Windows Phone Tango: lower cost, fewer capabilities
Microsoft revealed Windows Phone Tango at MWC 2012 as a version of the operating system for low-cost devices with 256MB of RAM. The update was good news for owners of early Windows Phone devices that didn't meet the minimum requirements for Mango, but there have been a few hiccups. Microsoft said that not all apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace would work on devices with only 256MB of memory, and there have since been issues with Angry Birds and Skype, just to name a couple.
Mobile
AT&T confirms Windows Phone 7.5 Refresh update for Lumia 900 in the 'coming weeks'
The Nokia Lumia 900 may not be getting upgraded to Windows Phone 8, but that doesn't mean AT&T is ignoring it before the transition to Microsoft's latest mobile OS. Yesterday saw the announcement of a pink Lumia 900, and today the carrier has confirmed that the phone will be getting the Windows Phone 7.5 Refresh update "in the coming weeks." There'll also be a usage tracking counter and what AT&T calls a "new contact sharing feature" coming to Nokia's flagship device soon. We'd previously...
Apps & Software
Microsoft lists Windows Phone Tango update details, due for existing devices soon?
Microsoft has started to list its Windows Phone Tango upgrade as part of the company's history page for its mobile operating system updates. Build 8773.98, which is currently shipping on European Nokia Lumia 900 handsets, is listed as an update that includes messaging, SIM card contacts, and other improvements.
The software giant does not indicate when the update will be available to existing devices, but Microsoft previously promised it would "start the process of working with mobile...
Apps & Software
6.4 percent of most popular Windows Phone apps are incompatible with low-end Tango devices
We've already seen several instances where low-memory Windows Phone devices like the Lumia 610, which has just 256MB of RAM, simply can't run certain high-profile apps. But just how bad is the problem? AAWP crunched the numbers and found that of the 86,292 apps currently available in the Windows Phone Marketplace, only 1.6 percent aren't compatible with 256MB phones — which is less than Microsoft's claim of five percent. However, that number does increase a bit when you look at the more...
Mobile
Nokia says 'Angry Birds' will be optimized for Windows Phone Tango's 256MB of RAM
If you thought it was a little odd that Nokia's Lumia 610 wouldn't support the hottest mobile game ever to be produced in its native Finland, your hunch was spot-on. Nokia says that a version of Angry Birds specifically optimized for Windows Phone Tango's 256MB memory constraint will be released in the near future. Heidi Lemmetyinen, editor-in-chief of the company's official Nokia Conversations blog, says that while the app isn't available yet, it's definitely on the way, and that she hopes...
Microsoft
'Angry Birds', Tango, and 'PES 2012' refuse to install on Windows Phones with 256MB RAM
Microsoft first unveiled its low-cost 256MB of RAM Windows Phone devices at Mobile World Congress earlier this year. Although Microsoft warned parts of Windows Phone would be restricted on handsets with 256MB of RAM, the company said it expected 95 percent of apps would still install and run just fine. Nokia's Lumia 610 has started to ship in Europe and a Windows Phone fan site in Spain has discovered that a number of popular apps refuse to install on the handset.
Skype, Tango, Angry Birds,...
Nokia removes Skype from Marketplace on Lumia 610, blames poor user experience
Only weeks after saying Skype "worked well" on the Lumia 610, Nokia Hong Kong announced today that it has decided to remove Skype from the Windows Phone Marketplace on the device, because the app's experience doesn't live up to the company's expectations. The likeliest culprit seems to be the 256MB of RAM inside the Lumia 610 — the Skype app listing says it requires 512MB of memory. Nokia Hong Kong released an official statement on the matter, as reported by welovewp.hk:
Nokia attaches...
Nokia says Skype for Windows Phone is 'working well' on the low-end Lumia 610
While Microsoft warned that Skype for Windows Phone users would require a 512MB of RAM handset to install the app, Nokia says its Lumia 610 device with 256MB of RAM is 'working well' with Skype installed. Citing internal testing with the Lumia 610 and Skype, a Nokia spokesperson tells us that "Skype is available for the Lumia 610 in Marketplace and actually works just fine in the latest round of testing that has been done."
Although Nokia says there were "some challenges early on," these are...
First version of Skype for Windows Phone doesn't support low-end 'Tango' devices
The first version of Skype for Windows Phone will not support low-end "Tango" devices, Microsoft has revealed. Although the company delivered a 1.0 release of Skype for Windows Phone over the weekend, Microsoft says it will only install and run on devices with 512MB of memory. The majority of Windows Phone devices include 512MB of RAM, but Microsoft's latest "Tango" handsets only feature 256MB of memory.
Described as a "known issue," it appears that Microsoft's Skype team may be planning to...
Mobile
Nokia Lumia 610 launching in Asian markets at the end of April
Although we had been expecting Windows Phone "Tango" handsets to arrive this month, Nokia officially revealed today that it will launch its new Lumia 610 Windows Phone in the Philippines in the last week of April. Additional markets such as China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam will also get the Lumia 610 in the following weeks.
Microsoft's Windows Phone "Tango" phones are designed with China and other emerging markets in mind. Nokia's Lumia 610 includes an...
Mobile
Microsoft releases finalized build of Windows Phone 'Tango' 7.1.1 SDK
After providing a technical preview to developers last month, Microsoft has today released the final build for version 7.1.1 of the Windows Phone "Tango" SDK. The main focus here continues to be the ability to develop for handsets with 256MB of memory and sample app performance through the use of a built-in emulator. Despite numerous limitations that will accompany lower-cost devices, the company continues to highlight the benefits of new hardware by saying it could spur an increase of 60% in...
Microsoft
Windows Phone 'Tango' increases multitasking limit to eight apps
We thought Microsoft had fully detailed its Windows Phone "Tango" engineering effort and improvements previously, but it appears not. The folks over at XDA-developers have discovered that Microsoft's latest Windows Phone update will raise the app multitasking limit from five to eight, allegedly due to the lower memory improvements in the operating system.
Amongst other improvements for MMS, better SIM contact management, and a new location alert icon, Microsoft has also thrown in memory...
Nokia Lumia 610 advertised with Wi-Fi hotspot capability
Microsoft introduced the ability to create Wi-Fi hotspots in the Windows Phone Mango update, but it's a feature that's been missing from Nokia's Lumia 800 and 710. As Unwired View points out, however, the manufacturer is now touting the feature — for the entry-level Lumia 610. It's not yet clear what's causing the distinction here; while some manufacturers weren't able to deliver internet sharing when Mango launched, enabling the feature was just carrier approval and a firmware update away....
Microsoft launching Windows Phone Tango in China on March 21st
Press in China have reportedly received invitations from Microsoft China to a launch event for Windows 7.5 Tango. The invitation announces that "the carefully designed, refined, and all-new Windows Phone 7.5 will be landing in China" and invites news outlets to see it on March 21st. There aren't any specific handsets listed in the announcement, but the HTC Titan ("Triumph" in China) with 7.5 recently went on sale, making it not only the first Tango device but also the first official Windows...
Microsoft details full Windows Phone 'Tango' 256MB RAM device limitations
Microsoft revealed its Windows Phone "Tango" engineering effort at MWC last week, but the company was fairly vague on the exact restrictions for its new low-memory devices. Nokia and ZTE will be the first device manufacturers to launch Windows Phones with just 256MB of RAM, but there will be restrictions for end users and developers. Microsoft updated its Windows Phone site this week with the full details:
- Windows Phone Marketplace app restrictions - Some processor-intensive apps have...
Apps & Software
Windows Phone 7.5 to include new location alert icon in future update
Microsoft is planning to update its Windows Phone 7.5 operating system with a location awareness icon. The update, expected in the next few months, will add a new status icon to the top bar of Windows Phone 7.5, indicating when an app is accessing a phone's current location information. Microsoft revealed the change (similar to iOS and Android) in its Windows Phone documentation this week and confirmed the new icon in an email to us. "We updated the documentation to get in front of new...
Microsoft
HTC confirms Windows Phone 7.5 Tango is heading to China
We'd already heard plenty of reports that Windows Phone would reach China in March, but now HTC has provided official confirmation that the latest update, Tango, will form a part of the Chinese launch. This announcement comes via a pre-order for the HTC Titan (albeit under the "Triumph" name) in HTC's new flagship store in Beijing Blue Harbor. Although there's no explicit mention of Tango in the image, Engadget was told by HTC that the latest update to Windows Phone powers its device.
No date...
Microsoft confirms Windows Phone Tango, says Nokia led Chinese efforts
Microsoft's Greg Sullivan confirmed the codename for the company's recent push to low-end Windows Phone devices at Mobile World Congress today. Describing Tango as "an engineering project," Sullivan explained that Tango isn't an update per se but rather a collection of elements that make up a broader effort to reduce the cost of Windows Phones. This engineering work included a focus on ensuring that devices could make use of the majority of existing Windows Phone features using just 256MB of...
Apps & Software
Windows Phone Tango: improved MMS, voice notes, app restrictions (hands-on pictures and video)
Microsoft announced today that it will bring a Windows Phone 7.5 update to existing handsets in April. Codenamed Tango, the update lowers Microsoft's minimum specification for Windows Phone and introduces some new features to existing devices. We got an early hands-on look at several builds of Windows Phone today, all of which include new MMS features and several restrictions for devices with 256MB of RAM.
Microsoft is removing background agents with Windows Phone Tango if a device has 256MB...
ZTE Orbit Windows Phone 'Tango' handset hands-on pictures
Nokia isn't the only device manufacturer launching a Windows Phone Tango device at Mobile World Congress this week. ZTE unveiled its Orbit Windows Phone earlier today, a low-end device designed for markets like China. ZTE is shipping its 4-inch device with a 5-megapixel camera, 256MB of RAM, and 4GB of storage. A note at ZTE's Mobile World Congress stand claims that the device is running "Windows Phone 7 Tango II," one of the first official mentions by a manufacturer acknowledging the...
ZTE Orbit announced with Windows Phone Tango
Continuing its barrage of new device announcements at Mobile World Congress, ZTE just announced its second Windows Phone handset — the Orbit is a low-end device that's set to take advantage of the latest version of Windows Phone 7.5. We don't have details on what's under the hood just yet, or even how large the screen is, but with 4GB of internal memory and a 5-megapixel camera it's clear what section of the market the company is targeting. ZTE's MWC press conference is happening right now,...
Microsoft
Nokia Lumia 610 announced with 800MHz processor, 256MB RAM, Windows Phone 7.5
Nokia is announcing its latest Lumia device at Mobile World Congress 2012 today. The Nokia Lumia 610 is designed to be a low-end affordable Lumia Windows Phone, priced at just 189 euros. With a focus on China, the Lumia 610 introduces a new price point and markets for Microsoft's mobile operating system. The Lumia 610 includes an 800MHz processor, 256MB of RAM, and a 5-megapixel camera — pushing Microsoft's Windows Phone specifications to the lowest point in the platforms short history.
N...
Microsoft
Windows Phone 7.5 update will support 256MB RAM and slower processors in April
Microsoft is planning to support a new minimum hardware specification for its Windows Phone platform from April. Codenamed Tango, the software giant has engineered its latest Windows Phone 7.5 update to target new price points and emerging markets like China. The update is the first significant change to the Windows Phone codebase as a result of the unique partnership between Microsoft and Nokia. Nokia is promising to bring a number of low-cost Lumia products to China thanks to lower...
Microsoft
Windows Phone 'Tango' screenshots leak, reveal MMS improvements and memory limitations
Screenshots of an alleged Windows Phone "Tango" build leaked to the internet today and demonstrate a number of new features in Microsoft's next Windows Phone update. Russian site WP7forum says that Tango will include the ability to export contacts to SIM, manage domestic / international roaming, and handle multiple attachments in a single MMS message. MMS currently supports single images and Tango will allegedly add support for video messages too. Microsoft also appears to be building in a...
Microsoft
Windows Phone 'Tango' to include folders and 256MB RAM support?
You may or may not have heard of Microsoft's Windows Phone "Tango" update, but it's the rumored codename for the company's next version of the software. Previous reports suggested that the update is designed to drive down the cost of manufacturing Windows Phones, but how does Microsoft plan to achieve this? We have heard that Microsoft's biggest work with Tango is reducing the RAM requirement for Windows Phone. We have been informed, but cannot immediately verify, that Microsoft will actively...
Microsoft
Windows Phone roadmap leak points to Tango release in Q2 2012, Apollo in Q4
Now that every Windows Phone out there is upgradable to Mango, Microsoft appears to be pushing ahead with Tango and Apollo, the next two versions of the software. WMPoweruser has obtained an alleged roadmap that indicates the Tango update will arrive in Q2 of 2012, and Apollo in Q4.
The roadmap is said to be "up to date as of October 2011," implying that Microsoft’s plans may have changed since it was put together. The Mango update is listed as a Q4 2011 release, whereas its distribution...
