Nokia and Microsoft have run into problems with the new Nokia Lumia 610. While trying to avoid the fragmentation issues faced by Android, Windows Phone has properly shot itself in the foot -- with a catapult and an Angry Bird.
The budget Lumia 610 is the first phone powered by Microsoft's Windows Phone software to arrive with just 256MB of RAM -- and it turns out many Windows Phone apps just won't work on the phone. That includes Angry Birds, the smash-hit game from Nokia's fellow Finns Rovio, and, even worse, Skype -- which is owned by Microsoft. As snafus go, this one is pretty delicious.
Other games that won't install on the Lumia 610 include PES 2012, Plants vs Zombies and Assassin's Creed, offering an error message when you try to download them.
So how did this happen? Originally, Microsoft set exacting standards for the hardware of any phone that wanted to run Windows Phone software, to ensure a high-quality experience. That avoided the fragmentation issues faced by Android -- because Google's software is entirely open, Android phones come in all shapes and sizes, and so apps have to be tested across a bewildering range of screen sizes, processor speeds and even different versions of Android itself.
But as Windows Phone makes up just a fraction of smart phone sales, Microsoft lowered the minimum standards for phones powered by Windows Phone, to allow for cheaper mobiles to entice new customers. Sadly, it appears that in the process Microsoft has walked right into the exact same problem as Android -- and with only a handful of devices on the market rather than thousands.
Still, it's likely to be a temporary problem. Fans of flinging fowl will be glad to hear a version of Angry Birds is on its way for the 610 and other Windows Phones with low memory. Apps continue to work fine on the higher-end likes of the Nokia Lumia 800 and Lumia 900.
Are you tempted by Windows Phone at a lower price? How much of a cock-up is this for Windows Phone? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
Samsung Galaxy S3 Music Hub takes on Apple iTunes - Daily Telegraph
Daren Tsui, CEO of mSpot, the Samsung subsidiary responsible for streaming the music to the device said: "We believe that today’s mobile market must have an open mobile music system – one that offers all kinds of services across different devices. Music Hub removes all the barriers to your music.”
Although the Music Hub service has been hailed by Samsung as "the first completely integrated, all-in-one mobile music service," it joins a wealth of pre-existing mobile music services including Spotify, Google Play, and Apple's iTunes, iCloud and iTunes match services, which also gives users the option to scan and access their entire home music collection from anywhere in the world for only £21.99 a year. Samsung claims the combination of music locker, store and radio is unique.
Samsung has in the past come under criticism for allegedly copying many of Apple's designs and ideas. The two companies are currently involved in a series of patent infringement cases in various courts across the globe.
Nokia Lumia 900 Batman edition swooping into shops this week - Crave
A Dark Knight edition of the Windows Phone-powered Nokia Lumia 900 is going on sale this week, tying in with the Batman movie hitting silver screens this summer.
The bat-powered blower is available exclusively from Phones 4u from 1 June, and has the iconic Batman logo etched into its matte-black rear. Not the most subtle calling card for a masked crimefighter, but, y'know, Batman!
Apart from the branded logo, you get limited-edition packaging, the official Dark Knight Rises movie app (a promo video for which is embedded below), character wallpapers and ringtones, and if you buy the phone in June you get two tickets to see the film when it comes out.
The bad news is this crime-fighting phone is pricey enough to make even Bruce Wayne cough up his canapé -- £600 gets you the SIM-free version (the non-Batman version costs £450 on Amazon), while expect to shell out £31 per month on contract. It's the phone you deserve, but at these prices, is it the one you need right now?
This isn't Nokia's first bat-phone -- the Finnish company already made a Batman-themed Lumia 800. It only made 40 of them however, and as our in-depth tests proved, you can't even use it shine the Bat-symbol into the sky. The 4.3-inch Lumia 900 is unlikely to be much help when it comes to dispatching goons, but it can take a nail or two.
The Dark Knight Rises movie, meanwhile, is the final effort in Chris Nolan's trilogy, and if the opening sequence is anything to go by, it's going to be another belter. Fingers crossed, Bat-fans.
Phones 4u is running its own little promotion for the flick -- buy a Lumia phone and you'll be entered into a competition to win tickets to the movie premiere. If you simply can't wait until tomorrow to get your mitts on the phone, you can pre-order it today.
Will you don your cowl and swoop into Phones 4u to nab the Batman Lumia 900? Shine your own super-signal in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.
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