For quite some time, the race of the mobile operating systems has only included Android and iOS, as fans of both the OSes vehemently give their opinions on why their preferred choice is better than the competition. Personally speaking, I own devices that run both Android and iOS and can pick a long list of pros and cons with both. I personally prefer iOS, but that doesn't mean I don't love Android and recognize the benefits that it brings in an industry where we need diversity. Those two platforms still remain dominant, but it looks like Microsoft is ready to give a big push to Windows Phone and I'm secretly hoping that it gets the attention and success it rightly deserves.
It seems that events and announcement from major consumer technology companies - specifically those involved in the smartphone industry - are very much like London buses, that you wait patiently for one to arrive and end up getting three at once. Well actually, in this case, all the announcements are spread out over the month of September, it seems like an extremely good time to be a mobile device aficionado.
Microsoft may be set to shake up the Windows Phone market by entering its own horse into a race that has thus far stalled, with a Surface Phone potentially on the horizon. Should rumors and a supposed benchmark result is to be believed, that is.
It seems that every company in the smartphone and tablet industry is making some kind of announcement or holding an event to present a new product or service to the media at the minute. I'm pretty sure it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that Apple is widely speculated to be introducing the next-generation iPhone in the next nine days, but putting cynicism aside, Nokia and Microsoft is the latest companies to make their own exciting announcement in the next few days.
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Although the tech world is salivating in anticipation of what Nokia may or may not be cooking up for Windows Phone 8 in terms of new Lumia devices, Samsung has already snuck in with one of the first by announcing its introductory Windows Phone 8 device, the ATIV S.
In the current smartphone climate, it seems that everyone is talking about devices like the iPhone and Samsung's extremely popular Galaxy S III, or mostly devices that are built around iOS or Android. In all honesty, it is a bit of a short-sighted position to take, and although companies like Nokia have been cast into the wilderness in recent years, they have always been known for producing premium quality hardware. And now thanks to their partnership with Microsoft, we could hopefully see a re-emergence of the Finnish company.
The next moves of Microsoft and the Windows Phone 8 platform are extremely critical in mobile space. Currently dominated by iOS and Android, no other platform has the potential to compete with the two titans quite like Windows Phone 8, and although some details are still scarce, the evolved mobile ecosystem will cater to more powerful devices than ever before.
WhatsApp is undoubtedly the most popular cross-platform instant messaging service for smartphones. It works on all major mobile platforms – iOS, Android, Blackberry OS and Symbian - over Wi-Fi / cellular data and allows you send and receive text messages, photos, videos for free. With so many smartphones in the hands of teenagers and young adults, it’s no surprise that many of them prefer using WhatsApp over services like Blackberry Messenger and iMessage.
Although Microsoft has announced its Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system, only a few of the key details were revealed, with some kept back for added intrigue. There have been murmurs for a while now with regards a screenshot function, and now details have emerged portraying just how such a feature will work.