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Lumia 950

Lumia 950 - the only one out of focus after many attempts

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Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Lumia 950 review

One of Microsoft's big selling points on the Lumia 950 is you can connect it up with the Microsoft Display Dock and get the new Continuum feature from the Windows 10 platform.

It allows you to put your phone display onto a TV or monitor, so you have a much larger screen to work from. The Microsoft Display Dock connects up with USB-C support so you can just plug in the Lumia 950 and your phone screen will appear up on the big one in front of you.

The Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL are the only phones compatible right now, so it's a big selling point of the phone. Plus you can also sometimes find a free Microsoft Display Dock in some deals when you buy the Lumia 950.

If you can't see that deal at the moment, it'll cost you US$99 (£79.99, AU$149.95) to buy it separately.

The system is easy to set up. I just took it out of the box and plugged it into the back of my monitor and it wasn't much more complicated than that. It's a bit fiddly to plug in with a few wires around, so this isn't really something you'll want to unplug and take with you much.

On the back of the Display Dock are a DisplayPort and a HDMI port, so you have two separate ways to connect it up to the TV or monitor. Then there are two USB 2.0 slots to plug in a mouse and keyboard.

Then on the front is a plug for the USB-C cable, which comes in the box, so you can connect up your phone with ease. The cable is quite long as well meaning you don't have to sit away with your phone for too long.

When you plug it in, it doesn't take long to get Windows 10 Mobile running up on the screen. Apps automatically calibrate to how big your TV or monitor is. Here's how Microsoft Edge looked on my monitor.

On the right hand side you can see the reading list feature within Microsoft Edge and the left shows what the phone menu looks like.

It worked really well, you can even use two fingers on your phone display to navigate your cursor around the page. I'd personally recommend connecting up a mouse to make this easier though.

I spent a lot of my time using Continuum within the Microsoft Word app. I did find there was sometimes quite a lag while using it, even more so than when using it on the Lumia 950 XL. But it was bearable.

This is something I'd hope Microsoft would work out soon though. When Microsoft claims this works like a PC, I want it to be able to keep up with a simple word processing program.

When using the Lumia 950 XL on the Microsoft Word app I did have the phone crash. That didn't happen to me while using the Lumia 950, but it's possible that the same bug may happen eventually if you use the feature a lot.

The real problem with Continuum isn't inherent to the Lumia 950. It's Windows 10 as a whole, and it's that there just aren't enough apps available right now. If you look at the phone display on the left in this screenshot, everything that's shaded out won't work with Continuum.

Even Skype, a Microsoft owned app, doesn't work on the platform. And I just find that frustrating whenever I'm trying to use a variety of apps on Continuum.

I hope that Microsoft begins to encourage developers to get involved with Continuum. It will be great to see this platform fully flourish, but at the moment I find it quite irrelevant unless you're just looking for a way to put Word documents up onto a big screen and work from there.

You can use a variety of media apps, for example watching movies on your TV. But it's something that has been done before, and better, with Chromecast on Android and AirPlay on Apple products.

Instead, this time you actually have to plug a phone in and it isn't any faster at loading than either of the other options.

It also means you lose a lot of your access to your phone.

The likelihood is you'll have to keep it at the other side of the room while you're watching a film, so if you get a notification you have to either get up to see it or annoy the whole room by stopping the film.

There are a lot of kinks within Continuum, but it's a great addition to the Windows 10 Mobile platform. It works well on the Lumia 950, and apart from a little lag on Word I didn't find it was much different to the phones older brother of the Lumia 950 XL.

But for this to become a fully fledged selling point of the phone, we'll need to see more apps from Microsoft. Right now, it just feels like a glorified Microsoft Office projector and that's not enough.

Read our Windows 10 Mobile review

Windows 10 Mobile is a new operating system, and judging from our battery life tests, it's not exactly polished enough to avoid being an energy hog. It barely lasts a day with normal use.

I was reaching for my USB-C charger before midnight every night in order to keep the Lumia 950 fully juiced. Its 3,000mAh isn't a bad capacity for a smartphone of this size, as many direct competitors have smaller batteries.

Running our standard battery life test at maximum (like we do for all phones), the fully charged battery wore down to 72% during a 90-minute HD video on a loop. It only beat out the Moto X Style in recent tests, which went down to 70%.

The good news is that USB-C charges this phone exceptionally quickly. From 0%, it bounced back to 10% in just four minutes. It's a Microsoft miracle!

It went on to completely restore the battery in 1 hour and 29 minutes. USB-C charging is fast, and faster than some of those competitors' batteries. The Lumia 950 seems to want to be the first to die and the first to spring back to life.

Microsoft is likely to continue to refine the Lumia 950 software, so that it chugs along better throughout the day. It gets hot, and its standby time isn't as refined as Android, which just tweaked its operating system with Doze mode for Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Like I said with the camera, as the company continues to improve its performance with patches, I'll update this portion of the review with fresh analysis.

Are you willing to be a Windows 10 Mobile beta tester? That's really what it feels like carrying around Lumia 950. It's certainly not ready for everyone, but Microsoft's "Insiders" will no doubt flock to this phone or its phablet counterpart, the Lumia 950 XL.

We liked

The Lumia 950 is the first Windows 10 Mobile phone, and that probably fits your style if you're reading this on a PC, Surface Book or Surface Pro 4. The phone revamps the slick Live Tiles interface that I really like, and the iris-scanning is a fun party trick, even if it takes longer to bypass.

Continuum is the most hyped feature of this smartphone, and it's a handy way of working on full-scale spreadsheets and diving into Word documents with just a phone, Display Dock and several cables. It's not going to replace your PC during travel just yet, but it's something that should excite enterprise folks in the future.

We disliked

There's a lot of work to be done here, Microsoft. All of the top apps need to be a part of Windows 10 Mobile. Furthermore, the existing ones, like Instagram, need to get regular updates so that, next to iOS and Android, they're not lagging behind in more ways than one.

The Windows Hello log in is literally eye-catching, but it's too slow compared to a fingerprint sensor. Microsoft Maps isn't ready for road warriors of any sort, and the phone gets too hot. Call quality could be better, as could the battery life and camera, all things that firmware updates may be able to fix – to a degree.

Final verdict

Lumia 950 feels like a public beta test before Microsoft launches the long-rumored "Surface Phone." It's an incomplete picture that doesn't quite deserve the Surface name, as much as I like the operating system underneath and some of its enterprise features.

Of course, this more than enough for Windows Phone 8.1 users to upgrade to the Windows 10 Mobile flagship's debut. Seeing that attractive Live Tiles design on the phone and then, in less than a few seconds, transitioning to the desktop-like mode via Continuum is a dream come true. Phones are finally acting like computers in a way Apple and Google have barely tried.

Continuum needs to be fleshed out, and so does the app count, camera, battery life and phone call quality. Again, there's a lot of work to be done. The Lumia 950 and Windows 10 Mobile feel like the first stepping stones before Microsoft dials it up to, say, Windows 11 Mobile.

The flops, near misses and glorious failures in the race to be the best smartphone OS

Sean Cameron — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 14:30:00 +0000

It's 2016, and the mobile world is two things: iOS and Android. The former, run by the world's most profitable company, began the smartphone boom. The latter, owned and administered by the world's foremost data-mining firm, expanded that boom to the farthest reaches of the globe.

Today, their dominance is so complete that it is almost impossible to imagine any alternate situation, for Android and iOS success is an inevitability, guaranteed and impossible to escape.

And yet this was not always the case. Since 2008 many firms, keen to get in on the lucrative smartphone game, have entered the fray with home-grown mobile operating systems. Some were beautiful, some were game-changing, some were just awful.

Sailfish OS, MeeGo, Firefox OS, BlackBerry 10, Windows Phone 7/8, WebOS: the past is littered with the detritus of many once great titans and smaller upstarts. Read on for a glimpse of what has passed, and what could have been.

MeeGo

Though the name 'Nokia' has not always been synonymous with smartphones, for many the first phone they owned came from the Finnish firm.

Indeed, in 2010 Nokia was the biggest phone manufacturer in the world, commanding over 40% of the total market at the time, a share that dwarfs that of any handset maker in the present. However, not all was well in Espoo HQ, despite the then healthy sales figures.

As with many companies that experience staggering success, Nokia got fat and complacent. Its internal structure grew bloated and incapable of reacting to quick changes. The firm subsequently failed to pay enough attention to the rise of Android and iOS, at least until 2011. It was then that the Nokia N9 was released, the first and only device to come bearing the MeeGo operating system.

Forged from code created at both Intel and Nokia, MeeGo was something slightly revolutionary. Boasting slim system requirements, an intuitive touch interface, message hubs and multitasking, the emphasis was on creating a flow through the user experience. The hope was it was something the opposition at the time simply couldn't match.

Ultimately, this system was a victim of the internal politics that would slowly claim Nokia's soul. Unconvinced by the potential of the system, and perhaps swayed by generous subsidies from Microsoft, CEO Stephen Elop published the famous 'burning platform' memo, burying MeeGo and the N9 in favor of Windows Phone.

Today the project exists only as a reminder of what could have been, and the tragic fall of Nokia into relative nothingness.

Sailfish OS

Created by a group of former Nokia engineers (with seed funding from the firm itself), Sailfish OS is heavily based on the code used in MeeGo. The only real difference is in the user interface, which had to be altered from the original 'Harmattan' version as Nokia retained the rights to this.

Instead, the user interacts with Sailfish through an innovative series of gestures, with minimal button inputs, again with the emphasis on flow. Apps are kept open, running in the background and can be pinned, as with MeeGo.

Jolla is the company behind the operating system (the name meaning "raft" in Finnish, and intended as a riposte to the 'burning platform' memo), and the life span of its products has been characterized by grand ambitions and neutered realities.

Offering the OS as a community project, Jolla has developed a small but devoted cult following around its product, but devices bearing the operating system, other than its own in-house effort, have been scant, even occasionally turning into vaporware.

2016 marked the birth of the first OEM device to come bearing Sailfish OS, the Intex Aqua Fish, intended solely for the Indian market. Jolla itself has since ceased production of its sole handset (the Jolla Phone), and the arrival of its first tablet has been somewhat botched as a result of a mismanaged Indiegogo campaign.

Now focusing solely on the production and refinement of its software offerings, things are still looking dicey for the firm, which recently had to accept a bailout following a difficult financial period.

BlackBerry 10

Another operating system spawned from a former giant, as the name might infer, this was the brainchild of BlackBerry (formerly Research In Motion [RIM]).

In the period spanning 2002 - 2010, RIM enjoyed something of a meteoric rise, especially among businesses. Arguably the first company to get mobile email 'right', its handsets enjoyed enormous success, with particular fondness being reserved for their ever-improving physical keyboards.

Yet, as with Nokia, BlackBerry failed to pay significant attention to the rise and rise of Android and iOS. Over time, as its consumer base began to crumble quickly, it doubled down on business, and believed that it had something of an ace in BlackBerry 10.

Sharing much of the same design DNA as MeeGo and Sailfish, BlackBerry 10 is built around gestures, allowing users to swipe right and left, as well as from all four corners of the screen, while background apps are 'pinned' to the home screen, running slightly like widgets in the background.

Innovative as it was, by the time the software was released Blackberry had missed the boat completely. Launching to little fanfare, adoption was muted, leading to a series of internal power struggles and strife at BlackBerry, which saw enormous job losses and a complete change in priorities.

With the firm now shifting its attentions to the greener pastures of Android, testing the water with the likes of 2015's excellent BlackBerry Priv and the 2016 BlackBerry DTEK50, the future of Blackberry 10 is one of interminable decline. It still remains committed to the platform, but the likelihood of new BB 10 hardware remains bleak.

Firefox OS

Mozilla is well-known for its popular web browser, Firefox, and yet the non-profit firm has also branched out into a number of different areas, some of them quite surprising.

On the surface, the drive towards creating an in-house, open-source operating system was to counter the decline of the open web, something that tech die-hards have been concerned about for some time. With the rise of apps and walled garden approaches to software, Mozilla decided to act.

The result was Firefox OS, focusing on the mobile web, HTML5 and a very low entry price. Indeed, though it proved to be non-existent in the end, much of the early conversation was dominated by Mozilla's promise of the first (usable) $25 smartphone, running Firefox OS.

As time went by Mozilla achieved some success, managing to sell a small number of devices in Columbia and Venezuela, among other countries, but nothing like the quantities needed either to break even or to gain any market share.

The result was obsolescence and as the media train moved on interest in Firefox OS waned. Mozilla itself, lacking the resources of a Google or an Apple, proved to be seemingly only half-interested in its offering and eventually closed the mobile OS for good in the latter quarter of 2015.

Much like Palm OS (another entry on this list) though, the software lives on - in televisions. Panasonic now employs an altered version in many of its units, giving it an afterlife as part of the 'Internet of Things' (widely regarded as one of the worst tech newspeak terms since 'phablet' came into existence).

Palm OS/WebOS

Before Nokia and BlackBerry got into the touchscreen smartphone game, before Android began to explode and when the Apple iPhone was still a hobbled little thing there was Palm and WebOS.

Sporting a much imitated gesture interface, card-based multitasking (which has been aped by everyone since) and many other futuristic features, WebOS was arguably the first operating system that introduced the concept of "smart" to smartphones.

First found on the Palm Pre in June 2009, such was the potential behind WebOS that HP bought Palm outright in 2010 for $1.2 billion.

Soon, the tide began to turn. Apple brought out the iconic iPhone 4 while Android advanced its appeal considerably through the likes of the HTC Desire. Interest in WebOS began to wane, not helped by HP's seeming inability to find a vision for its new product.

Shortly following the abortive launch of the HP TouchPad in 2011 (49 days to be precise), HP abandoned WebOS and all devices running the software.

This marked the end of WebOS on smartphones, however the operating system has since found new life through LG, with the firm including it - to significant acclaim - in its smart televisions.

Windows Phone 7 and 8

And now to the granddaddy of them all, at least in terms of money and effort spent. Windows Phone was Microsoft's answer to the Android/iOS duopoly, intended to have the strengths of both and the weaknesses of neither.

Sporting a bold new design and a daring interface utilizing 'live tiles', Windows Phone had a focus on simplicity and usability over unnecessary features and frippery.

Exercising total control over specifications and updates, Microsoft was able to keep the software experience tight and focused, leaving manufacturers to be inventive with their hardware, rather than over-complicating the user interface.

First debuting at MWC in 2010, Windows Phone 7 was a breath of fresh air, and enjoyed some not insignificant hardware support from PC OEMs – such as Dell, HP and Acer - looking to get in on the smartphone boom.

Initial enthusiasm led to a quick drop off in support, and soon Windows Phone 7 began to drift. Sensing the lack of momentum, Microsoft rebooted (knowing its way around a blue screen or six) with Windows Phone 8.

Sporting more functionality, and eventually the popular voice assistant Cortana, Windows Phone 8 nonetheless still failed to ignite the global market with a poorly stocked app store at the heart of the issues.

Now, the picture is grim. Microsoft has rebooted once again, this time with Windows 10 Mobile, another rejiggering of its mobile dream. However, with a lack of investment, in both funds and willpower, the platform is beginning to wilt badly, with the paucity of apps becoming even more problematic with several first party developers pulling out entirely (even Amazon is reported to be leaving the game).

Microsoft's mobile vision looks to be grinding to a halt, and it might take a true miracle to save it.

For an operating system that isn't likely to fail check out iOS 10

Start looking for Skype alternatives if you have an older OS on your phone

Parker Wilhelm — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 18:55:00 +0000

Skype is prepping to move its messaging service forward this fall, but doing so means leaving older OSes behind.

Soon, phones running certain versions of Windows Phone, Android and iOS will no longer receive updates for Skype, allowing the service to instead focus on more popular (and recent) operating systems and transition to a more mobile-compatible cloud infrastructure, the company announced today.

Specifically, Windows Phones running Windows Phone 8.1 or older will no longer be supported. iOS users will need iOS 8 or later to use Skype at its fullest, with Android users required to run Android 4.0.3 or later.

The Skype team adds that Android devices need a ARMv7 processor or better to fully utilize its app, though phones with ARMv6 processors can still work, albeit without video functionality. Same goes for iOS users, as older versions of the operating system will still function, but lack key features.

Despite being owned by Microsoft, which is very insistent on you upgrading to Windows 10, Skype did promise that Windows 7, 8, XP, and Vista will still be supported, ensuring that late adopters can still enjoy peer-to-peer video calling.

Skype has put up a specific list of requirements to run the service going forward on its support page. If your phone does wind up getting left in the dust, you may want to consider other services before the next update goes live this October.

How to record Skype calls to your PC

Don't expect any more Angry Birds on Windows Phone

James Peckham — Thu, 14 Jul 2016 08:20:00 +0000

Updated: Rovio has now given TechRadar a statement on why it has stopped making games for the Windows Phone platform. It reads, "Rovio's games are available on a wide variety of mobile platforms, including iOS, Android and Amazon.

"Many of our games are also available on Windows devices, although for commercial reasons this platform is no longer a focus for us, and no further game updates for this platform are planned. However we continue to provide help to all customers, regardless of their mobile device."

Original: Rovio made one of the most popular mobile gaming franchises of all time in Angry Birds and until now the games have been available on Android, iOS and Windows Phone.

Now Rovio has confirmed it will no longer be developing games for Microsoft's Windows Phone platform.

Rovio wrote in a support email for a customer, "Rovio games are also no longer developed on Windows Phones. The only devices that are still supported and updated are Android and OS devices.

"We are sorry for the inconvenience. If there is anything else we could help you with please, do not hesitate to contact us again."

Goodbye piggies

There's no word on when existing games will be dropped from the store, which means you can still play titles like Angry Birds Star Wars, Bad Piggies, Angry Birds Epic and Angry Birds Go.

But this confirmation does mean it won't be developing any new games or updating its current roster so if you want the latest from Rovio you may have to move to Android or iOS.

Check out our list of the best smartphones money can buy

Via Windows Central

Windows Phone users get tap-to-pay, one less reason to leave

Lewis Leong — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 19:59:00 +0000

Microsoft finally has its own tap-to-pay solution for Windows 10 Mobile users: Microsoft Wallet allows Lumia users to add their credit, debit and loyalty cards to use at stores that support near field communications (NFC) payments.

To be sure, this isn't the first NFC payment solution available on Windows 10 Mobile. Softcard supported NFC payments on Windows Mobile, but the service was discontinued in March 2015 after Google purchased the company.

Since tap-to-pay is a standardized feature, Microsoft Wallet should work everywhere Apple Pay and Android Pay are available.

This is different from Samsung's Magnetic Secure Transmission technology, which allows Samsung Pay to work with older terminals without NFC.

In addition to checking out at physical stores, Microsoft Wallet lets users pay in Microsoft's digital stores. This means you can purchase things in the Xbox, Office or Microsoft Stores using your mobile wallet.

Microsoft Wallet is available now, but only in the US for the Lumia 950, 950XL and 650. The list of supported banks is small, with only Bank of America and three credit unions being supported right now. Chase and US Bank are listed as "coming soon."

Yet another caveat is that Microsoft Wallet is still being tested, so it's only available to Windows 10 Mobile users who've signed up for the experimental updates. It's unclear when it will become available to all Windows 10 Mobile users, but it's likely to come with Windows 10's huge Anniversary Update, which is expected to arrive late this summer.

Although Microsoft Wallet is a neat feature, it likely won't stop the free-fall of Windows Phone sales. Just saying.

Be sure to read our full Windows 10 review

Satya Nadella just fixed a massive problem at Microsoft

Max Slater-Robins — Tue, 31 May 2016 09:23:00 +0000

Last week, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella – only the third person to have the job in over 40 years – announced in a press release that the company planned to "streamline [its] smartphone hardware business".

The streamlining will cut 1,850 jobs, the majority of which are in Finland, and cost $950 million (around £650 million, or AU$1.3 billion), around $200 million (around £140 million, or AU$280 million) of which will be in staff severance packages. The rest, it can be assumed, will be getting rid of unsold stock, buying tissues into which executives will weep, and so on.

The move follows the announcement that Microsoft was selling its 'dumb' phone business to a subsidiary of Foxconn for $350 million (around £240 million, or AU$480 million), which was seen as the first – or last, depending on how you look at it – sign that Microsoft was exiting the phone business altogether.

Refocusing efforts

Of course, Microsoft has not explicitly expressed it like that. "We are focusing our phone efforts where we have differentiation," wrote Nadella in the press release. Microsoft will now cater to "enterprises that value security, manageability and our Continuum capability, and consumers who value the same."

In an email to staff, published by Recode, Terry Myerson, the man in charge of Windows and Devices, wrote that the team had "done hard work and had great ideas, but have not always had the alignment needed across the company to make an impact."

This argument is, as pointed out by Ben Thompson, an independent analyst, rather silly – "clueless," as Thompson puts it – because it largely misses the point that Microsoft could have made a decent run at the mobile world and it was "alignment" across the company, rather than macro-level events, which halted progress.

However, the fact Microsoft is now cutting off the limb that was its phone business is a good sign and reinforces the idea, which is held by many long-term observers, that Nadella is doing a good job and the changes he is making – freeing the Office, Azure, and Windows teams, along with focusing on getting software out, rather than tying it to Windows, and so on – are working.

The Nokia deal was Steve Ballmer's last mistake as Microsoft CEO

The legacy of Nokia, which is no longer a Microsoft-controlled brand, has been largely wasted by Microsoft after it was acquired for $7.2 billion (around £4.9 billion, or AU$10 billion), a deal which was quickly identified as Steve Ballmer's last mistake as CEO before handing over the reins to Nadella.

Righting wrongs

Ever since the day Nadella became CEO, he has been undoing the wrongs of the deal, which blew a sizeable hole in the company's coffers and saddled it with a failing business that would, over the next few years, see phone market share drop to under 1%, which is classified as a rounding error by some firms.

Lumia devices never sold well, with consecutive sales decreases of 46% and then 49% in the past two quarters, and the 'dumb' phone business was being swallowed by cheap-as-chips Android phones, some of which retailed for under $25 in key markets like India.

All in all, the deal for Nokia made no sense, but it had to be kept because, well, it cost over $7 billion and would have been an embarrassing thing to walk away from before now, when the game is well and truly over. When Steve Ballmer laughed at the iPhone in 2007, it should have been taken as a sign of how wrong this deal would go.

Nadella has done everything in his power to right Ballmer's misstep

Nadella, to his credit, has done almost everything in his power to right this wrong, however, and the Microsoft that exists today is one that has learnt from the mistakes of the past and, bar the massive financial burden, is ready to move on.

Sweeping changes at Microsoft: Nadella's vision is in full effect

Instead of trying to sell phones, Microsoft can now focus on distributing productivity software – namely Office – to as many people as possible, some of whom will pay monthly, as well as getting Windows 10 onto a billion devices in the next few years.

The deal that Microsoft has been giving to Windows users – a free upgrade to Windows 10 from 7, 8, or 8.1 – ends in just under two months, and the company has announced that this really is it, the last chance for upgraders, despite concerns that this may not be the best way to on-board users. Windows 10 currently has 300 million users, according to Microsoft, so it's unclear how an extra 700 million will be added if they have to pay, especially over the given timescale.

Back in business

Nadella makes a valid point that there are a group of users who like Windows-based phones still – businesses – and selling to them makes more sense than competing against Apple, Samsung, and so on.

Features like Continuum, which turns a smartphone into a fully-fledged PC with an optional display dock accessory, have potential and leverage the assets Microsoft has, like an integrated operating system across devices, as well as beating competitors to the punch.

Businesses that are currently experimenting with BYOD are finding that it's costly, both in terms of time and money. Supporting a myriad of operating systems and devices, all with oddities and unique features, is tough and having a single solution – like a Microsoft phone running Windows 10 – certainly has appeal.

The business arena is a mere consolation prize compared to the consumer market where Lumia phones sadly failed to make an impact

Consolation corner

This market, however, should be seen as more of a consolation prize for Microsoft than anything worthy of credit, because it won't be anywhere near as profitable as the consumer electronics market, which was what Lumia devices were aimed at.

The future of Microsoft rests on the shoulders of Windows 10, Office, Azure (which recently went cross-platform, thanks to Nadella), and moonshot initiatives like HoloLens. Nadella, so far, has encouraged all of these and, more importantly, has enabled each team to do their best work across allplatforms, not just Windows.

The shackles of being a Windows-only company have been thrown off by Nadella and the results speak for themselves. Going forward, Microsoft is in a much better position to do good – and dumping what remained of the phone business is another positive step forward.

Also check out how Microsoft's Bing is experimenting on you

Week in Tech: Nokia knifed, unwanted Windows and the next Xbox One

TechRadar — Fri, 27 May 2016 14:11:00 +0000

It hasn't been a good week for Microsoft. Instead of getting excited about the Xbox One Mini, most of us were sad about the apparent end of Windows Phone, and furious at some sneaky Windows 10 tomfoolery. Elsewhere we discovered Apple's plans for your home and the tech that you'll see in the 2020 iPhone, uncovered the OnePlus 3 and explored Netflix in VR. It's been a particularly packed Week in Tech!

Microsoft and Nokia: a bad call?

Microsoft is laying off thousands of staff from its smartphone division, and it looks increasingly likely that it's getting out of the phone hardware business altogether. But Microsoft's biggest mistake wasn't buying Nokia, says Gareth Beavis: it was not pushing Windows Phone aggressively in the low-margin, high-volume phone market. "If Windows Phone had truly dominated the low-end smartphone arena as it could, it would have nabbed market share that would have been golden to Microsoft," he says. Instead of mourning Windows Phone, we'd be using it.

Windows 10 tomfoolery

It seems that Microsoft can't see its feet without unloading a shotgun at them. This week it emerged that if you say no to the Windows 10 upgrade then Microsoft takes that as a yes, and installs it anyway. It's been reclassified as a "recommended update", so if your system is set to install those automatically then hitting the red X to close the upgrade pop-up doesn't stop the installation. The internet, you'll be amazed to hear, is furious.

Big One, little One

Microsoft is working on multiple new Xbox devices, including an Xbox Two (now officially called Xbox Series X), slated for next year, and an Xbox One Mini, due to be unveiled at E3 2016. The smaller, cheaper Xbox One will be joined by a Chromecast-style media streamer and an Apple TV-style box, priced at around $100 and $200 respectively. As for the Xbox Two, the console, codenamed 'Scorpio' will have 4K video (but not 4K gaming) and VR, as well as an improved GPU. It's expected to launch in spring 2017.

OnePlus 2 is 3

Yep, the follow-up to the OnePlus 2 is the OnePlus 3. Mark your diary for June 14, because that's when the OnePlus 3 is expected to launch. With an anticipated cost of £239/US$329, a new design and possibly 6GB of RAM it could be quite the bargain – and as ever we've collated everything you need to know about the handset in one place.

Siri seems to be the hardest word

It's fair to say that Apple's Siri isn't quite living up to its initial promise. Google's voice control is more reliable and Amazon's Alexa has more friends – but that may change at WWDC with the arrival of a new home speaker/mic, rather like Amazon's Echo. It'll come with a software development kit enabling app creators to link Siri to their products, so you'll be able to yell for a cab or a pizza without having to wait for Apple to approve it. Here's hoping the voice recognition is better too.

The iPhone you can't buy yet

2020 sounds impossibly futuristic, but it's only four years away – so what tech can we expect to see in that year's flagship iPhone? Gary Marshall teamed up with Ulster University's Dr Kevin Curran to sift fact from fiction, and identify which technologies are likely to make it into your pocket or purse in the 2020 iPhone. The good news? It'll be amazing. The bad news? It'll probably still need a daily charge.

The biggest Things in the Internet of Things

2020 should also see much more of the Internet of Things, which will make even the humblest item intelligent and hyper-connected. But which firms should we be watching? Max Slater-Robins knows – and some of the names may surprise you.

Netflix – now in VR

How's this for irony? Netflix, which started off as a service that would stop people from having to go to a video store, is now available as a virtual reality video store, offering all the inconvenience of physical video shops with the added expense of virtual reality hardware. It's a demo rather than a product, though: Netflix Zone was created at a hackday, rather than cooked up in Netflix's own labs.

Prepare for battle(cast)

Good news for parents who'd like their kids to drain the family finances but would rather they didn't do it on plastic figurines: Skylanders is now available as a card game in the form of Skylanders Battlecast. The game enables kids to spend their pocket money on cards, and use the characters in the game that runs on iOS, Android or Kindle Fire. Hugh Langley, no stranger to card-based gaming, has the details.

Pebble Pebble

Pebble smartwatches have struggled to keep up with the likes of Android Wear 2 and the Apple Watch, but there's a whole bunch of new Pebbles for 2016, including the second-generation Pebble 2, which has much more of a fitness focus than its predecessor. It's going via Kickstarter again, so shipping won't happen until at least September, but at just $99 (around £70, AU$140) backing it now will save you around $30/£20/AU$40.

Buying Nokia wasn't Microsoft's biggest mistake – this was

gareth.beavis@futurenet.com (Gareth Beavis) — Wed, 25 May 2016 14:06:00 +0000

I remember when I first saw Windows Mobile running on a variety of phones, at a packed launch event that included a validation from Apple lover Stephen Fry. It was set to be a brave new world, one where the three horse race (remember, RIM's BlackBerry OS was a thing back then) would be joined by a powerful fourth.

Windows Mobile (the prior incarnation of Microsoft's Mobile OS) was a curious thing before 2010, a powerful operating system that was ravaged by age. It was all function and no beauty in a world where simplicity and smoothness were becoming necessary factors in a smartphone purchase.

Behind the scenes of Windows Phone 7 - how Microsoft planned to make it a success

So with the reboot to the new tiled interface, combined with all the enterprise, security and software smarts of Microsoft, things looked rather rosy. Yes, it was going to be a tough road, but all the pieces were there.

Apparently he wasn't even paid to be there

And then Nokia joined the party, and that's when things looked set to become turbocharged. I remember Gartner predicting in 2012 that Windows Phone would be nicking 20% of the world's smartphone share in 2015, with iOS slipping behind thanks to a dedicated belief in a single phone model.

Today, with Microsoft laying off thousands of staff members from the smartphone division and massive question marks hanging over the future of phone production by the brand altogether, I can't help but feel Windows Phone took a really wrong turn when Microsoft and Nokia got much cosier.

There was a point in 2012 Redmond brand made 'support payments' to Nokia, to the tune of millions of dollars (which was to be paid back later down the line when the higher sales would trigger royalty payments back to Microsoft), to be a premium partner to the mobile platform - and at that point the two brands should have realised that going after the big game, halo products was a bad idea.

As soon as Windows Phone 8 appeared it was clear high-end phones weren't going to cut it. The other big brands stopped making Windows Phones in the volumes they once were, not willing to gamble on the unproven OS again.

But when the Nokia Lumia 520 landed, it was a sensation, a super cheap smartphone with a virtually identical interface to the one you'd find on a phone five times the cost.

Sure, the hardware was much poorer: the camera was terrible, the engine inside underpowered and the screen quality awful - but it was five times as cheap. You could have one of these for every working day of the week, if you wanted to really irritate yourself between each weekend.

Samsung has the same strategy but has made it work well. You can buy a super-cheap Galaxy handset, or spend multiple times that amount to get something like the Galaxy S7 Edge. But unlike the Windows Phone range, Android has some serious clout when it comes to development, functionality and, most importantly, an app ecosystem.

Talk to anyone that uses a Windows Phone and they'll largely be disparaging for one reason: talking about how many apps they can't use because they're not available. Microsoft acknowledged this problem and tried its damndest to attract developers - but without a large user base, app creators just weren't interested. Even those that did make an app didn't update them as frequently.

The phone that Nokia should have used as a model for the future

Microsoft's mistake was not realising that from Windows 8 onwards, pushing brands to pack the easy-to-use operating system into even lower-end phones than the Lumia 520, bringing a premium experience and platform to the really cheap markets. Low margins, sure, but it would have had a much wider user base - the same thing that's now working for Xiaomi.

If you look at the most popular Windows Phone handsets in the past five years, after an early surge of high-end devices (which were all that was on offer from a variety of top-end brands) the lower end phones took the crown: the Lumias 520, 620, 530 and 640 all outshone their more expensive brethren as people not willing to spend hundreds on a new phone hoovered up these handsets from a well-known brand.

In fairness to Microsoft, once the ink was dry on the Nokia purchase it didn't make another high-end phone until the Lumia 950 pair running Windows 10 Mobile - but by April 2014 it was too late.

If Windows Phone had truly dominated the low-end smartphone arena as it could, it would have nabbed market share that would have been golden to Microsoft. Developers would have started to trickle in, attracted by the scale. The phones would have become more attractive to both users and app makers.

And in the alternate timeline, Microsoft's Terry Myerson could have strode out on stage at the end of this year, whipped out the Surface Phone and driven a crowd into a frenzy, media outlets predicting that this was the phone that should have Apple and Google running scared.

But while 2012's predictions for iOS are largely true (it managed only 13.9% compared to the 17.2% predicted in 2015, according to IDC) the excess wasn't taken by Windows Phone, but by an army of supercheap Android phones.

A chance Microsoft missed.

Update: This article was modified to correct the assertion that Microsoft continued to make flagship phones after the Nokia purchase talks began, when these were still branded Nokia.

Windows Phone died on this day

Microsoft takes the knife to Nokia as it butchers smartphone division

James Rogerson — Wed, 25 May 2016 10:10:00 +0000

Microsoft is to cull 1,850 jobs as it massively cuts down on its smartphone hardware business.

It's no secret that Microsoft is struggling to compete against iOS and Android. In fact, in the first quarter of 2016 Windows Phone's market share dropped below 1%.

That news in itself was no surprise, having followed weak quarterly results and the sale of its feature phone business.

Now, in an internal memo obtained by The Verge, Terry Myerson, Microsoft's head of Windows and devices, confirmed that the company would be cutting up to 1850 jobs worldwide, 1350 of which would be in Finland and likely mostly made up of those who worked for Nokia Devices.

It's starting to sound like Microsoft could be preparing for a complete exit of the mobile space, but Myerson suggests it's not quite dead yet.

In the memo he says that the company is "streamlining" its smartphone hardware business, but that it will continue to "develop great new devices".

Down but maybe not out

He doesn't get too specific, but notably he says that "I used the words 'be more focused' above. This in fact describes what we are doing (we're scaling back, but we're not out!)"

That's at odds with claims from an unnamed source speaking to Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, who according to Reuters said that Microsoft will stop designing and manufacturing mobile phones altogether.

With it being the one major company currently invested in the Windows Phone platform, that would surely leave Windows 10 Mobile with little to no future.

But if we believe the memo, and we're inclined to when the alternative is an anonymous source, Microsoft isn't giving up on the smartphone game just yet.

It sounds like we may see fewer devices, but with exciting ones like the Surface Phone on the horizon there's still some small hope for the platform.

It might be struggling, but Windows 10 Mobile is a solid operating system

Windows Ink and Cortana upgrades come to the latest Windows 10 beta

Lewis Leong — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 19:39:00 +0000

Windows 10 power users will be happy with the latest Insider Preview build of the operating system. Build 14328 features a ton of small tweaks that come together to make Windows 10 more powerful than ever.

The biggest addition to Windows 10 is the new Windows Ink feature, which is a sketch and notepad to help you quickly jot down your thoughts. Windows 10 will automatically detect if you have a compatible stylus like the Surface Pen, allowing you to quickly access plethora of options by press the pen button.

Currently, most pens can only activate an eraser mode, and OneNote if there are two buttons. Ink is a quicker, less intrusive way to jot down notes quickly and access many more options like a digital ruler and other bite sized options.

The Start menu is getting an overhaul as well, getting you to your apps with fewer clicks and scrolling. The most used apps and All apps list have been merged into one, and important shortcuts for File Explorer, Settings, and Power are now located to the left side.

The full-screen All Apps list makes its return on Windows tablets, letting users quickly find apps, though the icons are still frustratingly small.

And since artificial intelligence is the next big thing, Microsoft is making it easier to use its Cortana virtual assistant. Cortana can now be summoned from the lock screen, but she'll ask you for your password to access sensitive data. New users also won't have to set up Cortana before getting to use it.

Beyond these updates, there are ton of smaller tweaks in the Taskbar like a redesigned clock, which integrates your calendar events and the ability to switch audio devices quickly. Be sure to read Microsoft's entire change log to see just how many tweaks the company made to Windows 10.

The Windows 10 Preview build is available today for both PC and Windows Phone for those who have opted into Insider Preview builds. Head over to your Settings app and click on "Advanced options" under the Windows Update section. Scroll down and you'll see an option to "Get Insider Preview builds."

Be warned, as these preview builds have their fair share of bugs so use a virtual machine or a spare computer to try out the updates to be safe.

All of these changes are expected to come out late this summer in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

What does Apple have cooking up for OS X Fuji?

Windows Phone sales are in freefall

James Rogerson — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 10:00:00 +0000

Microsoft has just published its third-quarter results, and they paint a very bleak picture for Windows Phone. Sales of Lumia devices were down 73% compared to the same quarter last year, with just 2.3 million devices sold – during the same period in 2015 8.6 million were sold.

That's resulted in a massive 46% drop in phone revenue, though it's easy to point to a relative lack of new devices, particularly at the high end, as one of the factors.

The Microsoft Lumia 950 is the latest flagship available – and that launched around five months ago, in November 2015, so it's no wonder sales have stalled. But that can only tell part of the story.

Even last quarter Microsoft only sold 4.5 million Lumia devices, which is hardly a huge number compared to its contemporaries, and was down from 10.5 million during the same period last year.

This all seems to show that even the launch of Windows 10 Mobile has done little to slow the decline of Windows Phone, and that its days could be numbered.

Tablet revenues are surfacing

It's not all bad news for Microsoft though, as while its $3.8 (£2.6/AU$4.9) billion of total net income and $20.5 (£14.3/AU$26.4) billion of revenue are both down a little from this time last year its tablet business is showing growth.

Surface-related revenue is up 61% at $1.1 (£0.76/AU$1.4) billion for the quarter, while last quarter also saw healthy Surface revenues. Microsoft hasn't broken down the figures, but claims this increase has been driven by the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 and Microsoft Surface Book.

That's still a drop in the ocean compared to Apple's iPad revenue though, which in quarter one of 2016 stood at over $7 (£4.9/AU$9) billion and has rarely dropped below $4 (£2.8/AU$5.1) billion.

Surface sales aside it looks like Microsoft's mobile devices could be in for a continually rough ride this year, with the Surface Phone rumoured to be a 2017 launch, and little else of substance on the horizon.

The Lumia 650 is a strong phone, but is it good enough to turn the tide?

Spotify confirms it won't be dropping Windows Phone

James Peckham — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 11:41:00 +0000

It turns out Spotify won't be dropping support for Windows Phone 8 devices after all, as the brand has confirmed to techradar it will continue to look after the app on Microsoft's mobile platform.

The original story came about after support staff member commented to a customer, who then shared the post on Twitter, that Windows Phone support for the Spotify app had ceased after an update in February 2015. But that information was false.

A Spotify spokesperson told techradar "To clarify our recent information regarding the Windows Phone experience, we will continue supporting the Windows Phone 8.1 experience moving forward."

"Our main goal at Spotify is to offer the best music experience on the market, covering all platforms."

Wrong support

As for Windows 10, the app on the platform is about to get some major improvements which should be rolling out imminently.

The spokesperson said: "We are actually improving our support for Windows 10 in our coming update 5.2, which will be available starting today."

Spotify is currently chasing the source of the confusion, which may have resulted from incorrect information coming from support staff and then being easily shared on Twitter.

If you're using a Windows Phone device and were upset by the news, there's no need to worry and you'll still be able to stream the your Spotify tracks with ease.

Apple Music vs Spotify vs Tidal: which is best?

HP's first Windows Phone could save Microsoft's mobile bet

desire.athow@futurenet.com (Desire Athow) — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 17:00:00 +0000

HP has launched its first smartphone since the years of the Palm Pre, but this one is squarely aimed at the enterprise market with two peripherals that could well change the way we think about mobility.

The Elite x3 borrows HP's premium laptop branding - the Elite - and add the number three, a hint at the number of mode it can take on (smartphone, laptop and desktop).

The optional desk dock (below) offers USB-C and USB-A connectivity as well as rapid charging and an Ethernet port; there's even a micro suction on the base to keep it fix on a desktop.

The Mobile Extender (below) is an even more interesting concept, giving you a full laptop experience but using the phone to power it wirelessly.

The peripheral is similar to the Dell XPS 13 with a 12.5-inch full HD, near borderless display and a massive 48Whr battery, USB-C charging and a microHDMI port - sadly no DisplayPort.

Watershed moment in mobility

And HP didn't skimp on the features, opting for the absolute bleeding edge. On top of a Cat 6 LTE modem and 2x2 AC Wi-Fi, it offers IP67 and Mil-STD-810 certifications, which means it is far more solid than your average smartphone.

There's also a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 powering it, paired with 4GB of RAM (LPDDR-4) and a staggering 64GB of onboard storage to deliver the sort of compute and storage resources you'd expect to find on a mainstream business laptop.

A 5.96-inch, QHD AMOLED screen offers more than enough real estate for Windows Apps. That combined with a massive 4150mAh battery, a more sturdy construction and more connectors, would typically result in a chunky smartphone.

However, the Elite x3 is surprisingly thin and light; measuring 3.29 x 6.36 x 0.31 inches or 84 x 162 x 7.8 mm (W x D x H) and weighing 0.43 pounds (195g).

What makes it even more attractive to enterprise is how secure and extensible it is. The x3 comes with dual biometrics authentication and a wealth of baked in security features, plus Pogo pins at the rear to connect other accessories.

HP also confirmed that it is working with 60 ISVs (independent software vendors) to develop applications and hardware solutions for the x3 and the Windows 10 Mobile ecosystem.

The Elite x3 is not HP's first phone based on a Microsoft mobile OS; years ago it inherited the iPAQ family of devices from Compaq after the acquisition in 2001.]

HP has yet to announce pricing for the Elite x3, but the company plans to release more information as we get closer to its summer release window.

Windows 10 Mobile review

The best Australian apps

Nick Broughall — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 03:45:00 +0000

From the moment that Apple launched its first iPhone, Australian developers have been at the forefront of creating amazing software for mobile devices. Over the past eight years, the local industry has blossomed, with amazing apps for everything from productivity to entertainment being created by Aussies for the rest of the world.

But while there are hundreds of locally produced apps that are changing the way people use their devices, there's a special class of app that punches well above its weight. Where small, local indies have managed to grow into something bigger.

These are the best Australian apps. We'll keep updating this list as more local devs change the world with their creations.

Platform: iOS, Android, Windows Phone | Price: $3.79 / $3.99 / $4.89

Sydneysiders will be all too familiar with the perils of public transport in Australia's most populous city. It was a battle developer Nick Maher was facing every day. Yet unlike the thousands of people who silently suffered delays, cancelled trains and overcrowded buses, Maher used his experience to build a Java app for his Sony Ericsson phone, which he then ported to the iPhone in 2008.

Originally designed to tell a user how long until the next train arrived, the app has expanded significantly since launch. It now offers real-time data for trains and buses (not quite all of them, but a large percentage) and has expanded to cover Melbourne's public transport as well as Sydney's.

While Maher credits a lot of the app's success to being in the right place at the right time (on the App Store not long after the iPhone 3G launched in Australia), the app's intuitive interface and detailed information is also crucial to its place at the top of our list.

Platform: iOS, Android, Windows Phone | Price: $7.49 / $7.49 / $8.59

Sometimes you just need to pack up the car and get the hell away from the city. But where do you go?

WikiCamps Australia creators Russ and Cliff Corbin spent 2.5 years travelling around Australia and were surprised that there wasn't a full database of the country's campsites.

After two full trips around the country, they had enough of a database to launch the platform back in 2012, but quickly realised that a user-generated wiki was the best way to create a truly useful tool.

Since it launched, the database has expanded from 2,000 to over 20,000 sites, with comprehensive information about everything from amenities and mobile coverage to Information Centres and pet-friendly locations.

There's also over 260,000 site reviews and over 100,000 site photos, giving users a real opportunity to explore their camping adventure before they leave.

Platform: iOS, Android, Windows Phone | Price: $4.99 / $3.99 / $4.29

The world of podcasts is as wide and varied as the people who make them. But listening to your favourite podcast can be a convoluted experience without the right app.

Aussie developers Shifty Jelly have created what is arguably the best podcasting app ever produced with Pocket Casts.

Back in 2010 when they made the app, you had to plug your phone into a desktop computer, and manually sync your podcasts across. Today, over 500,000 users simplify the whole process with Pocket Casts.

The decision is fairly easy for podcast fans, with features like filtered lists, automated downloads, variable speed playback and automated clean up of episodes all standard. It works across devices, and gets better at every opportunity.

Platform: iOS, Android | Price: Free

The days of placing your credit card behind a bar for a good night out are well and truly behind us now, with Aussie app Clipp landing on iOS and Android.

Clipp co-founder Greg Taylor is familiar with the perils of leaving a credit card behind the bar. It was, after all the incentive for Clipp's creation.

Accepted at over 650 bars and restaurants around the country, Clipp lets you flash your phone at the bar staff to add drinks to your tab, and then close the tab from your phone, paying with your PayPal account. You'll get your receipt emailed immediately, and earn rewards points all at the same time.

But thanks to its success, the app is now so much more. After lots of demand from users, Clipp introduced the ability to split bills easily within the app.

But even more impressive is the inclusion of last-minute deals, which allows users to explore their city, saving up to 40% off their bill for next to no effort at all.

Platform: iOS, Android | Price: Free (plus subscription)

Running a small business is hard enough work, without having to waste hours navigating the well of despair that is Microsoft Excel, or pay a fortune for professional accounting software.

Founder Chris Strode was a freelance programmer back in 2002 when he created Invoice2Go during his daily train commute. He wanted a tool that would not only allow him to send an invoice within minutes, but also keep tabs of invoices being paid, tracking expenses and monitoring overall business performance.

It was in 2008 when the first app version of the service launched that things really took off. Now, business users can do everything from tracking time with the Invoice2Go Apple Watch app and even receive payments from within the app itself.

With customisable invoice styles, integrated logo design tools and the ability to offer quotes within the app, it's a comprehensive tool for small business owners.

Platform: iOS, Android | Price: $2.49 / $1.99

Being able to predict the weather takes years of practice, study and an understanding of science. Making the weather forecast look amazing on your smartphone or tablet is also challenging, but it's something the team a Shifty Jelly has accomplished with Pocket Weather.

Back when the iPhone 3G launched in Australia, Apple was using Yahoo! to provide its weather information and the results were always wrong. It was so frustrating that inspired Shifty Jelly to go out and create a simple, accurate weather app.

Beautifully simple yet packed with information straight from the Bureau of Meteorology, the app has developed significantly over time. But it's an essential download – Shifty Jelly's Russell Ivanovic tells us that Pocket Weather was so popular that they worked out it was installed on roughly one in every six Australian iPhones.

Platform: iOS | Price: $7.49

Quite possibly the most powerful art app available for the iPad, Procreate created a bit of a stir a few years back when it was used to create a hyper-realistic portrait of Morgan Freeman.

When Apple first launched the iPad, there was a lot of debate about whether it was a creation or a consumption device. The team behind Procreate quickly realised that there wasn't another art app taking advantage of the unique technology the iPad offered, and so set about creating an app they would like to use.

With amazing versatility through a range of different brush styles, blur tools and layers, Procreate (and its iPhone sibling, Procreate Pocket) are proof that the iPad is definitely more than just a consumption device.

What's more, the developers are intimately focused on the iPad platform, rolling out new features as Apple introduces new technologies they can take advantage of. Bigger canvas sizes, more layers, cinema-quality image adjustments and superb native stylus input have all been huge improvements to Procreate since it first launched.

Platform: iOS, Android | Price: Free

Keeping on top of your finances is a never-ending battle, but one that is made significantly easier thanks to technology.

Local finance startup Pocketbook lets you keep track of all your expenses and incomes across a wide range of accounts from different Australian banks, and intelligently collates them into different categories.

A great tool for managing your budget, Pocketbook also helps users save money by giving an insight into how much cash they can safely spend each month, as well as keeping tabs on bills so they can avoid late fees.

Platform: iOS, Android | Price: Free

Any parent with their kids in daycare knows that getting updates on their little tykes day can be a challenge, especially if you're the parent that doesn't get to do the pre-school pick up.

That's exactly what inspired new dad Dan Day to create Kinderloop back in 2013 – he just wasn't getting enough information about his daughter, and decided to do something about it.

Today, the platform is so much more than just a communications tool for parents. Early childhood educators can use the app to make educational observations, plan around childrens' interests and document their work without exponentially increasing their workloads.

Of course, getting real-time updates on what your kids are doing via a smartphone app is still amazing for any parent, and makes you wonder why nobody thought of this sooner.

Platform: iOS, Android | Price: Free

Commercial radio today is designed to cater to a broad audience. And while Pandora tries to counter that with personalised music, Aussie app Omny takes it one step further by combining your Spotify and Pandora playlists and blending them with both podcasts you might like and personalised notifications.

The end result is a truly personalised radio experience. As co-founder Ed Hooper explains, being able to collect the parts of radio you like and swipe away the parts you don't makes for a very enjoyable experience.

The app wasn't just a hit with consumers, either – content creators loved it so much that the developers went and created Omny Studio, a fully-featured tool for creating, editing and sharing radio content.

Platform: iOS | Price: Free

Canva is like having an art department on your iPad. Created less than three years ago by Melanie Perkins, the app was created to take the complexity out of design software.

With a collection of templates and the ability to purchase stock photography cheaply directly from the app, Canva offers the ability to create everything from business cards to presentations, as well as simple things like engaging social media posts.

With an incredibly simple interface, even the most design illiterate person can create attractive products, which is probably why more than 8 million people use the app and two designs are created on Canva every second.

The app has expanded to small business too, with the Canva for Work arrival offering more flexible usage like being able to create your own brand kits, instantly resize designs and upload your own fonts.

Platform: iOS | Price: Free

Being able to get on top of your fitness goals is a challenge, especially with the endless stream of fitness wearables hitting shelves.

But keeping tabs on your overall fitness can be a challenge, with many health apps only keeping track of the most basic information about your health.

Bodywise is trying to become your software hub for your fitness goals, syncing with Jawbone and Fitbit devices, as well as HealthKit in iOS. Rather than counting calories, the app focuses on the important things that will make a difference to your overall health, like alcohol or smoking.

Co-founder Mike Halligan quickly realised that when it comes to being healthy, everyone has a different idea on what they want. Bodywise allows all those things to be tracked in one place, giving you a much more detailed look at your overall wellbeing.

Platform: iOS | Price: $5.99

If you want to make something happen, you need control, discipline and an app. Streaks helps you create better habits by letting you track six tasks you want to complete everyday, from reading to exercising and everything in between.

Developer Quentin Zervaas tells us that the hard limit of only having six tasks helps the app drive you to success. The good thing about it, he says, is that finishing one or two tasks pushes you to finish the rest of the tasks in the day.

And after you complete five out of your six tasks, it's pretty hard to ignore that final one.

The app also pulls in data from Healthkit to automatically tick off your activities physical, while manual tasks are easily ticked off as you complete them.

Platform: iOS, Android | Price: Free

Need something done, but don't want to do it yourself? Airtasker will let you pay someone – anyone – to do your dirty little jobs for you, for a small fee of course. From cleaning your bedroom to picking up your laundry, to lining up to buy one of the first iPhone 7 handsets, Airtasker proves that people can do pretty much anything to make a bit of coin on the side.

Vaio might have made the most beautiful Windows Phone yet

john.mccann@futurenet.com (John McCann) — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 10:23:00 +0000

Once upon a time gorgeous Vaio laptops from Sony were seriously desirable pieces of kit, but since the computing arm was sold from the big Japanese brand, Vaio hasn't managed to keep its global appeal. However, could that be about to change?

Vaio - now a company in its own right - has launched its first Windows 10 smartphone dubbed, rather amusingly, the Vaio Phone Biz. This isn't Vaio's first smartphone though, as it launched a series of Android handsets from March 2015 onwards.

The Phone Biz boasts a 5.5-inch full HD display, Snapdragon 617 processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, microSD slot, 13MP rear camera and 5MP front snapper.

That's not a terrible line up of specs, but it does mean it's less powerful than Microsoft's flagship Lumia 950 and 950 XL.

Ready to Continuum?

It's design takes very different angle to Microsoft, with the Vaio Phone Biz coming with a full and curved aluminium body - making it more premium and business-like than the polycarbonate-clad Lumias.

Another boost for the Phone Biz is its support for Continuum, allowing you to plug the handset into a monitor via Microsoft's special adapter, for a basic desktop experience without the need for a full blown computer.

Before you get too excited, the Vaio Phone Biz is only launching in Japan for now - but there's always a chance it would make its way to other countries in the future.

Read our Windows 10 Mobile review

Windows 10 Mobile is rolling out 'soon' promises Microsoft

David Nield — Sun, 03 Jan 2016 15:13:00 +0000

It's been a long wait for Lumia users stuck with Windows Phone 8.1 on their handsets: the Windows 10 Mobile upgrade was supposed to arrive before the Christmas holidays but then got pushed back to the start of 2016.

We still don't have an official release date but tweets from the @LumiaHelp Twitter feed promise it's on the way "soon". How soon? One anonymous tipster has told NPU that 12 January is the day that Windows 10 Mobile rolls out to the masses.

Right now the mobile OS is only available on the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL handsets. A variety of bugs and issues have been reported that are linked to software updates, which could be the reason Microsoft is holding back on letting other Lumia users download it.

What you'll need

That 12 January date may or may not be accurate, but it seems to fit with the official comments that have come from Redmond so far. Among the changes is a new browser in the form of Microsoft Edge, an app we've already seen in the desktop version of Windows 10.

The last we heard, you'll need a Lumia 430, Lumia 435, Lumia 532, Lumia 535, Lumia 540, Lumia 640, Lumia 640 XL, Lumia 735, Lumia 830 or Lumia 930 to qualify for a Windows 10 Mobile download. You also need a free 8GB of internal memory and the Lumia Denim update (Windows Phone 8.10.14219.341 or above).

Those prerequisites may change between now and the time that Windows 10 Mobile finally sees the light of day, however - let's hope there aren't too many more days to wait.

Read our hands-on review of Windows 10 Mobile

Via Softpedia

Steve Ballmer says Windows Phone should run Android apps

James O'Malley — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 12:00:00 +0000

Microsoft should be working on making Windows Phone run Android apps, according to the company's former chief executive Steve Ballmer.

Ballmer, who handed over the reins to Satya Nadella last year, and who is now owner of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team, weighed in on his former company while speaking to Bloomberg.

When asked about Nadella's focus on building Windows 10's 'Universal Apps' platform, which makes it easier for developers to make apps that work across Windows on mobile, tablet and desktop, Ballmer simply said "That won't work", and argued for Android app support instead.

Lack of apps has been a perennial problem for Windows on mobile, and the chicken/egg problem of needing more apps to attract users while needing more users to attract app developers is one of the reasons why Microsoft's mobile platform ambitions have remained stalled.

If Android apps could be run on Windows, that could be an effective means of getting around the problem, as developers wouldn't have to rebuild from the ground up.

The company had in fact been previously working on this Android support, in a project that was codenamed 'Astoria', but this was dropped as a priority in favour of focusing on Universal Apps.

As the Verge notes, the comments are perhaps a little surprising, given that it was on Ballmer's watch that Microsoft largely rejected working with other platforms. It's only since Nadella took over that the company has made a big push into growing its presence on iOS and Android.

Cloud Criticisms

Interestingly too, in the same interview Ballmer blasted the current Microsoft administration's approach to reporting its earnings, arguing that the company should report earnings in full from Microsoft's cloud business, not just the "run rate", which annualised revenue collected in a shorter period of time. He called it "bullshit".

When asked by Bloomberg about Ballmer's comments, Microsoft's investor relations manager Chris Suh said (presumably through gritted teeth):

"We enjoy a regular dialogue with Steve, and welcome his input and feedback, as we do from our other investors."

We look forward to Ballmer lobbing more grenades in the future.

Here's our review of Microsoft's latest flagship phone, the Lumia 950.

Microsoft's new app wants to convince you to switch to Windows Phone

James O'Malley — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 10:30:00 +0000

Like a crazy ex who won't stop texting, Microsoft has upped the ante in a slightly-too-desperate way in its bid to urge Android users to switch to the Windows Phone platform. Microsoft has launched a new Android app to show which apps will work if they make the switch.

Called "AppComparison", the app will take a look at the apps installed on your phone and compare them to those available on the Microsoft store.

If there's a match, it will tell you - and if there's not, it will scour Microsoft's apps for alternatives. For example, if it spots Amazon Instant Video it might instead recommend Netflix.

"It's a match"

What's interesting about the app is that it is effectively an admission by Microsoft that it knows the major weakness of its ailing mobile platform - the lack of apps.

The company has been struggling to solve the chicken-and-egg problem of needing more apps to spur user growth, yet more users to motivate developers to build apps for the platform. This new app is an attempt to tackle that head on.

Whether the app will win any converts remains to be seen, though it can't be a coincidence that the launch comes at the same time as the launch of the Lumia 950.

Features like "Continuum" on the Lumia 950 will let you turn your phone into an (almost) fully-fledged computer when plugged into a Microsoft DisplayDock.

Check out our review of the Microsoft Lumia 950

Via TrustedReviews

Windows 10 Mobile Preview Build 10581 is here and we're excited

Juan Martinez — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 17:43:00 +0000

Looks like we're one step closer to a December Windows 10 Mobile release. Microsoft just unveiled the latest Insider Preview Build of the mobile operating system.

The new preview, Build 10581, features several bug fixes, including rectifying an error that wouldn't allow users to upgrade from preview build to preview build.

Additional fixes include terminating bugs that affected battery life and the ability for former Windows Phone 8.1 users who have upgraded to Windows 10 to use the Hey Cortana voice trigger to launch the personal assistant. Previously, some who migrated to Windows 10 on the Lumia 930, the Lumia Icon and the Lumia 1520 were not able to execute the command.

Other updates

Microsoft now lets you select and share photos through third-party apps. Although this feature seems standard today, previous builds suffered from a bug that made it impossible to select the images.

The new build should also feature improved text prediction, auto-correction and video recording.

Lingering issues

You will be unable to set your default save locations on this build, and your SD won't be properly recognized in your folder tree.

Also, if you move an app to an SD card, the app might crash. And if you restore a backup from a phone that had a different resolution, you may end up with a corrupted Start experience, Microsoft said in a statement.

When's it going to be?

Windows 10 Mobile was initially rumored to be made generally available in September. However, recent reports indicate the operating system might not reach the masses until December. Despite this rumor, Microsoft's Joe Belfiore recently told reporters Windows 10 Mobile is "significantly feature complete."

What we do know is that when Windows 10 Mobile releases later this year the first devices to get it will be the Lumia 430, Lumia 435, Lumia 532, Lumia 535, Lumia 540, Lumia 640, Lumia 640 XL, Lumia 735, Lumia 830, Lumia 930 and of course the newly announced Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL.

If you're interested in previewing the mobile operating system, check out this primer on how to download the preview today.

Windows 10 Mobile: everything we know so far

James Rogerson — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 09:40:00 +0000

Windows 10 Mobile is the latest name for Microsoft's phone and tablet operating system and, along with new Lumia phones, it's ready to give you a competent alternative to iOS and Android.

It was formerly known as Windows Phone 10 and then Windows 10 for phones before Microsoft settled on Windows 10 Mobile. It didn't launch alongside Windows 10 itself, though – that's already out in the wild.

In fact, the Windows 10 Mobile release date for existing phones is going to be in December. That's when the update "will begin rolling out", according to Microsoft.

Want to download it sooner? The big news is that W10 Mobile is launching with both new friends, the newly announced Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, and old rivals, like Android and iOS through app compatibility.

Yes, there's finally going to be an easy way for developers to port over their existing code, and that means more apps running on brand new Windows 10 Mobile devices.

All this bodes well for Microsoft's goal of having Windows 10 on one billion devices in two to three years. So far, 110 million Windows 10 installs have been performed in the software's first eight weeks, according to Microsoft.

It doesn't hurt that the company is also planning to offer a Windows 10 Mobile download for free for all W8.1 devices out there. That's going to give it a nice shot in the arm (gladly, not ARM).

Every device running Windows Phone 8.1 right now will be updated to Windows 10 in time.

This first builds of the Windows 10 Mobile were just technical previews, and as such contain a sampling of the features we're expecting to eventually see.

As an unfinished build, this Windows 10 Mobile technical preview is liable to be unstable, and Microsoft recommends caution when installing it – maybe on a secondary Windows Phone device rather than your main phone.

Cut to the chase

What is it? The next major upgrade for Windows Phone
When is it out? November on new Lumias, December to download
What will it cost? Nothing, it's a free download

Windows 10 Mobile release date

Windows 10 has now launched on desktop devices and we love it – so we wait with bated breath for the release of the mobile version. Right now, it really depends on your situation.

Microsoft's press conference this month confirmed rumors that it won't launch until November, and that's only happening with the new Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL. Downloads for older phones arrive in December.

That doesn't mean you can't download Windows 10 Mobile today. For the past several months, Microsoft has seeded the new platform to developers willing to test it out.

The good news is that when it does fully launch it will be available for a year as a free upgrade to existing Windows devices, including those running Windows Phone 8.1. So if you have a Windows Phone 8.1 handset you should be able to get Windows 10 on it before the year is out.

Windows 10 Mobile features

The key thing to know about Windows 10 Mobile is that while the version running on your handset will be optimised for a smaller screen it's still just considered Windows 10.

So apps and features will look similar on your phone to on your desktop. You get the full versions of Office, Word and PowerPoint and they will look and operate much the same as the desktop versions.

Settings screens will also look and operate in the same manner across devices and apps will be universal, so Photos, Music, Videos and more will be much the same on desktop, phone and tablet and you can switch between Windows devices almost seamlessly.

It's all about unity

Speaking of seamless switching, Windows 10 is designed to be unified between devices, not just with a similar look and universal apps, but by having phone and desktop work together.

So for example if you clear a notification from the Action Centre on your Windows 10 Mobile device, it will also disappear on your computer and vice-versa.

You'll also be able to open and edit Microsoft Office documents on all your different devices, as files will be synced in the cloud and a recent docs list will give you quick access.

Interface

You'll still get live tiles with Windows 10 Mobile and it doesn't look identical to the desktop version, but it's not far off. A background image will bleed through the translucent tiles, allowing you to personalise the Start screen beyond just changing the colours.

Swipe to the right and you'll get an apps list as before, but now recently installed apps will be shown at the top, so you can more easily find whatever you last downloaded.

There's also a new layout to the settings screen, making it look a lot more like the version found on desktop and tablets. In fact a few leaked screenshots of the Windows 10 Mobile technical preview have emerged, so you can see the settings screen for yourself above, along with Action Center (or whatever it ends up being called this time round).

As you can see there is a wider range of quick settings than on Windows Phone 8 and a different colour scheme, with blue icons.

Keyboard and messaging

The keyboard is getting a bit of a touch-up on Windows 10 Mobile. It's still the Word Flow keyboard from Windows Phone 8.1, but now it can be resized and even moved around the screen, so you can position it perfectly for your device and fingers.

Plus you can look forward to in-line messaging, allowing you to switch between SMS and Skype without switching apps and it's rocking some fancy dictation skills, as it can output symbols rather than writing the word and will even head into your contacts list to check how you spell a person's name when you speak it.

Camera and photos

The new photos app will be one of many universal apps and being universal it also syncs your images across all your Windows 10 devices using OneDrive.

Not only that, it also removes duplicate images, automatically creates albums and automatically enhances your photos by removing red eye and the like.

If you're not using a Lumia phone then you'll also see some big changes to the camera app, as Lumia Camera is becoming the default app on all Windows 10 handsets. It brings with it auto-HDR, 4K video recording, Rich Capture (which can combine images to create one superior photo) and Dynamic Flash, which takes a photo both with and without flash and then lets you adjust the flash level after the fact.

If you're already using a Lumia then you won't have to wait for Windows 10 Mobile to make use of these features, but the new version of Lumia Camera will also be faster both to launch and take photos than the current version.

Microsoft Display Dock

Microsoft will also be providing a Display Dock that will have three USB ports for accessories as well as HDMI and a DisplayPort. It means you'll be able to use the USB-Type C connector on the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL so you can connect it up with a monitor and use it as if it's a computer.

During the demo on stage at the Windows 10 devices event it showed how the screen will automatically scale to the monitor and you can use apps within it.

You won't lose your functionality as a phone though while you're using the Windows 10 apps – it'll just start ringing and you can answer it like normal.

Microsoft Edge

Big things are happening to Internet Explorer as part of Windows 10. In fact it's going to be replaced with a new name: Microsoft Edge. That's the official name that was previously codenamed Project Spartan.

The biggest addition is that on desktop at least you can now mark up web pages with notes and drawings and then share them with other users. Microsoft Edge is confirmed for Windows 10 Mobile, but sadly isn't available in the developers preview we currently have running.

More to come

Not everything about the Windows 10 Mobile platform is known yet, we're hoping to hear more in the lead up to the Lumia 950 and 950XL launches, now that Microsoft's initial desktop excitement has calmed down.

There doesn't seem to be many major feature changes in the new mobile OS and most of the changes are related to the way it interacts with other Microsoft products.

We'll keep you posted with when the updates throughout the day, as Microsoft plans to unveil new Windows 10 Mobile details, fresh Lumia phones and even a Microsoft Surface Pro 4.

Hands on with Windows 10 Mobile

Here's everything we thought we know about Windows 10 Mobile before the official announcement.

Windows Phone 8 is well over a year old now, yet until recently we knew very little about Windows Phone 10.

Originally it was expected to be with us by the end of 2013 as it was thought that Microsoft may adopt the annual software cycle made popular by Apple in an attempt to keep its mobile OS fresh and, more importantly, relevant.

That didn't happen, but from the information that we've been able to gather so far it looks like Windows Phone 10 could be a massive overhaul, in fact it might not be Windows Phone 10 at all, but instead just Windows 10, as Microsoft is seemingly looking to unify its operating systems, so it's not surprising that it's taken over a year.

However we did recently get Windows Phone 8.1 to tide us over, while leaks highlight that Windows Phone 8.5 may also be on the cards and Microsoft is expected to reveal Windows Phone 10 at an event on January 21.

Before we get our teeth in Windows Phone 10 we need to visit the rumors surrounding version 8.5. It's been confused with the ninth iteration of the platform before, and it's important to make a distinction between the two.

Windows Phone 8.5

It looks like there might be such a thing as Windows Phone 8.5 in the works, but details are slim on the ground. All that's really known so far is that there will seemingly be some potentially quite substantial changes to the Start screen interface in Windows Phone 8.5, but there's no word yet on what form those changes may take.

It's also worth noting that while we list this as a Windows Phone 8.5 feature it's entirely possible that it may end up in Windows Phone 10, especially as so little has been said about Windows Phone 8.5.

Now we've got Windows Phone 8.5 out of the way we can get back on the Windows Phone 10 trail.

We're scouring the web everyday to bring you all the latest on Windows Phone 10 and we'll be constantly updating the information below to give you the best picture of what's to come.

Windows Phone 10 release date

Early rumors pegged Windows Phone 10 for 2014, but that's been and gone and we're still on Windows Phone 8.1. More recently a leaked document mentioned dates of between Q2 and Q3 of 2015, which covers April-September and that's just for a preview build, so the final release might be even later.

That's now looking almost certain as Windows 10 has been announced and is expected to launch this year and it seems that this will be the basis for Windows Phone 10.

While we might not see a final build of Windows Phone 10 for many months yet it looks like Microsoft is starting to prepare for a launch, as according to WinBeta it's been sending builds of Windows Phone 10 out to select partners, though apparently it's an old version with little in the way of new features.

Microsoft has also created an app called 'Phone Insider', which appears to let Microsoft employees test out the new OS. Hopefully it will be opened up to the general public soon though.

We also may have heard about one of the first Windows Phone 10 handsets- the Microsoft Lumia 940.

Windows Phone 10 or just Windows 10?

For a while we've been seeing reports that suggest Microsoft may look to ditch the divide between its smartphone platform and the one it uses for tablets and PCs - rolling them all into one tidy bundle called Windows 10.

It now seems that's exactly what's happening, as with its announcement of Windows 10 Microsoft claimed that the OS would work on screen sizes ranging from four to 80 inches. Not only that but the company specifically stated the Windows 10 would be the next version of Windows Phone.

Whether that means it will just be called Windows 10 or whether it will still be called Windows Phone 10 isn't clear, but either way it should be heavily based on the desktop operating system. Hopefully we'll have a better idea of both what it's called and how it looks after Microsoft's January 21 press event.

Windows Phone 10 features

Murtazin gave some early insight into the design of Windows Phone 10. Saying that apparently it will be a complete overhaul which will remove the tile based Metro interface that Windows Phone is currently known for.

Murtazin went on to say that the interface would be more influenced by Android than iOS. That makes sense, given the general overhaul, since we now know that it will apparently be based on Windows 10, and cross-platform app code compatibility.

Exactly how Windows Phone 10 will look and behave is still unclear, as it's unlikely to be identical to the desktop version, but there'll obviously be unity between platforms and a similar design language.

However given that Live Tiles are still a part of Windows 10 it may not look a million miles from Windows Phone 8, especially as Microsoft will only need the touch focused element of its new OS on phones.

But even so, as a version of the desktop operating system it could well be more powerful and versatile than Windows Phone 8, which could be where Murtazin was coming from in saying that it will be more like Android than iOS.

More recently we've heard from sources speaking to The Verge that its interface will be designed to fit with both Windows 10 and the Xbox One and that Windows Phone 10 will be a combination of the Windows Phone of old and Windows RT.

A unified app store

Windows 10 is bringing Universal Windows apps with it. The idea with them is that there will be a single app store across all Windows 10 devices, whether servers, desktops or (presumably) smartphones. However the smartphone bit hasn't been confirmed yet, so Windows Phone 10 may or may not share an app store with the rest of Windows 10.

Windows Phone 10 devices list

One of the big issues with Windows Phone 8 was that you couldn't get it on your Windows Phone 7 handset, instead you were lumped with Windows Phone 7.8.

It's thought that Windows Phone 10 won't be so restrictive, with Windows Phone 8 users in line to get the upgrade which means you shouldn't have to worry about picking up a Nokia Lumia 1520 or HTC 8X.

Microsoft's Home Team app wants to help your business get discovered

Juan Martinez — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 14:51:00 +0000

Does your business have bad reviews on Yelp? Microsoft's new Home Team app is designed to help your business get noticed by Windows Phone users.

Similar to Yelp, Home Team is a free mobile app that provides consumers with recommendations and reviews of local businesses and professionals. But unlike the popular reviews engine, Home Team relies on feedback from people with whom consumers choose to connect with directly rather than strangers.

For example: consumers can connect with friends on Facebook or they can join work groups to find information about your company, products and services.

How it works

Once consumers have created connections with friends and coworkers, Home Team will search through the user's contacts list to find professional services. These businesses will be added to the user's network, where his or her connections can discover them.

If a user likes your business, he or she can can add it to his or her "Home Team" where it will be listed among other frequently used services. This feature enables users to quickly relocate your business without having to dig through their entire contacts list, or worse, having to Google.

When users are in search of a specific type of business or service, they can alert their networks by creating a "New ask." For example: Searching for a web developer.

Once in the Ask section of the app, users can create a New Ask, view old Asks or view Asks from friends.

An early version of the app is in beta.

Read our Windows 10 review

Microsoft Lumia 435 review

Sean Cameron — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 11:25:00 +0000

The Microsoft Lumia 435 is an odd little phone. Immediately recognisable as a Lumia, given its bold colours and polycarbonate body, yet boasting sharper lines, a more boxy design and a Microsoft logo, this is a different breed of Windows Phone.

As the first 400-class device in the Lumia family, the Lumia 435 is designed to appeal to a different audience from its older siblings. It's for those graduating from their first feature phone, those looking for a device to hand their child, or those seeking a back-up.

Given the price point, this is clear to see. Available from under £60 ($95, around AU$12), and as low as £40 (around $62, AU$80) SIM-free and a mere £24.99 on PAYG in the UK, this is a low-risk investment. Yet, for this price, what do you get?

Typically, buying a 'good' smartphone for less than £100 ($150, AU$200) has been a difficult proposition. With every increment, more features are dropped. The 435 is competing with the likes of the ZTE Kis 3 Max, Vodafone Smart 4 Mini and not really much else. Regardless, the spec sheet is reasonably beefy.

The device touts a 4-inch 480 x 800 pixel screen (with 233ppi), a dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, a healthy 1GB of RAM, HSDPA+ connectivity and 8GB of internal storage. For the price, this is quite decent.

Despite this, for just a little bit more the Moto E (2015) has a better, bigger screen, more battery life, a better processor and 4G. The same is true of the Honor Holly - better specs for a little more money.

Both of these devices also have access to the superior Android app ecosystem. With such fierce competition, can the Lumia 435 successfully prove its worth?

Despite its budget price you won't be left with an ageing operating system as Microsoft has revealed that the Lumia 435 will be one of the first handsets to get Windows 10 Mobile when it launches later this year.

This should mean that the Lumia 435 will get a new lease of life when Microsoft drops its new mobile operating system, and it means this budget phone will remain somewhat future proof for the time being.

Design

At first glance the Microsoft Lumia 435 has an unmistakable shape about it, almost unlike any other Lumia. I could see distinct design influences from Nokia's ill-fated X-series of forked Android devices.

After a long stare, however, it hits you: this is the successor to Nokia's Asha line of advanced feature phones, with their odd, angular aesthetic – especially the Asha 503.

Despite this unusual first impression, the Lumia certainly impresses. For the price, this device is solidly crafted.

With a tiny 4-inch screen, the 435 sits comfortably in almost any hand. The sides hug the palm snugly, with no sharp edges to be found. At 134g, the phone is light but not insubstantial, and the even weight distribution ensures that it has a nice balance, making texting on the go a pleasant experience.

With a removable back cover users have the option of a number of different colours; my unit came in a blindingly radioactive orange. The shell is constructed from a sturdy matte polycarbonate, meaning the 435 feels as though it can take hits in its stride.

When the back is removed, the MicroSD slot can be accessed to add in some supplementary storage, while the MicroSIM holding mechanism is hidden under the 1560 mAh battery.

The sides are relatively uncluttered in the normal Lumia style, with the power and volume keys all clustered on the right side of the phone, which is potentially something of a problem for left-handed users. All of the buttons have a nice click and are easy to tell apart, revealing some nice attention to detail.

As usual the USB is hidden away on the bottom, while a 3.5mm headphone jack is placed on top.

From the sides, the back rises in a gentle curve, much like the Lumia 930, with the contours easily hugging the palm. Sporting a single rear-firing speaker, the Microsoft branding and a fixed-focus 2MP camera, this is a mostly minimal affair.

The screen is where the first obvious sacrifice has been made, as it lacks Gorilla Glass. It doesn't have the distinct oleophobic coating that would otherwise allow it to shun fingerprints. Within minutes of using the Lumia 435, the screen hoarded my fingerprints as if they were going out of style; with regular use it will require the odd wipe.

This phone isn't going to win any style awards, nor will it be carried by Dolce & Gabbana any time soon. It is a comfortable utilitarian box, that's completely unthreatening.

As such, for the price and its intended audience, the Lumia 435 is something of a quiet triumph.

Screen

The four-inch screen of the Microsoft Lumia 435 is standard for devices of this price class, and unfortunately it does not impress a great deal, even by such low standards.

With 233ppi pixellation on small text is quite noticeable, meaning that reading web pages can be quite a difficult proposition. Outdoor lighting also presented a number of problems, and the milky blacks on offer meant that holding a WhatsApp conversation while on the go required the use of a second hand for shade.

Despite this, auto brightness is available, something omitted from last year's budget Lumia models. It isn't the most sensitive, but its mere presence meant that I wasn't constantly forced to manually adjust the screen lighting throughout the day, making things a little more convenient.

As might be expected, viewing angles on the Lumia 435 are poor. Colours fade away and light levels drop rapidly when viewed from odd angles, though overriding the auto-brightness can occasionally make things a little better. Back-lighting is also a little uneven, and this becomes very noticeable under certain lighting situations.

Despite these issues, the screen is nice and sensitive; I had no problems with touch responsiveness.

Apps

Though much improved from years ago, the Windows Phone app store still lags behind its rivals. Microsoft likes to trumpet the gains made in this area, and indeed progress has been quick.

But Windows Phone 8.1 still lacks the app 'culture' that draws in developers and ensures quality native apps, rather than poorly coded ports.

When apps do arrive, they are often updated irregularly, and with the introduction of universal apps and Windows 10 Mobile later in the year, things are set to change again.

Navigating through the Windows Phone store on the Lumia 435 helps to compound the problem – despite typing 'Wordpress' verbatim in an attempt to find that particular app, I was presented with a number of completely unrelated options, finding the app in question involved a mobile web search.

Apps may come to Windows Phone when Microsoft's grand vision of Windows 10 Mobile comes together, but, for the moment, the platform still struggles.

As the Lumia 435 has been confirmed to be one of the first handsets to get Windows 10 Mobile, it will be interesting to see if universal apps will cause a renaissance for the Windows Phone app ecosystem - which the Lumia 435 will benefit from.

OneDrive to rule them all, one Office to bind them

Part of Windows Phone's appeal as a mobile operating system has been the promise of easy, integrated connectivity with all of Microsoft's software offerings.

OneDrive has long been Microsoft's answer to the likes of Dropbox and Google Drive, and bundled with the Office functionality baked into Windows Phone 8.1 on the Lumia 435, this made working within my Microsoft ecosystem a very fluid experience.

The OneDrive app itself has a very clean interface and is laid out sensibly. When camera upload is activated, images are launched into the cloud with a moment's notice, with a minimum of waiting.

Images uploaded to the camera roll folder do not count against the storage limit, meaning that keen shutterbugs can get quite a lot of mileage from this service.

Working with Office, it was easy to create, edit, upload and share files on the go, including Powerpoint and Excel files. Though the appeal of this is admittedly niche, having the option was certainly pleasant and offered a tangible improvement to my daily routine.

With the likes of Dropbox being the only real cloud-storage competitors in the Windows Phone space, it is easy to dismiss OneDrive, yet this is a real bonus for users.

Owners of the Lumia 435 will receive 30GB of free OneDrive storage from Microsoft, making this potentially quite an attractive offer for some.

Cortana

Cortana, Microsoft's little nod to Halo fans, is touted as a main selling point of Windows Phones such as the Lumia 435. Is 'she' worth the attention? The answer is complicated.

Cortana vs Siri vs Google Now

In daily use, Cortana makes for a pleasant comparison. Lacking the robotic sterility of Google Now and possessing a few more features than Siri, Cortana is certainly entertaining. Ask her for a joke and you will most likely laugh.

However, her insistence on using Bing for search is unfortunately seemingly incurable.

The app launches quickly on the Lumia 435, displaying relevant news for the day based on what interests you have selected. From there, you can type or speak a command or search request, after which you'll be taken through the depths of Bing to lands (often) unknown.

By selecting the hamburger menu on the top right, you are given access to various options in Cortana's Notebook, where all of the information on you is stored. There, you can edit things such as interests, quiet hours and frequent places to personalise the experience of using Cortana.

She also sports a reasonably accurate music recognition functionality, something which should occasionally come in useful when a catchy song comes on that you don't know.

By far the most useful feature is quiet hours, which allows you to specify times that you do not wish to be disturbed. As default, this will come on during meetings detailed in the calendar, but can also be triggered manually, making a good night's sleep a little easier.

Cortana is still in beta, and there are still a few growing pains (not least when trying to understand my Scottish burr) for her to get through. For the moment, however, it is a solid feature, though whether a voice assistant alone can sell phones is an unknown.

Music

Given the price point and the youthful demographic this device is aimed at, music playback is a major concern, and luckily the Lumia 435 does not disappoint.

Though lacking the high-end Dolby audio options of other, more expensive, Lumia models such as the Nokia Lumia 930, the 435 makes for a great little music player. With a good pair of in-ear headphones inserted, bass and treble were nicely layered and volume was excellent.

As the speaker is rear-firing, it would be a reasonable assumption to make that audio reproduction would be poor. This is mostly true, but for the price it is difficult to beat.

Definition is lost in higher treble and lower bass frequencies, but this speaker can really crank up the volume.

If you like to host impromptu back-of-the-bus parties, the Lumia 435 is likely a phone for you.

When Windows 10 Mobile comes along the Music app will be turned into Microsoft's new Groove Music application. Despite its slightly cringe-inducing name, the app offers some nice new features, and allows you to upload your songs to a OneDrive cloud account for your own personal music streaming service.

With a dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, it would usually be a safe assumption that the Microsoft Lumia 435 would be something of a weakling. This is only half true.

A fluid user experience has always been the hallmark of Windows Phones. From Windows Phone 7, which could easily have run on a waffle iron, the OS has been a lightweight, tight affair.

With the introduction of Windows Phone 8.1, however, things have begun to change.

For the most part, swiping through the OS on the Lumia 435 was snappy. Apps open and close without complaint. Coming from another operating system, especially from Android with developer animations removed, reveals the extent to which Windows Phone relies on these.

Almost every action prompts a swoop or a fade, making for a pretty transition and masking the sometimes annoying loading times.

Despite this, performance on day-to-day tasks was mostly solid, the average user, and indeed the target market for this device, will find very little to complain about.

Gaming on the Lumia 435 is a different matter, however. As might be expected, light titles such as Angry Birds and Jetpack Joyride ran easily and remained eminently playable. When moving to a more intensive class of titles, things began to change.

Though Asphalt 8: Overdrive mostly achieved playable framerates, textures were quite jagged and loading the app took several minutes. Subway Surfers and Temple Run 2 also suffered, becoming unplayable as the processor struggled to handle the increase in pace as the games progressed in difficulty.

Multitasking, not a strength of the platform to begin with, is also something of a chore. Apps are closed when not in use, meaning that navigating between a text conversation and the music app involves constant reloading.

Having 1GB of RAM, this phone is being sold by Microsoft as upgradeable to Windows 10 mobile later in the year, meaning that this device is more future-proof than most others in this price class.

Battery life

At 1560mAh the battery on the Lumia 435 is hardly the most substantial in the world. Yet, when coupled with the low-power dual-core CPU and the sub-HD screen, things are evened out a little.

In everyday usage, the Lumia 435 fares quite well. Across a 16-hour day, checking and updating social media accounts, texting, listening to music on headphones for an hour and a half, watching a few YouTube videos, indulging in some light gaming, making around an hour of calls and browsing the internet on HSDPA+ for around half an hour, the battery lasted until the end with 12% spare.

However, utilise the phone more sparingly and you are likely to see around two days of light usage, as Windows Phone standby times tend to be quite strong.

As you might expect, the situation changes when it comes to more intensive tasks, such as heavy gaming or browsing the web while on the go. In these situations, the battery almost seems to drop in real-time, meaning that if you want an extended session of Asphalt you will have to fork out for a spare battery.

Windows Phone does have a Battery Saver app included, and this does a reasonably efficient job of telling you what is eating battery life.

If needed, there is a power-saver mode available, which (mercifully) does not throttle CPU performance but merely restricts background app usage even further.

Activating this will typically see at least an extra hour of estimated battery life added, which is mostly backed up by real world usage.

Road warriors will want to pump out for an extra battery, for although the Lumia is a solid performer, it is certainly of its price class.

This isn't a massive 3,000 mAh battery as is seen in many modern flagships such as the LG G4however, as such expecting similar performance isn't a realistic proposition.

As is very important for most people who want to use their phone as a phone, the Lumia 435 is excellent for making calls. Call quality was rock solid, with voice reception clear on both ends, with very little distortion.

The in-built microphone also did an excellent job of separating the noise of a busy street from my voice, something which I did not expect at this price point.

The People Hub also remains one of the finer points of the Windows Phone OS and Microsoft has done a good job of building a 'smart' contacts list.

In the hub, all contacts are pulled together in a neat little list, and in a nice twist information is pulled from social accounts, making the People Hub a great way to stay updated.

Internet connectivity proved to be strong. HSDPA+ performance across the Bath and Bristol area on the O2 network proved to be strong, without any major hiccups.

Being a country bumpkin, having no 4G proved not to be an issue, certainly not at this price point.

Using the internet never proved to be an issue. Internet Explorer, Windows Phone's native browser, proved to be a fairly swift guide through the darkness of the net, however Flash heavy-sites did cause some stuttering. Pages mostly loaded quickly, and I had no major complaints regarding the Lumia 435's performance in this area.

The Windows Phone in-built email client also proved to be quite useful. As a native offering, it is relatively feature-rich, pulling three email accounts into one inbox proved to be a very easy process and it worked fluidly throughout the review process.

As for text editing, the Windows Phone keyboard remains an excellent option.

Though the platform doesn't have the ability to select from a host of different option, the keys are well spaced, the feedback is nice, gesture typing works well and auto-correction is mostly faultless.

Finding a better option elsewhere is certainly possible, but when compared to the default keyboards of certain Android OEMs, the Windows Phone offering is solid.

GPS performance was adequate, achieving a lock within a reasonable time frame.

Camera

The last, and biggest sacrifice to cost, asides from the processor and the screen, comes in the form of the rear-facing camera of the Lumia 435. It is a 2MP fixed-focus effort, seemingly transported straight from a candy-bar phone in 2005. Needless to say, images are not excellent.

Even in bright lighting, with good visibility, the images produced by this tiny sensor are very soft, with little fine detail. As might be expected, when viewed on the smaller screen of the phone, this is less apparent; when blown up, it is a completely different story.

Given the fixed focus of the lens, shots are often very blurry and must be aligned correctly for acceptable results. As might be expected at this price, there is no flash.

For such a cheap phone, this is hardly surprising. Yet as 5MP auto-focus efforts are slowly working their way down the pecking order into more and more budget handsets, it is unusual to see such a poor snapper, especially in a range which is known for its camera performance.

However, very unusually for such a budget device, a front-facing camera has been included. In addition to allowing for the ever-important selfie, this facilitates video-calls.

With a VGA resolution, however, Skype calls eventually begin to resemble conversation through cataracts. This is a good effort for the price, yet remains essentially unusable. Those looking for a better selfie cam are best advised to look at the Lumia 535, which has a nice wide-angle 5mp front-facing sensor for only £30 more.

Video from the rear-camera was similarly poor, with footage being very shaky, though recorded audio was surprisingly decent. Footage can either be recorded in FWVGA or VGA resolution.

Without auto-focus, images are often blurry

Though colour reproduction is OK, there's no sharpness to play with

These daffodils are blurred and over-exposed

The rear-facing camera managed to pull some detail, but is very soft

The less said about the VGA front camera, the better

Occasionally, the camera can turn out something shareable

Even on a well-lit close subject, the camera cannot focus

The Microsoft Lumia 435's incredibly low price means that it doesn't face too much competition, as it's a lot cheaper than many so-called budget smartphones. However, there are a few handsets out there that offer similar features for a similar price. But how do they compare?

ZTE Kis 3 Max

The Lumia 435's incredibly low price point means there's not much out there to compete with it purely on cost, but one of those handsets is the ZTE Kis 3 Max. This handset can now be had for as little as £50 (around $79, AU$102), which means for the price at least it gives the Lumia 435 a run for its money.

The ZTE Kis 3 Max also looks pretty good, despite its budget origins, and when put side by side with the Lumia 435, it's likely many people would think that the Kis 3 Max was the more expensive handset.

The Kis 3 Max also has a slightly larger screen (4.5-inches compared to the Lumia 435's 4-inches), but a similar resolution, which means the smaller Lumia 435 screen looks a little sharper.

The Lumia 435 is a much better performer, however, with 1GB of RAM (the Kis 3 Max has just 512MB), and a more generous 8GB of storage. That's not a huge amount, but it beats the paltry 4GB offering from ZTE.

The biggest difference between the two is their operating systems, with the ZTE Kis 3 Max running Android, which means it has a much broader selection of apps, while the Lumia 435 has Windows Phone 8.1, which misses some key apps.

However, the ZTE Kis 3 Max is running an ageing Android 4.4 KitKat, and it's not too likely to be upgraded to the newer Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has indicated that it wants most, if not all, Windows Phone 8.1 devices to be upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile, which means the Lumia 435 could end up with a more modern and feature-packed operating system.

Because of this, and the better performance, we'd recommend getting the Lumia 435.

Read the ZTE Kis 3 Max review

Vodafone Smart 4 Mini

The Vodafone Smart 4 Mini is another one of those rare handsets that can match the Lumia 435 on price. While there's a certain charm to the design of the Lumia 435 with it's bright colours, the Vodafone Smart 4 Mini is a handset that looks and feels cheap.

Both handsets have the same size screen and resolution, and neither particularly impress, though that's to be expected with phones as cheap as these.

Performance wise, the Lumia 435 again takes the edge, thanks to it's 1GB of RAM – twice the amount that the Vodafone Smart 4 Mini has.

The 8GB storage space of the Lumia 435 is also bigger than the Vodafone Smart 4 Mini's 4GB, so you have a bit more space to save photos and music.

Both handsets allow more space to be added via microSD cards, though the Vodafone Smart 4 Mini only supports capacities up to 32GB, with the Lumia 435 being able to handle up to 128GB.

If you want to carry a lot of songs and videos around, and don't mind splashing out on a microSD card, the Lumia 435 is a clear winner here.

As the name suggests, you're locked into the Vodafone network with the Vodfafone Smart 4 Mini, so if you're with another provider, you'll be better off with the more flexible Lumia 435.

Read the Vodafone Smart 4 Mini review

Motorola Moto E (2015)

Putting the Motorola Moto E (2015) head to head with the Lumia 435, when Motorola's handset is almost twice the price of the Lumia, might seem unfair but even when double the price, the Moto E still offers an incredible amount of value.

This is in part due to the fact that the Lumia's low price means even when doubled it's still relatively cheap, as well as the fact that Motorola has packed a decent amount of power and features into the Moto E.

The design of the Moto E is solid, and though unglamorous, looks decent. The Lumia 435 also looks good for such a cheap handset, so design wise it's a bit of a draw, though if you like colourful phones the Lumia might just pip the Moto E. Although Motorola's device comes in different colour options, it's just the surrounding edge that changes – so the Lumia 435 looks like a more vibrant phone.

Both phones perform well with similar specs, though the Moto E's 4.5-inch screen has a cleaner picture quality thanks to a higher resolution.

The Moto E (2015) also comes with the latest version of Android, 5.0 Lollipop. Although the Lumia 435 seems to be in line for an upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile, it means Lumia is lumped with an older operating system at the moment.

As it comes with Android 5.0, it means the Motorola Moto E (2015) also has a much more diverse collection of apps and games to choose from.

If you're willing to spend a little extra, the Motorola Moto E (2015) is a great choice, though it doesn't quite match the Lumia 435 when it comes to the price tag.

Read the Motorola Moto E (2015) review

The story of the Microsoft Lumia 435 is one of sacrifice. Coming in with a sub-par screen, a small battery and poor camera, this phone isn't going to please the high-end crowd.

Yet at roughly a 10th of the cost of a new iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy S6 or LG G4, competing at such a level is not a priority for the Lumia 435.

As more budget devices arrive touting 4G, Quad Core processors and 720p screens, it is difficult to tell if the Lumia 435 will continue to have a place in the mobile phone market.

We liked

The build quality of this device, for the price level, is excellent. The unit feels very solid and could most likely survive the extended attention of a clumsy child. With no flex or give, and the ability to buy new back-plates, this would make a great companion for the accident-prone.

Despite the device's lower-end specs, using the Windows Phone OS was a fluid and enjoyable affair. Juggling various email accounts with texting and instant messaging proved to be a good experience overall, with the battery lasting through a busy day of communicating.

Music playback proved to be something of a treat. As an MP3 player, this device is a strong pick, especially with the option to add more storage via MicroSD. The speakers reach satisfyingly loud volume levels, making rocking out all the easier.

We disliked

Gaming performance, as a whole, is under par. Subway Surfers, which has been optimised for budget devices, becomes unplayable in its later stages, when faster reaction times are required, as the processor simply can't keep up.

The screen is very difficult to view in sunlight, often whether it is bright or not. This is made worse by the auto-brightness sensor, which is confused very easily. Viewing angles are also poor, and reading text can become a little difficult on certain webpages.

Apps on the Windows Phone store remain sparse. What options are available are rarely updated, navigating the store remains a chore, and with universal apps on the way later in the year, it is yet to be seen how many developers will choose to port their apps over.

Final verdict

The Microsoft Lumia 435 is a funny little phone. With its eye-catching looks and a sturdy, comfortable design, it makes a great first impression.

In day-to-day use, this mostly remains. Navigating the OS is a relatively painless affair and listening to music is something of a treat. The fact that this phone will receive Windows 10 also makes it a tantalising offer for those who want to try something a little different later in the year without breaking the bank.

Yet with a poor screen, bad cameras and laggy performance in many tasks, this is a device that has many drawbacks.

What it all boils down to, however, is price. The Lumia 520 became the most popular Windows Phone handset not because of its obvious superiority or wonderful good looks, but because of its price. By the end of its shelf life, Microsoft was practically giving them away. This is where the 435 is intended to sit, and as a phone meant to be sold in shovels, it is well worth a look.

First reviewed: April 2015

Windows phones aren't dead yet: six new handsets on the way

David Nield — Sun, 12 Jul 2015 08:23:00 +0000

Given the sweeping job cuts we've seen at Microsoft this week, you could be forgiven for thinking the company is looking at winding down its phone hardware business and focusing on the desktop instead.

Nevertheless CEO Satya Nadella has promised he is "committed to our first-party devices including phones", and it sounds like the firm is going to make good on that promise in the not-too-distant future.

Respected Twitter tipster @evleaks (aka Evan Blass) says that at least six new handsets are in the pipeline, so those of you eager to give Windows 10 Mobile a run out will have plenty of devices to pick from.

The return of the Lumias

So what could these handsets be? We've already heard a lot about the Lumia 940XL, a Snapdragon 810-powered flagship phone with a 5.7-inch QHD display and some mouth-watering specs.

There are also rumours of a more modest mid-range Lumia 940 device as well, with slightly less powerful internal components for what we would assume is a slightly lower price.

As for launch dates, we know that some devices are coming this year, though we don't know exactly when - Microsoft has yet to confirm how long we'll have to wait for Windows 10 Mobile after the desktop version of the software arrives at the end of this month.

Microsoft to bypass operators with Windows 10 Mobile updates

Via Softpedia

Microsoft is now focusing on what matters – but is that the consumer?

Max Slater-Robins — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 07:58:00 +0000

The direction that Microsoft is taking as a company under the stewardship of Satya Nadella is just becoming visible. After almost a year and a half in the role, Nadella has changed the focus of one of the world's largest corporations from the ground up, altering its product lines and changing the corporate atmosphere from one of cautiousness and conformity to one that is starting to sound fearless in terms of bold changes, tearing up entire product ranges to focus on new areas.

Examples of this came early on in Nadella's tenure with Office for iPad which had been under development within Microsoft for many years under Steve Ballmer but was only released in 2014. While this may not seem significant, it signalled a shift from attempting to lock users into the Office ecosystem by exclusivity to an approach that fosters inclusivity, allowing millions more users of Office even though they were not using Windows specifically.

Onwards and upwards

But that was last year and it would seem the push is continuing as Microsoft moves to cut away various consumer-facing services, many of which are failing. Last week Microsoft announced that it has sold off some of the technology behind Bing Maps, along with 200 staff, to Uber, the taxi company.

On a micro scale the deal makes sense – Microsoft has never really been a serious player within mapping and Uber obviously has plans to expand; two birds, one stone – but when viewed on a macro scale it shows that under Nadella Microsoft is now willing to make the kind of cuts that would have been unthinkable only a few years ago, shedding technology that it no longer has a use for so that it can focus on other things.

On top of this Microsoft also struck a deal with AOL that relinquishes its display ads business on various platforms, an area where the company has traditionally lagged behind Google and Facebook. By handing over the services to AOL, Microsoft sheds 1,200 employees and no longer has to focus on an area in which they were not innovating to a level that Nadella expected. In simplistic terms, the war for Microsoft to compete with Google on all fronts is now over, symbolised by the departure of Mark Penn, the man responsible for the "Scroogled" adverts.

Curtains for the consumer?

Analyst Ben Thompson of the Stratechery blog succinctly noted that "this is the official end of Microsoft as a consumer company" as Redmond moves towards its new mission: "cloud first, mobile first".

This analysis is perhaps extreme, as Thompson himself admitted in a subsequent blog post, but broadly Microsoft has been making moves to leave the consumer space, at least in terms of non-operating system areas. Windows is still, and will likely remain for a long while, the most used consumer operating system around, especially on PCs, but the core missions of Microsoft have strayed to include such a broad array of consumer-focused areas that the company has become confused.

In an interview, Apple CEO Tim Cook described Apple's intense focus, highlighting the fact that the entire product portfolio of Apple can be laid on a single table. The two companies make different products but the theoretical perspective remains: Apple is focused while Microsoft tries to operate everywhere, hoping something sticks. By selling off various assets the company benefits hugely in terms of profit – both deals were of an undisclosed value but the figure was likely large – and in terms of focus, allowing Microsoft to realise its "cloud first, mobile first" aims.

Another point of consideration is Windows Phone, one of the only areas where Microsoft is primarily focused on consumer with very little enterprise influence or input. Thompson posits that Windows Phone, alongside the Surface line, is a sort of public research and development effort. "Windows Phone and Surface are little more than glorified R&D projects seeking to keep the company relevant in hardware while they pursue the next big thing," says Thompson.

The Next Big Thing, of course, will likely be HoloLens and Microsoft has been playing this up massively, dedicating the past three big events to the exposition of the product. It's unclear as yet what the final hardware of HoloLens will look like, especially with regard to the internals, but Redmond seems to finally be anticipating what a version of the future could look like.

Microsoft's next big thing is likely to be HoloLens

Xbox spin-off

One of the other pieces of the puzzle Nadella is trying to complete is Xbox, the wildly popular gaming division of the company that has, for years, been a target for analysts who claim it should be spun off into its own company. If this were to happen, and it may well, then both companies would likely see the benefits of independence as they would be able to focus on what they do best without the distraction of bureaucracy (for Xbox) and a niche consumer product (for Microsoft).

Of course, speculation about a breakup comes with caveats: Xbox has become far more integral to Windows 10 and Microsoft's recent purchase of Mojang, the developer behind Minecraft, shows that there is a commitment to gaming, even if it doesn't fit with the current wider picture.

Bold as brass

The new direction of Microsoft is, above all else, bold. Whether it is correct remains to be seen. Windows 10 hasn't been launched just yet but the previews, available to 'insiders,' appear to be taking criticism constructively.

It is refreshing to see Nadella moving in a new direction, decisively cutting areas that are no longer relevant to the company at large rather than persisting for little reward, examples of which are almost entirely focused around Microsoft's online efforts. Whether we are seeing the start of a move away from the consumer side of the company's product offerings remains to be seen, but this could also be a house-keeping episode designed to help Microsoft compete moving forward, focusing on what matters.

Sweeping changes at Microsoft: Nadella's vision is in full effect

Microsoft is about to kill Windows Phone, claims bold new rumour

James Peckham — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 08:59:00 +0000

Microsoft is going through some big changes right now: it just sold part of Bing Maps directly to Uber and it seems like Windows Phone may soon be up for a change as well.

Rumours are suggesting Satya Nadella and his Senior Leadership Team are discussing the option to drop Windows Phone from the mobile phone line and smaller tablets.

According to leakster MSFTNerd Twitter account Microsoft would instead offer Android with particular apps and services pre-loaded.

Take all this with plenty of salt, but it wouldn't be the most unlikely thing to happen - especially as it comes just days after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sent staff a mission statement affirming that the company must "make some tough choices in areas where things are not working."

RIP?

Microsoft previously made a deal to pre-load services on the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge including Skype, OneNote and Office apps.

The new rumours suggest Microsoft and Google would partner in a deal that would see the latter develop specific versions of Google Maps, YouTube and Search for the Microsoft desktop OS.

When we reached out to Microsoft for comment, a spokesperson confirmed the company doesn't comment on speculation or rumours.

Some may see dropping the Windows Phone platform as admitting defeat but a focus on apps and services may be what the company needs right now.

Microsoft is going through some tough restructuring measures right now but dropping Windows Phone all together is a drastic step.

Although not released under Microsoft's reign, the Nokia X and Nokia XL were the first Nokia devices to run on the Android platform and we've yet to see a follow up - could it soon be that all Microsoft devices are running Google's OS?

The best Windows Phone handsets you can buy right now.

Windows Phone users are jumping ship, and Microsoft needs to act fast

James Peckham — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 11:56:00 +0000

Microsoft hasn't revealed a new flagship smartphone since it rebranded the Lumia range.

That means the end of last and the beginning of this year has been rather dry in terms of big spec Windows Phone handsets. The company has instead focused on mid-range handsets like the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL.

It looks like that choice may be damaging Windows Phone's market share as between January and April this year the platform has dropped over a million users in the US, declining from a 3.6% market share to just 3%.

Android has dropped quite a bit further but it still owns the lion's share with 52.2% of all smartphones in the country on the OS.

Step it up

The drop in Windows Phone users makes Microsoft's operating system only twice as big as BlackBerry and it's getting scarily close to the failing manufacturer's figures.

It may not all be down to the lack of a flagship smartphone, but it looks like some who were waiting for the Microsoft flagship rumoured at the end of 2014 may have given up and jumped ship over to the iPhone 6.

Especially paired with Microsoft's commitment to put its services onto Apple products it's hard to justify why those who are waiting for that new Microsoft flagship are sticking around.

We quite liked the latest Lumia flagship, the 930

Nokia Lumia 625 review

James Rogerson — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 15:06:00 +0000

Before Nokia was dissolved into Microsoft it launched some great low cost smartphones, such as the Nokia Lumia 520 and Nokia Lumia 620- both of which were of a quality usually reserved for higher-end handsets.

With the Nokia Lumia 625, the company seemed to be trying to push the limits of what's possible on a low-end handset even further by giving it a big 4.7 inch screen and including 4G support. It was an ambitious goal, so has Nokia pulled it off or has too much been compromised?

With a price tag of around £125/$150 (roughly AU$195) it seemingly ticks the value box, though it's slightly more expensive than the older Nokia Lumia 620 and the budget Nokia Lumia 520. In fact if anything it's more in line with the prices of the Nokia Lumia 720 and Nokia Lumia 820, both of which can be had for around £180/$200 (roughly AU$260).

It's also now been superseded by a bunch of newer Lumia handsets, such as the Nokia Lumia 630, the Nokia Lumia 635, the Microsoft Lumia 640 and the Microsoft Lumia 535 and these are all pretty affordable too. The Lumia 635 can be seen as its successor and starts at around £100/$120/AU$155, while even the more powerful Lumia 640 can be had from roughly £130/$250/AU$320.

As smartphones go it's still priced pretty low, but whether it offers enough to justify the premium is another matter entirely, particularly since phones like the Moto G (2014) (a handset which beats the Lumia 625 for power, screen size and resolution) can be bought for a similar price.

Granted, that's Android, which won't help if you're after a Windows Phone 8.1 handset specifically, but Windows Phone doesn't exist in a vacuum and with deals like that to compete with the Nokia Lumia 625 has its work cut out.

Looks like a touchscreen phone to us

The 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor in the Nokia Lumia 625 is faster than the processors in either the Lumia 620 or Lumia 720, both of which have 1GHz dual-core chips.

However it falls some way short of the 1.5GHz dual core processor found in the Lumia 820, while its 512MB of RAM is a match for both the 620 and the 720. Those specs might not sound like much but they're normally plenty enough for a low end Windows Phone 8 handset.

Slightly chunkier than other Lumias

That said we're starting to see RAM creep upwards with newer budget Windows Phone devices, such as the Microsoft Lumia 640 and Nokia Lumia 635, both of which have 1GB to play with, not to mention quad-core processors.

With regards to the Lumia 625's looks it, well, looks like a Lumia - albeit a chunkier one than we're used to. The dimensions of 133.2 x 72.2 x 9.2mm make it the longer and wider than you might expect, though it's actually quite thin.

At 159g it's a heavy beast, outweighing even the Nokia Lumia 1020. Even for its size that's a lot of weight, as for example both the HTC One M9 and Samsung Galaxy S6 are lighter, despite touting larger screens.

The Lumia 625 isn't exactly going to weigh you down but it is noticeably heavy for its size and that can be a little off-putting.

It's still small enough to fit in your hand

However, weight aside it feels reasonable to hold, with comfortable, slightly rounded edges. Though the screen is large enough that those with particularly small hands may need to stretch a bit to operate it one-handed.

Available in black, white, yellow, red or green, the Nokia Lumia 625 is just as colourful as we've come to expect from the Lumia range.

It's also just as plastic, with a removable polycarbonate shell. A premium body would be nice, but at this price it's not expected and most users will likely hide the phone in a case anyway.

Many colours are available

The front of the Lumia 625 primarily contains the 4.7-inch 480 x 800 IPS LCD display, with a pixel density of 201 pixels per inch. That's not a whole lot of pixels, as while the size has been bumped up dramatically from the 3.8-inch Lumia 620 the resolution has stayed the same.

That was presumably one of the cost-cutting measures required to actually make this handset possible at a low price, but the result is a screen that really is a little bit worse than we'd like and which has since been beaten by the likes of the similarly cheap Nokia Lumia 640.

Other than the screen the front of the Nokia Lumia 625 has black bars along the top and bottom which hold various buttons and sensors. The bottom bar has the three soft touch buttons you'll find on every Windows Phone 8 handset - back, start and search - while the top bar holds the earpiece, the 0.3MP front-facing camera lens and Nokia's logo.

Colourful, but plastic

The back of the phone is incredibly plain as it's dominated by the almost featureless polycarbonate cover. However the flat expanse of colour is broken up by a few things.

There's another small Nokia logo across the middle, while near the bottom there's a speaker and towards the top there's the main 5MP camera lens and LED flash.

The common or garden micro USB port

The bottom of the handset just has a micro USB port for plugging in a charger or connecting it to a computer.

The right hand edge has a camera button near the bottom, a power button in the middle and a volume rocker near the top, which like most things on this handset is standard Lumia design. The left edge has no buttons, ports or other features, and the top of the Lumia 625 merely has a 3.5mm headphone port.

In other words it's a fairly plain handset through and through but that's not necessarily a bad thing, as at least it avoids looking ugly, and if you've ever used a Lumia handset before you'll be right at home here.

Button positioning will be familiar to Lumia users

The back cover can easily be peeled off and underneath it you'll find the micro SIM card slot and a micro SD card slot which supports cards of up to 64GB, allowing you to boost the storage way beyond the 8GB that's built in.

You'll also find the 2000 mAh battery hidden back here, which is substantially bigger than the 1300 mAh battery that the Lumia 620 ships with, however while the one in the 620 is removable this one isn't. Plus with such a big jump in screen size the Lumia 625 will need all the battery it can get.

Here's what you get if you snap the cover off

Ultimately then the Nokia Lumia 625 is aimed at those who want 4G and/or a big screen without breaking the bank. But with a disappointing resolution it might have its work cut out in attracting customers.

That isn't helped by its slightly confusing position in the Lumia range. The name suggests a handset that's slightly better than the Lumia 620, which it is in many ways, but at the £200 it launched at it was competing more with the Nokia Lumia 720 and 820 and despite seeing price drops since then it still finds itself up against newer and higher end phones, like the Microsoft Lumia 640.

It has a big screen going for it, but again the resolution lets it down somewhat. It seems to be aimed at a fairly narrow cross section of people, and doesn't fit neatly into the existing range.

Just like every other recent Lumia handset the Nokia Lumia 625 runs Windows Phone 8, now upgradeable to Windows Phone 8.1. We've covered it plenty of times before in other reviews and even reviewed it in its own right, so we won't get too bogged down in detail, but at its heart it's a solid, slick operating system.

The lock screen

The first screen you'll come to is the lock screen, which displays the time and date, along with notifications and a background wallpaper. Swipe that away and you'll reach the start screen.

The tile-based interface here makes Windows Phone 8 visually attractive and distinct from Apple and Android handsets. You can easily resize, move or remove tiles with a long press, and many of them are 'live tiles' which display additional information or images.

For example a weather tile might display the temperature in your current location while an email tile would tell you how many unread messages you have.

It's an attractive and simple way to easily keep on top of things right from your start screen without having to launch multiple apps.

Aside from tapping and swiping, the other thing you'll be doing regularly is interacting with the three soft touch buttons below the screen.

The start screen

The back button is to the left and that just cycles back to whichever screen you were on last. The start button in the middle will take you back to the start screen, and the search button to the right will launch Bing search.

Two of those buttons, however, also have a secondary use. If you long-press the back button it will bring up a list of all your open apps and recently viewed screens, letting you tap one to quickly return to it.

While a long press of the start button will launch a voice-based personal assistant, which can be used to call or text a contact, for example, open the calendar or perform an internet search, and it works pretty well too.

A swipe to the right shows you every app installed on the phone, whether it has a start screen tile or not, and from there you can just tap to launch something or long press it to pin it to the start screen.

Every app you've got installed

From here you can also access the settings screen which has all the standard Windows Phone 8 options such as ringtones and sounds, screen brightness and connectivity options.

There are also a few useful tools buried here, such as 'data sense', which helps you manage your data use and can be toggled to restrict background data once you near your data limit.

Then there's Kid's Corner, which lets you set up a child-friendly mode on the phone, limiting the things that they have access to.

You can also change the Nokia Lumia 625's colour scheme and lock screen wallpaper from the settings screen.

It's all very intuitive and well laid out, with separate tabs for system settings and application settings. Our one real issue with it, which is the same on all Windows Phone 8 handsets, is that some things are a little more buried than we'd like.

For example, we tend to regularly turn things like 3G and Bluetooth on and off, so it would be nice to be able to toggle them from the main screen much as you can from the notifications shade on Android.

But with Windows Phone 8 you have to dive into the main settings screen. Similarly if you want to know how much battery you have left there is an indicator that you can view by tapping the top of the start screen, but it's just a little bar and isn't very precise, to get an actual percentage you once again have to head to the settings screen.

Thankfully this issue is solved with the Windows Phone 8.1 update, which adds Action Center to the mix. Just pull down from the top of the screen and you'll be able to see notifications and access quick settings toggles, just like on Android.

The other big update in Windows Phone 8.1 is Cortana, a personal assistant to rival Google Now and Siri. It lets you carry out searches and tasks with voice commands and for the most part it works pretty well, though as with all such things a thick accent or noisy environment can throw it off a bit.

Windows Phone 8.1 also brings other small updates, such as folders and custom volume settings. They're relatively minor features but appreciated none the less.

Despite being a fairly low-end phone the Nokia Lumia 625 can handle general operation with ease, as is normally the case with Windows Phone 8 handsets. You can glide around the screens with no slowdown and the screen itself is very responsive to the touch.

We wish the screen was higher resolution, but for the main screens of the phone it's not such a problem, as it really only becomes an issue when watching videos or reading a lot of text.

The screen does seem perhaps a little washed out, though that can be remedied a little by adjusting the colour profile in the settings screen, and it has good viewing angles so you don't need to be square on to use it.

All Windows Phone 8.1 handsets handle contacts in much the same way, but they do it well. Contacts are accessed from the 'People' tile on the start screen and are listed alphabetically by first name or last.

You can also add email accounts, Facebook, Twitter and more, so you're not limited to just the contacts on your SIM card.

People is your contacts list

There are a few icons at the bottom of the screen, one for adding new contacts, one to type in a search for a specific contact and another that takes you to a settings screen where you can add accounts and filter your contact list.

Tap on a contact and you can see their profile complete with phone number, email address and potentially a whole lot more depending on how many details you've added.

Obviously you can call or text them from here, but if the contact is linked to a social network you can also message them or post to their wall straight from the profile screen, while swiping to the right will show you any recent tweets, photos or status updates from them as well as recent conversations or calls between the two of you.

There are also several icons at the bottom of the profile screen allowing you to easily combine contacts, edit them, delete them or pin them to the start screen.

Back on the main contacts screen a swipe to the left or right will bring up several other screens. One shows recent social network updates, another shows recent interactions with contacts and another brings you to your Groups and Rooms.

Contacts have profiles

Groups are the same here as on most phones- letting you create specific contact groups, for example friends or family. Rooms are a similar idea, but allow you to have group chats and share photos and notes with everyone in a given room.

Contacts and social networking integration are among the things that Windows Phone 8 handsets do best. It's incredibly quick and easy to find and call contacts from the people screen.

Adding a new contact is also easy, and there are enough fields that you can add all the information you're ever likely to want for each one.

Plus, if you link up your social networks, the People screen becomes a social hub from where you can see all of your contacts' activity in one place and message them through whatever channels you'd like.

On the other hand, you're never forced to add social networks, so if you'd rather keep things simple then you can do that too. The Nokia Lumia 625 is no better at all this than any other Windows Phone 8 handset - but it's no worse either.

Calling

While contacts are handled brilliantly on the Nokia Lumia 625, calling isn't quite such a positive experience. And that's mostly down to the dial pad.

The dial pad is a bit basic

The issue is simply that it doesn't support smart dialling, so you can't type out a contact's name on it, and if you start tapping out a number it won't bring up suggestions from your contacts list either. All of which really make it redundant for calling anyone that's already in your contacts list.

As well as the dial pad, the phone menu has a few other screens, including your call history, a shortcut to your voicemail and a link to your contacts list.

There are also a few settings that you can tweak, such as activating call forwarding, but really, given the failings of the dial pad, it's not an area of the phone that you're likely to spend much time in.

Though as with many things this is a problem present in all Windows Phone 8 handsets, so it would be unfair to single out the Nokia Lumia 625 specifically.

Calling a contact is as simple as you'd hope

Thankfully, the experience improves once actually on a call. Call quality seemed fairly good even when the phone only had one bar of signal, we didn't have any dropped calls and there are a few options when on a call, such as being able to put the person on hold, mute the call or activate speaker phone.

That speaker phone is the one other area that's not brilliant, as it never seemed terribly loud and like most speaker phones it was a bit distorted.

Still, that's likely to be a minor issue for most people, and on the whole calls are handled reasonably well while contacts are handled brilliantly.

Given how well contacts and social network integration are handled on Windows Phone 8 (and by extension the Nokia Lumia 625) it should be no surprise that messaging is also handled well.

Texting: the big new thing

Tapping on the messaging tile will bring you to a list of threads, while tapping on a thread will take you to all the messages held within, allowing you to send a new message to that contact.

Messages appear as text bubbles and you can easily add an attachment at the touch of a button or speak your message rather than typing it if you tap on the microphone symbol.

Long-pressing a thread will give you the option to delete it, and there are icons at the bottom of the screen for starting a new thread, as well as changing your Facebook chat status if you've linked your phone to Facebook.

There are also a bunch of settings that can be altered, such as setting up delivery confirmations or backing up your messages.

Back on the main threads screen a swipe left or right will bring up Facebook chat (if you've got it activated) allowing you to talk to any online Facebook contacts over 3G or Wi-Fi.

Message threading

As well as text messaging and Facebook chat there's also an email app on the Nokia Lumia 625. This is fairly basic but works quite well.

If you use a Microsoft account then your email should already be up and running, as you'll be prompted to link the phone to a Microsoft account during setup.

However you can easily add additional accounts from the app itself and you aren't limited to just Microsoft ones.

Once you've got at least one account set up the main screen will show a list of messages from your inbox.

By swiping left and right through different screens you can view all of your emails, just unread ones, just flagged ones or just urgent ones.

Tapping an email will open it, while long-pressing it allows you to delete it, mark it as read, flag it or move it to another folder.

Inboxes can be set up for all email accounts

Icons at the bottom of the screen allow you to compose a new email, delete or move messages in bulk, refresh your inbox, search for a specific email, view a different folder, add a new account or change a few settings- such as how many days to download emails from.

When reading an email you can easily zoom in and out with a double tap or pinch, though the app does a pretty good job of fitting messages to the screen anyway.

There are also icons at the bottom of the screen allowing you to quickly cycle through emails, delete the one you're reading or reply to it.

Sending emails is handled well too, as there are just three clearly labelled boxes, one to enter the recipient's address, one to add a subject and one to type out the message. As with texts, you can also add an attachment by tapping a paperclip symbol at the bottom of the screen.

The larger screen means larger keys

Both emails and texts work really well and by integrating so well with Facebook (and to a lesser extent other social networks), you potentially won't have to keep launching different apps to do different things.

The keyboard works pretty well too. The extra space afforded by the 4.7-inch screen is a boon here, allowing the keys to be large enough to easily and accurately type messages in both portrait and landscape, while not obscuring too much of the screen.

The keyboard will also suggest words as you type and automatically correct typos, potentially speeding things up further. It's also been updated with Windows Phone 8.1 to allow you to swipe across letters rather than tapping them.

There's no haptic feedback, but that's about our only complaint.

The Nokia Lumia 625 supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and 3G, as you'd expect from a smartphone. But it goes one better than most low- to mid-range handsets by also supporting 4G.

The Lumia 625 has two browsers on it: Internet Explorer and Nokia Xpress. That's a rarity for Windows Phone 8 devices as most only have Internet Explorer - a browser that probably won't be to everyone's taste - but the mobile version isn't too bad.

Internet Explorer mobile

When using Internet Explorer, a permanent address bar at the bottom of the screen lets you easily tap out a web address or search, and while it does take up a bit of space, the screen is big enough that it doesn't really matter.

You can also access a pop-up menu by tapping the three dots next to the address bar. This menu has options to refresh the page, change tab (or open a new one), view or add a page to your favourites, share the page or pin it to the start screen.

You can also get to the browser settings screen from here, which lets you pick between mobile and desktop versions of sites, change your default search provider and more.

Both the tabs and favourites screens are easy to use. Tabs appear as thumbnails while favourites are shown as a text list, but from either screen you can just tap on a page to go to it.

Actually viewing websites is intuitive too. You can double tap or pinch to zoom and swipe to scroll around the page.

Tabbed browsing in IE

The Nokia Lumia 625 is plenty responsive here, with no slowdown. Sites load quite quickly when you use mobile pages.

The front page of TechRadar, for example, takes three to four seconds to load over Wi-Fi and only six or seven over 3G. Desktop sites can take up to 10 seconds longer though.

Nokia's Xpress browser isn't hugely different. In fact the layout is pretty similar, but it has a few extra features such as the ability to tap on a word to look it up.

The screen on the Lumia 625 is both a blessing and a curse for web browsing, as while the large size means that you can usually read a web page quite comfortably without too much zooming or scrolling, the low resolution means that things are never entirely sharp and generally don't look all that good. It's also not helped by the fact that the screen seems to pick up a lot of smears and smudges.

That's unfortunate, and along with the lack of many browser options it makes the internet experience a little underwhelming. It's perfectly usable but fails to impress, and we actually prefer browsing the net on the smaller-but-sharper Nokia Lumia 620 screen.

Camera

If you're looking for a phone with a good camera then look elsewhere. That's not to say that the 5MP snapper on the Nokia Lumia 625 is bad, but it's certainly not great.

The lens is flush with the case

All Windows Phone 8 handsets have a dedicated camera button – something that works in its favour, particularly as it's well positioned, making it easy to use whether holding the phone in landscape or portrait.

Though having said that, it's meant to be possible to hold the shutter button halfway down to focus before taking a picture, but in practice that can be quite hard to do as the sweet spot between it doing nothing and actually taking the picture seems very small, still you can always just tap the screen to focus instead.

Bing Vision

Being a Windows Phone 8 handset, the Nokia Lumia 625 also has 'Bing Vision', which is basically a glorified barcode and QR code scanner, but as just about everything seems to have a QR code slapped on it these days it's worth having.

All Lumia phones also have a few extra photography tools at their disposal, such as 'Cinemagraph' which lets you create an animated photo a little like a GIF, and 'Nokia Smart Cam' which takes a series of shots over the space of a few seconds.

It then allows you to pick the best one to save, remove unwanted moving objects, add a blur to emphasise motion, choose the best faces for a group shot or make an 'action shot' by combining the action in multiple images to create a strobe effect.

Most of this works quite well, the problem really is that the quality of the photos isn't that special to begin with. The 0.3MP front facing camera isn't up to much either, delivering predictably blurry images.

There also aren't a vast number of options on the main camera. You can change the ISO, white balance, exposure value and aspect ratio, but there aren't any effects (beyond those in Nokia Smart Cam) and there are only a few different scene modes, such as night and close-up.

These settings are all at least easy to change, appearing as a pop-up menu with clearly labelled options, but they fill the screen so you can't instantly see how the changes are going to affect the picture, as you have to back out of the menu first.

Ultimately the camera isn't terrible, but it's no better than the one on the much cheaper Nokia Lumia 620 and quite a lot worse than the 8MP snapper on the Moto G (2014)- which can be had for a similar price.

General photo quality is OK but lacks detail

Landscapes are similarly lacking in detail, and many of the colours blur together a little

Close-ups are reasonable but not as sharp as we'd like

Without flash indoor shots are very noisy

With flash it's possible to make out a bit more detail, but there's still a lot of noise

Fast moving objects are actually handled surprisingly well, with minimal motion blur.

Click here to see the full resolution, moving image

The cinemagraph lens adds movement to an image, though the quality suffers.

Nokia Smart Cam can combine multiple images to create an action shot.

Nokia Smart Cam can also add a blur effect to highlight movement.

Even with night mode on, night-time shots are poor, with very little detail