Operating systems

MWC 2010: Day 2 wrap-up

T-Mobile kicks off the second day of Mobile World Congress 2010 with the announcement that they'll be bringing the highly coveted HTC HD2 to the U.S. market. This Windows Mobile smartphone is equipped with a 4.3-inch WVGA multitouch screen, a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, Wi-Fi, and plenty of other goodies like compatibility with Blockbuster's OnDemand video app, a Barnes & Noble eReader app, MobiTV, and six months of free in-flight Wi-Fi courtesy of Gogo Inflight Internet. T-Mobile says it expects to ship the HD2 in Spring 2010. T-Mobile also announced its plans to roll out HSPA+ … Read more

HTC: Hero, Droid Eris getting Android 2.1 update

BARCELONA, Spain--In addition to introducing two new Android phones, HTC revealed on Tuesday that it will release an Android 2.1 update for the HTC Droid Eris as well as the Sprint and GSM versions of the HTC Hero.

The company said the devices should be getting most of the features of Android 2.1 as well as the enhanced HTC Sense user experience that was announced today. However, it will ultimately be up to the carriers to determine which features make it onto the device. Unfortunately, HTC did not give any time frame for when the update might be … Read more

T-Mobile exec talks Nexus One issues, Android OS updates

BARCELONA, Spain--During a press conference at Mobile World Congress, T-Mobile CTO said that the Google-only sales model for the Nexus One was a challenge. In response to a CNET question on whether the carrier would expand the model, T-Mobile USA Cole Brodman said that the experience was a "test case" and that "we could have done things better."

Unlike most cell phones, Google is the sole retailer for HTC's Nexus One, even if a customer buys it with a T-Mobile contract. Though notable because it took so much power away from the carrier, the sales … Read more

MWC 2010: Day 1 wrap-up

Microsoft made headlines on the first day of Mobile World Congress 2010 in Barcelona with the announcement of Windows Phone 7, its brand new mobile operating system. It will feature integration with Xbox Live and Zune, with a user interface unlike anything we've seen before. The Windows Mobile name is effectively dead.

But that's not all that debuted in Barcelona. Samsung took the opportunity to reveal its new Bada operating system with the Samsung Wave.

The Wave is slim, with a 3.3-inch AMOLED display, and features powerful features like Wi-Fi, a 1GHz processor, GPS, a 5-megapixel camera, … Read more

Symbian update will plug into HD television

The Symbian Foundation has unveiled S^3, the next version of the Symbian open-source mobile operating system.

S^3 is the first entirely open-source version of the platform. Details announced Monday at Mobile World Congress include HDMI support, new memory management techniques, a new graphics architecture, and readiness for 4G support.

The foundation said it expects the platform to be "feature complete" by the end of March.

Read more of "Symbian update will plug into HD television" at ZDNet UK.

How will Xbox Live work on Windows Phone 7?

Apple may have the iPhone, but the iPhone doesn't have the Xbox. On Monday, Microsoft leveraged its most compelling entertainment asset, the Xbox 360, into the Windows Phone 7 Series. But what does this mean, practically speaking?

(Note: If you don't understand what the heck Windows Phone 7 is, read this first.)

Here's the official word from Microsoft on how WP7 will incorporate Xbox Live.

Games--This hub delivers the first and only official Xbox Live experience on a phone, including Xbox Live games, Spotlight feed, and the ability to see a gamer's avatar, Achievements, and gamer profile. With more than 23 million active members around the world, Xbox Live unlocks a world of friends, games, and entertainment on Xbox 360, and now also on Windows Phone 7 Series.

What we saw in Microsoft's demo Monday fleshes that concept out a bit. There will be a Spotlight section, with your Xbox Live avatar and notice of friends' achievements. And of course, there will be games--"premium titles" with achievements and multiplayer connected to other cell phones, PCs, and Xbox 360 consoles.

Don't let the simple interface fool you. Xbox Live on a phone is more than having your avatar on one more screen because of the three types of games I believe we'll see on Windows Phone 7.… Read more

Ballmer banks on Windows Phone 7 for the future

BARCELONA, Spain--Steve Ballmer hopes "7" will be Microsoft's lucky number as the company restarts its mobile business with the release of Windows Phone 7.

On Monday, the CEO of Microsoft and his team of Microsoft executives took the wraps off the latest version of the Windows Mobile operating system at a press conference here at the Mobile World Congress. The new Windows Phone 7 is a fresh start for the company in mobile.

"There's no question that a year and a half ago we had to rethink everything," Ballmer said.

Instead of revamping Windows … Read more

Music in the next Windows Phone

At long last, the Zune Phone is here. Microsoft isn't calling it that--apparently it thought the name Windows Phone 7 Series rolled off the tongue a bit more easily--but the next generation of Microsoft's smartphone software not only features the entire Zune HD software and services experience (just like the iPod became a component of the iPhone), but the entire user interface itself bears a close resemblance to the Zune HD.

To be clear, Microsoft isn't building the hardware like it did with Zune--rather, partners like HTC, LG, and Samsung will do that work. But a lot of what the company learned from several iterations of Zune design has been rolled into its mobile platform.

Microsoft introduced Windows Phone 7 Series Monday morning at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and there's a lot to wrap your head around. I'll leave the full rundown to others at CNET, but one of the most interesting aspects is the way Microsoft seems to be trying to get rid of the notion of "apps," which have become the iPhone's calling card and are widely imitated by every other smart phone OS out there.

I don't mean that Windows Phone 7 Series phones won't support third-party applications--of course they will. But you won't interact with those applications by selecting a specific icon, opening an app, doing whatever you want to do, then closing it and moving on to something else. … Read more

Windows Phone 7 at a glance

BARCELONA, Spain--As expected, Microsoft announced Windows Phone 7 during its news conference at Mobile World Congress 2010 on Monday. The event is actually happening right now as this story posts, but we received a prebriefing of today's news and wanted to share a quick list of major points with you.

Microsoft will have four major announcements at MWC: The introduction of the Windows Phone 7 series. The series refers to a set of phones that will run on the new operating system, and not various editions of the OS. From here on out, the Windows Mobile name is considered … Read more