Microsoft said Windows Phone 7 apps can run on Windows Phone 8
There were debates, discussions and opinions regarding the upcoming Windows Phone 8 platform, codenamed Apollo, and whether software titles for the current Windows Phone 7.5 will run on the next-gen Redmond OS. While to some it was a no-brainer (those who don’t believe Microsoft would shoot itself in the foot), others considered otherwise.
According to the latest post on the Windows Phone Developer blog, the situation is crystal clear and should wave away all your doubts. “Today’s Windows Phone applications and games will run on the next major version of Windows Phone”. This is definitely good news for consumers but it should be excellent news for developers, knowing that the time and money they invest will not get lost once Q4 arrives and the next Windows platform for smartphones lands (hopefully). “We have made a large investment in protecting your existing investments”, says Larry Lieberman.
Leave a commentSome Windows Phone 8 details leaked !
Microsoft has some major changes in store for Windows Phone 8, we’ve learned, which is the version of the platform currently being referred to by codename “Apollo” (the one scheduled for deployment after the upcoming Tango update). Thanks to a video hosted by senior vice president and Windows Phone manager Joe Belfiore, and intended for partners at Nokia, a number of WP8 features and themes have now been revealed.
Hardware changes
According to Belfiore, the overarching theme with regards to the Windows Phone 8 hardware ecosystem will be scale and choice. Specifically, Apollo will add support for multicore processors, new screen resolutions (a total of four, although actual pixel counts weren’t specified), and removable microSD card storage. It’s clear that Microsoft is addressing one of the platform’s pain points, which is a perceived inability to compete in spec sheet comparisons with the iPhone and Android-based devices.
NFC radios will also be supported, with Belfiore placing specific emphasis on 8′s push into contactless payments. The “Wallet experience,” as he calls it, will have the capability to be carrier-branded and controlled, either by a secure element on the SIM card or utilizing hardware in the phone itself. In addition, tap-to-share capabilities will reportedly work across multiple platforms, allowing desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones to all share content.
Windows 8 integration
Windows Phone 8 won’t just share a UI with the next-generation desktop and tablet OS, apparently: it will use many of the same components as Windows 8, allowing developers to “reuse — by far — most of their code” when porting an app from desktop to phone, according to Belfiore. He specifically mentions the kernel, networking stacks, security, and multimedia support as areas of heavy overlap.
Moreover, Windows Phone 8 will reportedly scrap integration with the desktop Zune client in favor of a syncing relationship with a dedicated companion application. In other words, Microsoft is bringing back a (presumably) richer version of ActiveSync after letting that program die out for the most part.
The Xbox Companion app, currently found on Windows Phones, will see a partner client on Windows 8. Skydrive support promises seamless sharing of data between devices; Belfiore gives the example of instantly having one’s music collection available on a newly-purchased Windows Phone, without the need for a PC sync.
It sounds like the tagline for this so-called Windows 2012 relaunch, or “Windows reimagined,” will be “The New Familiar.”
Application ecosystem
Microsoft expects 100,000 apps to be in the Marketplace (tipped for imminent worldwide availability) at the launch of Windows Phone 8 — rumored by WMPoweruser as happening sometime in the fourth quarter. The biggest news on the app front is probably the addition of native code support, which will enable more powerful applications as well as ease the porting of code from programs initially developed for iOS or Android.
Also mentioned is support for app-to-app communication, as well as a revamped Skype client that hooks directly into the OS, letting Skype calls behave almost identically to regular, non-VoIP telephony. The camera will now be based around so-called lens apps: Microsoft provides a basic camera interface that can either be skinned by OEMs or overlaid with viewfinders from third-parties. Belfiore gives the example of a lens app that combines burst mode with smile detection to capture a perfect portrait shot.
Data management
One of the main highlights of the overview was a feature called DataSmart, which aims to reduce, and simplify the tracking of, data usage. Besides providing a breakdown of data consumption, as other platforms already do, Windows Phone 8 will actively attempt to give Wi-Fi connections precedence, going so far as to automatically connect to carrier-owned WLANs when in range. To that end, the Local Scout feature of Bing Maps will enable the real-time location of nearby hotspots. Data usage will also be made glanceable thanks to a live tile.
Perhaps most interesting is Windows Phone 8′s planned use of a proxy server to feed pages to Internet Explorer 10. Like Opera Mini and the Skyfire of old, this service uses server-side compression to reduce the amount of data required to view websites — in this case, by a claimed 30%.
Business support
In an attempt to recapture the enterprise, Windows Phone 8 is said to add native BitLocker encryption — the same 128-bit, full-disk encryption found on Microsoft most recent desktop platforms. So-called “line-of-business” applications are also gaining support, allowing businesses to deploy proprietary, tailored software behind their company firewalls.
Overall, we’re looking at a lot of changes and additions here, all of which seem designed to either bring Windows Phone in line with other platforms, feature-wise, or make it more closely identical to the desktop version of Windows. It’s probably safe to say that the jump from Mango/Tango to Apollo will be nearly as significant as the transition from Windows Mobile to Windows Phone, and this preview certainly gives us a lot to look forward to.
Update: Microsoft insider Paul Thurrott has published a post confirming many of the details that we learned, adding that despite the change to a desktop kernel, current Windows Phone apps will indeed be backwards compatible.
Leave a commentWindows Phone 8 (Apollo) to be released mid 2012 ?
Microsoft’s next major update to Windows Phone, codenamed Apollo, is due to arrive in the middle of next year according to reports.
Microsoft’s Windows Phone Apollo will be a “very different game” according to Michael Halbherr, a senior Nokia executive who spoke to Engadget at Nokia World this week. Halbherr confirmed to the gadget site that Microsoft is planning to launch the update in mid-2012. Nokia is currently pushing Microsoft to support NFC and a better “positioning framework” for Windows Phone. Little is known about Apollo at this stage but industry insiders believe the codename will eventually become known as Windows Phone 8.
Microsoft is already working on its next versions of Windows Phone. Tango is believed to be an interim release between Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango” and the next-generation of Windows Phone, currently codenamed “Apollo.” There is reportedly two versions of Tango scheduled for release before Windows Phone “Apollo” is ready. Tango is allegedly designed with Nokia in mind and focused on lowering the price point for entry Windows Phone handsets. Windows Phone build 7.10.8200 was recently discovered in server side logs of a Windows Phone application. A screenshot, believed to be a Tango build, also leaked last month and demonstrated a new device search feature for Windows Phones.
Microsoft has already started seeking customer feedback for its Windows Phone future releases. The software giant is curating feedback from end users to record the most requested features for future versions of Windows Phone. The feedback is recorded and publicly viewable for others to rate and comment on over at Microsoft’s suggestions forum. Top requests include enable all (bing)features for non US-countries, Device Backup and Turn-by-turn GPS.
Leave a commentSteve Ballmer talks about: Bing, Xbox Live, Cloud, WP 8 and Yahoo (full video)
Steve Ballmer at the 2011 Web 2.0 Summit
SAN FRANCISCO–Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer isn’t one to mince words, and he certainly offered many candid opinions while speaking at the Web 2.0 Summit this evening.
Here’s a rundown of Ballmer’s thoughts on a number of topics involving Microsoft and its competitors:
Bing
Bing still has a small slice of the search market share pie, but Ballmer stood strong that Bing has seen a nice rise in the last few years.
“We went from the number three player to the number two player,” Ballmer said happily, attributing part of that rise to the search deal with Yahoo.
Ballmer challenged audience members to test searches between Google and Bing, positing that Bing “sets the foundation” reestablishing the search category.
“The core notion in Bing is about understanding the world in a variety of different ways,” Ballmer said, explaining understanding extends to geography, time and people while respecting their privacy.
Xbox Live
Although the shift in conversation might have been unintentional, Ballmer stated that Facebook “defines social,” but that there are many aspects that need to be addressed in helping people communicate with the people they love.
Xbox Live, for example, is different, but it seems highly social–as well as valuable–to Ballmer.
“You want people to be able to connect with each other. You want them to be able to have an identity,” Ballmer said, adding that Xbox Live personas can be connected to Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networks that focus on user identities.
Kinect, in particular, has proven to be a huge success for Microsoft, basically breathing an entire new life into the Xbox 360 console with new powers for everything ranging from social to education.
This holiday season, Ballmer said we can expect a whole lot more innovation revolving around Kinect and Xbox Live.
The Cloud
“We’re all in,” Ballmer said simply. But that didn’t stop him from naming Microsoft’s chief rival in this field: Google. But Ballmer made it seem that the Goog presents competition mainly when it comes to cloud-based apps more than anything else.
“Apps is the leading edge. Customers are far more mature about accepting apps in the cloud than platforms in the cloud,” Ballmer argued.
Windows Phone 8
John Battelle, founder and chairman of Federated Media Publishing, asked Ballmer during the sit-down interview to sell him on why someone should buy a Microsoft device over an Apple product.
Focusing on smartphones, Ballmer said that consumers are going to see two phones this holiday season (without specifying either). Besides seeing first-rate, beautifully designed smartphones on the outside, he argued that they’ll find something much more enticing with Windows Phone 8 when they can grab the phone, use it, and realize the notion of putting your information front and center.
“It’s not seas of icons. Add a button. Click,” Ballmer said. “Bing is there to help you get things done.”
Apple has done nice things with Siri, Ballmer conceded, but he argued that technology touches on projects Microsoft has been working on for years.
Yahoo
One topic that Ballmer wouldn’t offer a direct response about was Yahoo–especially as the Redmond, Wash.-based corporation is announcing quarterly earnings on Thursday.
“You can ask me that question any week and get the same answer,” Ballmer replied, about whether Microsoft was interested in buying Yahoo again.
When asked how he felt about not buying Yahoo before, he replied coyly that any company, in retrospect, would be happy that it did not make a huge acquisition right before the economic downturn started in 2008.
Ballmer concluded, “Sometimes, you’re lucky.”
Leave a commentMicrosoft is started talking about Windows Phone 8 !
A job posting made on August 16 reveals that Microsoft is still adding members to the team that will be responsible for the next version of Windows Phone, known as “8″ or “Apollo”. Our best guess of a release cycle would put Windows Phone 8 at a Q4 2012 release (since 7 was released in Q4 2010, and 7.5 Mango comes out a year later in Q4 2011). Though it’s possible that with a team that is not yet completely assembled, Microsoft might have a difficult time adhering to a release cycle that would put Windows Phone 8 into the market in just 14 months. That supposition aside, here’s the mention of Windows Phone 8 in the job posting:
Want to be part of making Windows Phone 8 a reality? Want to work on a strategic and exciting product targeted at the next version of Windows? Then the Consumer eXperience (ConX) team is the place for you! The Windows Phone team is taking on a huge challenge stirring up the out of box experience for Windows Phone 8 and is committed to building/improving a compelling and dynamic high quality look and feel to our end user experience.This promises to be a volatile world churning within the OS, Phone 8 as well as our AUT (Application Under Test) that we?ll ship in the Windows Marketplace! Our test team needs a few more key folks to compliment the talent already onboarded. We are looking for experienced and intelligent engineers to join our team! Join us in our mission to bring the most compelling Windows Phone experience to customers to date!
Besides the bit about “stirring up the out of box experience”, there aren’t many other hints about the future of Windows Phone
Leave a commentNext version of Windows Phone (WP8) to be called Apollo ?
Windows Phone (version 7.1 or 7.5) Mango is far from being on people’s smartphones and we are already hearing talks about the alleged update to arrive after Windows Phone Mango. It will purportedly be called Windows 8 Apollo.
There are no fruit names here, just continuing the line of names ending with letter “o” (NoDo, Mango, Apollo). Apollo could mean many things, from the Greek name of the planet Mercury, God of the Sun, and so on, but it will most importantly mean the unification of the platforms, according to rumors.
The Apollo codename was hinted by an anonymous source to MonSmartphone and WMPowerUser reports that, when it will come out in 2012, Windows 8 Apollo “will use the same APX app format as Windows 8, and may represent the unification of the platforms, with Windows Phone 8 being ported to the NT kernel”.
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