” said McAdam at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference, according to InformationWeek. “Over the next 12 months I think it will coalesce and you will start to see one emerge as a legitimate third ecosystem. In my opinion, it’ll be between RIM and Microsoft, and I expect Microsoft to come out victorious.”
Click to expand...
 
mm04 said:
I've installed 3 of the 16GB SanDisk cards in my phone and my relatives phones and it's worked seamlessly with no issues.
Click to expand...

I guess the only thing I have noticed is that when I run the speed test on WP Bench the speed on the data measurement is poor especially when writing to memory/storage. What class is your is SD card?
 
Stumpokapow said:
It's one thing to say that screen quality is less important than most people feel it is, but it's another thing altogether to actually argue that a better screen is worse and a worse screen is better.
Click to expand...
As long as we understand that better and worse here is referring to PPI. The iPhone4 screen is undoubtedly great, but a bigger screen will be better to some people as well as SAMOLED being preferred by some.
 
Totakeke said:
Meh, when do the media and tech enthusiast crowd really know what the public want anyway? Like how Apple brilliantly framed the conversation to how many apps there are, they did the same with the retina display and resolution. The media eats that shit up and Android plays the game that Apple has set. Why bother going in that direction? Truly disruptive technologies don't just play follow the leader. If WP fails and becomes another piece of under appreciated technology by having weaker hardware, so be it.
Click to expand...
Why not fight in both directions when it's possible to do so? Sport the awesome hardware that most high-end Android devices these days have, while being a unique mobile OS?
 
brotkasten said:
Verizon probably had enough of "Windows Phone", after the KIN disaster.

Yes, Microsoft branded them as "Windows Phone", too.

They really need to get over that obsession to put the Windows brand on everything they have.

But hey, at least Verizon seems much more optimistic about it, after Mango.
Click to expand...

No doubt the Kin probably caused at least some of the issue. But someone at MS needs to suck a Verizon dick or two to get the ball rolling. CDMA phones are really lacking right now.
 
perfect example, Fujitsu just announced a dual core, 720p screen, neon colored, waterproof Android phone in Japan which I believe will go to the same carrier that the Fujitsu WP7 phone is available on. deathblow to WP7. unique simple OS be damned.
 
JaggedSac said:
No doubt the Kin probably caused at least some of the issue. But someone at MS needs to suck a Verizon dick or two to get the ball rolling. CDMA phones are really lacking right now.
Click to expand...
It's true that the CDMA phones are not super mindblowing, but reading their opinion about WP and how it will beat RIM/BlackBerry (a partner since ... ever), it makes me think that already happened. But maybe I'm a bit too naive.
 
brotkasten said:
What wonders me is how the hell did they convince Microsoft to make an exception? 4GB are clearly below the minimum specs.
Click to expand...

I think for a real budget phone like the Blade was for Android 4 GB is fine. It's still enough for a few podcasts, music and a moderate number of apps and a game or two.
I assume ZTE is going to price it really low, might help WP7 in europe at least where people often buy phones full price without contract, the Blade is popular here for the same reason.
 
mm04 said:
You're probably right on this point. They should go with something like Metro. Doesn't have the Windows stigma and it's a catchy name IMO. There was no way they would piggy back off of the Xbox brand because people would just expect it to be a mostly gaming platform, which probably would've garnered it more sales and recognition immediately. But then the phones would be expected to more spec heavy and then you've got a really expensive phone on your hands.

edit:



I've installed 3 of the 16GB SanDisk cards in my phone and my relatives phones and it's worked seamlessly with no issues.
Click to expand...

Windows Metro would be a cool name for the windows brand phones. Someone please notify Microsoft's marketing dept.
 
Just checked my phone... no "update" for my phone running the dev RTM....

I won't get my hopes up... if the update is really out tomorrow and no mini update for my dev version to get the real deal I'll roll back.

I'm not doing crap until I know shit is out though.
 
I haven't been able to download anything from the marketplace for the past 6 hours. I keep getting "Can't get this information at the moment."

Any idea how to solve it?
 
VanMardigan said:
I was worried about the resolution too, since everyone makes such a huge deal out of it, but even on the ridiculous 4.7" Titan, the resolution doesn't seem to be a big deal. In looking at the videos on Engadget and TIMN, the OS seems to translate well, even at that size.

This is what Engadget said


It's like they WANT to ding it for the resolution even if, in practice, they didn't see anything to whine about.
Click to expand...
what's crazy is how the critically acclaimed galaxy s2 phones are 4.5" 800x480 yet you won't see a single bad thing about the screen res. the 4.7" titan wih the same 800x480 will forever be dinged by media and the masses for not having more resolution. wtf.
 
After using nodo for a while coming back from mango, it is most likely the OEM drivers, but web browsing seems a magnitude faster.

my guess is the 3G drivers fir nodo are not as quick under mango
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

  • Poll
Windows Phone: 15 years later, Microsoft’s greatest mistake
2
58
2K
JDF replied
Oscars 2026 |OT|
2 3
149
580
DKehoe replied
Movies You’ve Watched Lately | OT | - 2026
|OT| Social  8 9 10 11 12
563
6K
JimmyRustler replied
Microsoft Deprecates Legacy Printer Drivers on Windows 11
News 
19
313
Futaleufu replied
Best 2025 Android phone ? (upgrading from S24 Ultra)
32
3K
Trilobit replied
Top Bottom