Nokia to frequently refresh Windows Phone portfolio

Unlike other companies which treat Windows Phone 7 as the secondary operating system, Nokia is betting big on it. That's why it needs to keep its product portfolio fresh to keep the enthusiasm alive in the market.

Nokia, which may come out with its first Windows Phone probably in September or October this year, is likely to launch newer models on the same platform every few months after that.

"We should be launching new devices in a rhythm that might be every couple of months, every three months, something like that," said Jo Harlow, Nokia's executive vice president of smart devices, to PCMag.

Windows Phone 7 may have more quality apps

Microsoft is aiming for quality over quantity for its marketplace, so that its apps may command higher price from the consumers.

Notwithstanding the popularity of Android, primarily due to its free applications, Microsoft wants its developers to sell quality apps at higher price points for its Windows Phone 7, Bloomberg has reported.

It's not that Microsoft wants the developers to charge more for the same apps, it actually wants them to create better and more feature rich apps, and then charge more. 

Bing Vision: Visual search for Windows Phone

It looks like the human eye and just needs a tap by the users to start scanning the visual code with the help of phone's camera. Bing Vision seems to be inspired by Google Goggles, though it is visually more pleasing.

Mango update of Windows Phones, which was launched recently, has brought several interesting features with it including the Bing Vision, which allows you to search for things using the device's camera. 

It looks like the human eye; users just need to tap it to scan something with the help of the phone's camera. The feature is basically inspired by Google Goggles, though the user Interface looks better than it. Users can still see the search categories even as the camera keeps running, on a semi-transparent layer. 

500 Windows Phone updates coming today

The company will also provide details on the companies who will be producing Windows Phones and the associated carriers.

The latest upgrade of Windows Phones 7 will bring about 500 updates to the operating system, its creator, Microsoft has announced.

The updates, dubbed as the Mango update, will be announced in New York later today. The company will also provide details on the companies who will be producing Windows Phones and the associated carriers.

"We have a big launch event to talk about the next release of Windows Phone tomorrow (Tuesday) so that information will be, uh, forthcoming, including some of the particulars about who's going to be building Windows Phones and which carriers will be offering them here in Japan," said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive officer, during the Microsoft Developer Forum at Shinagawa Intercity, Japan on Monday.

Plants Vs Zombies coming to Android

Android users can download the game for free within 24 hours of its launch from Amazon AppStore, which has exclusive rights to distribute the game.

Plants Vs Zombies, a popular mobile game of PopCap, is all set to hit Android and Windows Phone 7 platforms. The game is already a big hit on iPhone, and is available on gaming consoles as well.

Android users can download the application of the game starting May 31 from Amazon Appstore, which has the exclusive right to distribute it. The game will be free for download for the first 24 hours but will cost nearly $3 (about Rs 135) after that.

No more new apps for Windows Mobile 6.5

Windows Mobile Marketplace will not get any new apps after July 15, though users will still be able to download existing apps. The Marketplace is likely to be closed by October this year.

The Windows Mobile 6.5 Marketplace, launched in November 2009, will not have any new apps after July 15, when the app store will not accept submissions from developers.

The reasons behind the demise of this application market are obvious. First, Microsoft wants to focus on its new OS, Windows Phone 7; and second, the platform is not popular. It had only 7,000 applications at its peak. (Compare that number to the 1 lakh plus apps that Android has.)

No Windows Phones soon: Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson is looking to triple its market share in USA with Android phones, particularly those that run PlayStation. The new Xperia series is likely to lead growth for the company.

Sony Ericsson, which had dumped the Symbian platform, is not likely to come out with a Windows phone anytime soon, according to the company's chief technology officer Jan Uddenfeldt.

However, Uddenfeldt's words can also be interpreted to mean that Sony Ericsson's doors are still open for Windows Phone 7, though the company will start making products only if the platform picks up pace.

Sony Ericsson is looking to triple its smartphone market share in the USA, which currently stands at 5 per cent.

After Symbian, it was widely speculated that the company would go for Windows Phone 7. However, it went for Google's Android operating system and has seen reasonable success with the decision.