The fall announcement of HTC's Windows Phone 8X was a bold statement about the future of Windows Phone development — HTC had seemingly supplanted Nokia as Microsoft's hardware partner of choice, despite the fact that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer showed up at Nokia's Lumia 920 reveal just a few weeks earlier. While Nokia had appeared to be Microsoft's closest Windows Phone ally, HTC quickly showed that it wasn't going push out the same uninspired devices that made up its Windows Phone 7 portfolio. The Windows Phone 8X moniker was also a strong statement that positioned HTC's new phone as the consensus best option.

Now, it looks like HTC is continuing to strengthen its position with Microsoft: Bloomberg is reporting that HTC CEO Peter Chou has been meeting with Steve Ballmer in an effort to help the company realize its vision of a large-screen Windows Phone device that can compete with device like Samsung's Galaxy Note series. This meeting is apparently the latest in ongoing discussions between the two companies — Chou and Ballmer have been meeting several times a year, with frequent email and phone conversations also taking place as the two companies work to strengthen their partnership.

HTC had hoped to launch a Windows Phone device at 4.7 inches or higher, but recently scrapped the plans due to Windows Phone 8's maximum resolution size of 1280 x 768. While large devices like the Galaxy Note II still have excellent screens using that resolution, a bigger Windows Phone wouldn't be quite the standout next to the outstanding 1080p screen HTC used in the Droid DNA. Microsoft needs an inspired hardware partner like HTC (not to mention Nokia), but HTC also could use a Windows Phone hit — the company been in a year-long slump despite releasing some of its best Android hardware to date in 2012.

Update 8.0.10211.204
Messaging improvements. A great messaging experience is now even better. You can now add multiple recipients at the same time when you send a text message and automatically save unsent text messages as drafts. You can even edit received text messages before you forward them.

Text replies to incoming calls. Can't take a call? Now you can send a prewritten text reply to a caller directly from the call answer screen. It's a nice way to let people know that you're not ignoring them.

Internet Explorer improvements. You can now change your settings to prevent pictures from downloading automatically—an easy way to help keep data usage low. You can also delete selected sites from your browsing history and leave the rest intact.

Wi-Fi connectivity. Got a favorite Wi-Fi network? Windows Phone 8 will now prioritize Wi-Fi connections based on your connection history.

Other improvements. Includes many other improvements to Windows Phone.

Kantar Worldpanel’s report for November came out and much has been made of the iPhone market share surge in the United States. What I find interesting in the November numbers is just how ice cold the iPhone has gone in so many international markets, from Australia to Brazil to Southern Europe. The iOS market share showed hefty declines outside in many major markets: down 5.4 percentage points in Australia to 35.9% and down 1.6 points in Brazil to 1.6%. That’s right — the iPhone market share has halved in the most important South American market over the past year. And this happened while BlackBerry and Symbian market shares absolutely caved in. This should have been the period for Apple (AAPL) to pick up points while RIM (RIMM) and Nokia (NOK) floundered. Instead, the sky-high pricing of the iPhone models has effectively started reversing Apple’s market share gains across several major markets.

In November, the burden of the stiff iPhone pricing was highlighted by how rapidly Windows has started closing the market share gap in Spain, Italy and France. Because Nokia has had trouble ramping up the production of the new Lumia 920 and 820 Windows models, it chose to crank out older Windows models like 800 and 610 for remarkably aggressive Christmas promotions. As European markets are now hitting 50% smartphone market penetration, consumer demand is shifting towards cheap models, and Apple cannot compete in the budget category. The new first-time smartphone buyers have a lot lower household income than the consumers who bought smartphones in 2010. In the recession-ravaged Europe, the upgrade cycle is lengthening and prepaid smartphones are a more important part of the overall product mix.

As a result, Windows market share in Italy hit a stunning 11.8% in November despite the razor thin availability of the Lumia 920. Windows has already erased most of the market share lead iPhone had in Italy. The iOS market share slipped to 20.6% during the last month. In Spain, Windows market share vaulted to 3% from 0.4% a year earlier while iOS share faded to 4.4%. As the affordable HTC (2498) 8S ramps up and the even cheaper Lumia 620 launches at the end of January, Windows may overtake iPhone in Spain already in February.

The strong performance Apple had in France and the United Kingdom kept its overall European market share climbing by 2.5 percentage points in November. But in Southern Europe, Latin America and parts of Asia, iPhone is slipping badly due to the lack of a low-end version. This is what is driving the Google (GOOG) Play revenue surge globally as Android apps now narrow the huge lead Apple built in the app market before the year 2012. Apple may well have to reconsider its iPhone pricing strategy in a fundamental way. Maintaining $620 ASP level globally could lead to a scenario where Android has 10-to-1 volume lead outside the United States and Northern Europe, and Windows actually has a shot at pulling well ahead of Apple in lower income countries from Spain to Brazil to South-East Asia.

While Apple shares have been dropping recently, a new report from Kantar Worldpanel Comtech has revealed that during the last 12 weeks, Apple has sold its highest-ever share of smartphones in the U.S. with over 53%. Android is not far behind, with 41.9% of smartphone sales – and surprisingly, Windows Phone edged out RIM as the third most popular platform during the past 12 weeks, now accounting for 2.7% of all purchases in the U.S.

As Windows Phones are gaining momentum in the U.S., the picture doesn’t look too different around the globe, either. In Europe, Samsung’s Galaxy line of devices accounted for 44% of all smartphone sales, compared to Apple’s 25% of market share during the past 12 weeks. (Android in general accounted for 61% of all smartphone sales.) And while Windows Phone sales are still behind RIM in Europe, that could change if RIM’s sales continue to fall.

Kantar says that Nokia’s success with the Widows Phone has been in part due to the “keenly priced” devices being sold on prepay contracts. Analyst Dominic Sunnebo writes:

“Nokia is managing to claw back some of its share in Great Britain through keenly priced Lumia 800 and 610 prepay deals. The next period will prove crucial in revealing initial consumer reactions to the Nokia 920 and HTC Windows 8X devices.”

While Windows Phones are still a very small share of smartphone sales, Kantar’s analysis indicates Nokia is seeing definite momentum with Windows Phones in the smartphone market not just in the U.S., but around the world – and could eventually become a contender for the second (or even first) most popular platform.

Mark Cuban, the outspoken billionaire who is on Shark Tank, owns the Dallas Mavericks and is a renowned entrepreneur, says that he recently has dropped the iPhone 5 in favor of Windows Phone in an AMA on Reddit. Despite dropping the iPhone, Cuban is till a fan of Apple products including the Macbook Air and the iPad but also stated that Windows Phone 8 (and Android) kick the iPhones ass.

While we do not know the sales of Windows Phone 8 at this stage in the game, the organic backing of Mark Cuban will certainly be a welcomed face to the Windows Phone fanclub. Cuban was asked during the Reddit AMA what technology he uses and we have posted his response below.



It's clear by his statements that he thinks both Android and Windows Phone are far better than the iPhone 5. Seeing as thousands (if not more) look to Cuban's direction after his financial success, this is a significant win for Microsoft and Nokia.

While Cuban does not state which phone he is using, we would hedge that it is the Lumia 920 and his statement also highlights the Samsung Galaxy S3 too.

For Microsoft and Nokia, they should be thrilled to hear the news as Cuban has considerable clout in the market-space and seeing that thousands will read this AMA, they just got a huge brand endorsement for a product that is pivotal to both companies future.

Google originally announced its plans to cutoff Exchange ActiveSync support for new users today, January 30th, but the company has revealed to The Verge that it plans to extend this to July 31st. In a statement issued to us, a spokesperson says the company will "start rolling out this change as planned across all platforms but will continue to support Google Sync for Windows Phone until July 31, 2013."

The change of heart follows Microsoft's requests for Google to extend its Exchange ActiveSync support for six months. It appears that Google has honored Microsoft's requests, allowing Windows Phone users to continue using Google Sync until July 31st. According to our own sources, Microsoft is preparing an update for Windows Phone to support CardDav and CalDAV protocols. We are reaching out to Google to confirm whether the extension will also apply to Windows 8, which is affected by the removal — we'll update you accordingly.

Leaks about an alleged new HTC Windows Phone in the works have a number of WP watchers wondering what a "GDR" is and how it relates to Microsoft's plans for its mobile platform.


The Windows Phone division has gone larely quiet, as of late. This seems to be a strategy, given PC Mag's report about Microsoft's back-room goings-on from Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week. "Shut up and ship" is the Windows Phone team's new rallying cry, PC Mag says, with commitments from officials to stop talking about new platform updates "months and months" before they are available.

Given that caveat, it's no surprise that we haven't heard anything about what's next for the Windows Phone OS from the team. Company officials aren't fielding questions about "GDR2" which is listed by UnwiredReview.com as the operating system powering the alleged HTC Windows Phone "Tiara," due out this summer.

Here's what one of my sources -- who has been in-the-know about Microsoft's OS plans -- told me.

GDR stands for "General Distribution Release." It means a product update distributed commercially. It's a naming convention that various teams at Microsoft have used for years.

"Portico," which was the Windows Phone update that Microsoft, handset makers and carriers have been distributing over the past couple of months, is considered the "GDR1" update to the Windows Phone 8 OS, I hear.

GDR2 is the next Windows Phone 8 update. If the leaks about the HTC Tiara are correct, that OS release should be done in the next couple of months so that it can be preloaded on new Windows Phones coming this spring/summer.

I hear from my contact there's also a GDR3 on the roadmap. I have no information on what's in this or when it's slated to arrive.

After that, it's Windows Phone Blue. Windows Phone Blue is the Windows Phone OS update designed to bring the Windows 8, Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 app models and developer platforms more into sync. Supposedly the Windows Blue update includes new programming interfaces, kernel updates and some user interface enhancements (though nothing too major on the UI front, I've heard).

And about that "Apollo Plus" thing? From what I'm hearing recently, Apollo Plus isn't a codename for some Windows Phone OS update to Apollo (a k a the Windows Phone 8 OS). It was just a name the Softies used at one point to refer generally to updates to the Windows Phone 8 OS. I have no further information as to when/whether VPN connectivity is still on the roadmap, maybe as part of a GDR update, Windows Phone Blue or something beyond that.

The best news in all this, if you're an existing Windows Phone 8 user: All these GDRs and the Blue update itself should work just fine on your phone, according to Windows Phone Senior Marketing Manager Greg Sullivan. PCMag says Sullivan is claiming that Windows Phone 8 users should have nothing to fear from the coming upgrades.

In other Windows Phone news this week, there's an updated version of the official Twitter client for Windows Phone available in the Windows Phone Store. (Still no word on when that promised Twitter client for Windows 8/Windows RT will finally arrive.) And there's a new voice-activated assistant, Maluuba, for Windows Phone in the store, too. It's a Siri for the rest of us, they say....

Alright, so Microsoft is in no danger of toppling iOS or Android anytime soon. But the analytics firm Kantar has seen significant growth for Windows Phone, largely at the expense of BlackBerry. In practically every major market WP8 has started to chip away at its competitors, growing from 6.2 percent to 6.7 percent share in the UK in just one month. Twelve months ago it was at only three percent in the country. The most dramatic ascent has taken place in Italy where it accounted for just 5.4 percent of handsets sold in February of 2012, and now makes up 13.1 percent of sales. Even in the US Windows Phone is seeing steady, if hardly eye-popping growth.

Symbian and BlackBerry are obviously the biggest losers. In Mexico, both platforms have seen double digit drops in their share of sales over the last year. While in the UK, the company formerly known as RIM has gone from a seemingly secure third place with 16.8 percent of the market to a quickly fading fourth with 5.1 percent is just 12 months. Meanwhile, Apple is sitting pretty with hardly a change to its position and Android continues its juggernaut-like assault on all markets.

Latest figures released by Kantar Worldpanel shows that Microsoft is actually starting to perform rather well in the US, one of the more important markets for the company. So much so that the platform is growing at a slightly faster rate than Google's Android. Microsoft still has a tough mountain to climb to tackle both Android and iOS, but it would seem as though the third position is firmly in its grasp.

Windows Phone accounted for 5.6 percent of all smartphone sales in the three months ending March 2013, according to the report. This is up from 3.7 percent a year ago. Android's share rose from 47.9 percent to 49.3 percent, while Apple slipped from 44.6 percent to 43.7 percent. Blackberry fell from 2.6 percent to just 0.9 percent. Kantar states that Nokia had the most to gain from Windows Phone growth.

Despite the launch of new Blackberry hardware, the company is still experiencing difficult times indeed. So why has Windows Phone grown significantly? Kantar pins this growth down to the operating system appealing to first-time smartphone buyers - an important group of consumers - more than Apple's iOS.

We can certainly relate to this. Large tiles, a simple user interface and a focus on typography across the majority of apps provides a familiar and integrated experience. The research firm noted that from its own survey, 52 percent of people who swapped to Windows Phone had a feature handset beforehand. By contrast, 55 percent of people who had bought an iPhone had previously owned another smartphone.

It's believed that Windows Phone will continue to capture more consumers who are looking to advance up the ladder to the smartphone world. There's a large proportion of consumers in the US who still use a feature phone. Should Microsoft (or rather Nokia) be able to tap into this pool, there'll be some more positive reports to come.

Microsoft is updating its YouTube application for Windows Phone on Tuesday in a significant way. Previously, the app was simply a web link to the mobile YouTube interface, but it's now a full application for Windows Phone 8 devices. You can now access videos, channels, playlists, and pin them to the Windows Phone 8 Start Screen. Microsoft is also supporting YouTube accounts, allowing you to access your uploads, playlists, and video lists.

Windows Phone users have had to use third-party alternatives such as MetroTube or Google's own YouTube mobile interface, so Microsoft's updated app is a welcome change. The app also supports the Kid's Corner feature of Windows Phone with a system to limit content based on YouTube Safety Mode settings. Microsoft has always said it was ready to release a "high quality YouTube app for Windows Phone," but the company previously complained to the EU that Google had refused to let Windows Phone access YouTube metadata. It appears that the two companies have been able to reconcile their differences.

App counts don’t matter but so-called “flagship apps” do. Ever since Windows Phone 7.x came out nearly three years ago, the “break moment” has been anxiously anticipated. That’s the instant where things click with consumers and the phones become an accepted, viable option for people to consider when shopping—the third way, if you will.

There have been false alarms in the past: Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango”, Nokia’s Lumia 900 (with AT&T’s “Hero” status) and then finally Windows Phone 8 and the Lumia 920.

Every one of those turning points it felt as if Windows Phone would finally catch on and go mainstream, but alas it never happened. Granted, with the Windows Phone 8/Lumia 920 combo, Microsoft and company had their best opportunity. But even then, things have been slower than expected despite the award winning OS and hardware.

Now in May 2013, I think Windows Phone is finally reaching critical mass. Six months after it was introduced, Windows Phone 8 is growing faster and more popular than ever before. We’re seeing numerous high profile apps come to the platform, including an authentic YouTube client, Pandora, Hulu Plus, Tumbr, NBC News, Star Trek, GoComics, HSN and overhauled apps like OpenTable, Facebook, Viber and Foursquare.
And don’t get me started on Instagram.

Not only are these new experiences, they’re solid, quality apps that set the bar in design. There’s little disagreement that the Pandora app for Windows Phone is one of the nicest experiences on any platform.

More and more we’re seeing high profile games based on the Unity engine arriving in a timely manner and developers committing to the platform (just yesterday Digitally Imported jumped on board). It’s an exciting time both for developers and longtime users of Windows Phone who finally feel like they’re getting the respect they deserve.

Getting the message out

Combined with all of the new app momentum, we’re also seeing an even more aggressive advertising push from Microsoft, culminating in the cheeky “Wedding” commercial directed by Roman Coppola. That ad, which has garnered a massive 4.5 million views in just over a week on YouTube alone, nearly doubling the Grant Hill ad. And that ad is now in regular rotation on TV, playing on TBS and other channels on a fairly regular basis.

For all intents and purposes, it has gone viral. Why? Because it’s hilarious and is something to talk about, despite all the naysayers who suggested that Microsoft missed the point with the ad.

In addition, we’re seeing Windows Phone Challenge commercials playing before packed theaters for Iron Man 3 and other blockbuster films, raising even more awareness.

And this is just the warm up.



The Next Stage

1080P display for Windows Phone 8?

What’s really fascinating about all of this is Microsoft is just getting started.

Next week in London, Nokia is expected to reveal their aluminum-based Lumia ‘Catwalk’ design—an updated Lumia 920 but with a thinner, lighter body. Verizon is on the cusp of releasing the Nokia Lumia 928—their first “hero” Nokia phone that looks to even surpass the Lumia 920 due to it being thinner, lighter and featuring a Xenon flash. T-Mobile is just starting to roll out the Lumia 521, going for a remarkable $130 off contract.

Then in June, Microsoft is holding their BUILD conference in California where they are expected to reveal Windows 8 and Windows Phone “Blue” projects aka the next milestone for both operating systems. In between those releases, Windows Phone users will get OS updates including GDR2 and GDR3, adding new functions including FM radio, 1080P support and more to their current and future hardware.

Nokia's "Catwalk"

Come this fall we can expect Nokia to finally show off their ‘EOS’ 41MP Windows Phone, a device expected to launch here in the US on AT&T, not to mention Sprint finally getting on board with two new devices.

It’s an unrelenting juggernaut that is in full motion.

Make no mistake, these aren’t just some awesome apps we’re getting on Windows Phone, it’s the moment that Microsoft’s OS, in conjunction with Nokia and HTC, begins to go mainstream.

Microsoft updated its own YouTube application for Windows Phone just over a week ago and Google isn't impressed. The Verge has obtained a copy of a cease and desist letter that Google has sent to Microsoft recently, demanding that Microsoft "immediately withdraw this application from the Windows Phone Store and disable existing downloads of the application by Wednesday, May 22, 2013." Microsoft's YouTube app for Windows Phone appears to have taken Google by surprise.

Google's complaint centers on the lack of ads in Microsoft's YouTube app, something it claims is a direct violation of the terms and conditions of the company's YouTube API. The Verge has learned that Microsoft created the app without Google's consent with features that specifically prevent ads from playing. The lack of ads clearly hits Google's own revenues, but also those of its third-party content creators that are paid through the company's AdSense program. "Unfortunately, by blocking advertising and allowing downloads of videos, your application cuts off a valuable ongoing revenue source for creators, and causes harm to the thriving content ecosystem on YouTube," says Google's letter, addressed to Microsoft's Todd Brix.

Microsoft has previously complained to the EU over Google's apparent refusal to let Windows Phone access YouTube metadata. While it initially seemed like both companies had reconciled their differences, that's clearly not the case. On stage at Google I/O today, CEO Larry Page detailed his take on technology's future, noting that industry negativity is holding back progress. Page told an audience member that "we struggle with people like Microsoft."

The relationship is clearly strained with campaigns like Scroogled, and the YouTube complaint is the latest in a set of issues between both companies. In December, Google announced its plans to drop Exchange ActiveSync support, a decision that left Microsoft sweating over its lack of the alternative CalDAV and CardDAV protocol support for Windows Phone. Despite this, it's clear the pair can work together on certain interperability. Just this week, Microsoft announced its plans to support Google Talk within Outlook.com, a change that's beneficial for consumers of both company's services.

For now, it appears that Windows Phone YouTube users will have to utilize unofficial third-party apps or settle for Google's mobile web version. Until Microsoft and Google can collaborate without bickering, it's the customers of both companies that lose out.

The Verge has reached out to Microsoft for comment on Google's cease and desist letter and we'll update you accordingly.

Following Google's demands for Microsoft to remove its Windows Phone YouTube app, Microsoft has responded saying it's happy to include advertising. Google sent a cease and desist letter to Microsoft recently, with concerns that the Windows Phone YouTube app does not display ads. "We’d be more than happy to include advertising but need Google to provide us access to the necessary APIs," says a Microsoft spokesperson.

Microsoft appears to want to rectify the situation, noting Google CEO Larry Page's comments at I/O today. "In light of Larry Page’s comments today calling for more interoperability and less negativity, we look forward to solving this matter together for our mutual customers." Microsoft recently released an update for its Windows Phone YouTube application to support sign-in, downloads, and a full YouTube experience. The application has been available for just over a week, but Google has demanded that it be removed by May 22nd for violating its YouTube API rules.