Sam Oliver
Just over a year after closing its acquisition of Nokia's phone division, Microsoft is reportedly set to reenter the high-end handset space with a pair of new Lumia devices that will feature powerful internals and carry the mobile banner for Windows 10.
The new devices — Â said to be codenamed "Cityman" and "Talkman" — Â will follow the "phablet" trend with high-resolution displays measuring 5.7 and 5.2 inches, respectively. Qualcomm has been tabbed to supply 64-bit Snapdragon processors for the handsets, according to Unleash The Phones.
The larger Cityman could ship with an 8-core processor, 3 gigabytes of RAM, 32 gigabytes of storage, a 20-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, and a removable 3,300 mAh battery. Users will be able to expand the internal memory with a microSD card.
Talkman, meanwhile, would step down to a six-core processor and 3,000 mAh battery while keeping other specifications the same.
Rumored for both phones is a new tri-tone flash module for the rear camera, sporting three LEDs. Apple's True Tone flash — Â introduced with the iPhone 5s and refined in the iPhone 6 — Â uses two LEDs.
Microsoft is also said to be planning a new feature for Windows 10 that would operate in much the same manner as Apple's Continuity, allowing users to place and receive calls or carry on SMS conversations via their computer. There is no word on whether Microsoft intends to introduce other desktop-to-mobile features a la Handoff or AirDrop.
Last week, Microsoft announced plans to entice iOS developers to Windows 10 by offering support for Objective C. A dearth of high-quality third-party apps has plagued Windows Phone since its release.
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23 Comments
The problem they'll have is their worthless OEM's. You'll have thousands of idiots wanting to know why this doesn't work on their HP Stream 11's.
Woohoo- Microsoft bringing you yesterday's flagship features, tomorrow!
The problem they'll have is their worthless OEM's. You'll have thousands of idiots wanting to know why this doesn't work on their HP Stream 11's.
You'll have thousands of smart people asking why it doesn't work on their HP Stream. Out of something like 5 computers I've attempted to use their Miracast Airplay imitation, 4 didn't have the right video card or network card or whatever, and the one tablet that did, got stuck in phase 2 pairing.
Of course these days continuity makes sense but it took Apple to show the way for M$ and Android. Of course the competition will never give Apple any recognition as usual.
Can't say a lot for the Windows cow, but Windows Phone is done. It was done in its first year when consumers decided they didn't care about it.
And they still don't. "Flagship" phones won't change anything when the platform itself is a dud. It's a redundant platform that is an anomaly beside both Apple and Google, which, between them, cover all the bases in every market.
The only way to make a real dent is to change the game completely like Apple did in 2007. Something totally mind-blowing which will chart the road ahead *for everyone else*.
And that isn't happening. Because it isn't in Microsoft's DNA.
Ballmer's replacement is a company peon that is the product of Microsoft's culture (or lack thereof.) What they needed was fresh, outside vision. Something totally radical.