Microsoft announces Windows Phone 7 sync software for Macs due this year
Even though we kind of saw this coming, it’s still nice to hear. Microsoft has gone and done the (nearly) unthinkable, announcing this evening plans for a Mac compatible sync client for its soon-to-be-launched Windows Phone 7 devices. According to a statement from the company issued late in the day, beginning some time “later in 2010” Mac users will be able to live the dream along with their PC counterparts by downloading a beta OS X application which will allow you to sync “select content” from a Mac of their choosing to a Windows Phone. The company was short on details, but hopefully we can pry more info out the big M in the coming days. For now, we can all bask in the shocking open-mindedness of this news, and give the folks in Redmond a golf clap for finally acknowledging that yes, some Mac owners may actually want to get in on the Windows Phone party. As for Hell, there haven’t been any reports of recent temperature changes, but we’ll keep you posted as we get more information. For your perusal, the full statement:
Later in 2010 Microsoft will make a public beta available of a tool that allows Windows Phone 7 to sync select content with Mac computers.
HTC Trophy SIM-free: Yours for £430
If you liked the look of the HTC Trophy at the Microsoft Windows Phone 7 event, but was miffed to find out that it would be a Vodafone exclusive in the UK, then help could be on hand from Amazon, who is offering up a SIM-free model of the device.
For £429.99, you could nab one of the launch WP7 handsets, with a release date of 8 November penned in for Amazon’s shipment.
Vodafone had confirmed to Pocket-lint that it will be offering the Trophy for free on a 2-year contract with 300 minutes, unlimited text messages, and 500MB for £25 a month.
The HTC Trophy is powered by a 1GHz QSD processor, has 512MB of ROM, 576MB of RAM and 8GB of storage.
Measuring 118.5 x 61.5 x 11.96mm and weighing in at 140g, the Trophy has HSDPA, Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity.
Like the other HTC WP7 launch handsets, it features Dolby Mobile and SRS surround sound along with the WP7-integrated Zune player.
We’ve put in calls to both HTC and Vodafone to see what they say about Amazon offering the Trophy and we’re waiting to hear back.
Five reasons to switch to Windows Phone 7
It’s easy to ignore the launch of Windows Phone 7. If you never took the time to see what was going on when it was first announced back in March, you’ll be wondering what all the fuss is about. So, for those just joining the party, it no longer looks fiddly, it’s been completely redesigned from the ground up and, best of all, there’s not a stylus in site.
On its own, the lack of plastic pointer should be reason enough to check out Microsoft’s revamped mobile platform but that’s something that other phone systems gave up long ago. Instead here are five things that Windows Phone 7 does better than anything else out there at the moment and why it might be the next kind of handset you choose. Read more 
HTC HD7 vs Samsung Omnia 7
Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 is finally here, complete with a selection of handsets to choose from. HTC’s flagship phone is the HD7 which is similar to the Android-based HTC Desire and is being widely tipped as the one to watch. However, Samsung’s Omnia 7 is sure be a serious contender as well with a similarly featured spec list. One, thing is certain – the two flagship handsets from the big players will have to battle it out to see who comes out as top dog. But which one wins the spec-off? There’s only one way to find out. Fight! Or you could just read our head-to-head…
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HTC 7 Mozart 7, Trophy and HD 7 set out to conquer the WP7 world (Specifications)
HTC’s kicking the Windows Phone 7 era off in style today with no less than three new phones scheduled to debut on October 21 in Europe: the HD7, the 7 Mozart, and the 7 Trophy. Both the Mozart and Trophy offer a WVGA LCD screen, a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8250 chipset, 576MB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage, and 720p video recording. Where the 7 Mozart sets itself apart is in having an aluminum unibody construction wrapped around its 3.7-inch display, together with a more advanced 8 megapixel imager and a Xenon flash. The 7 Trophy makes do with an LED flash illuminating 5 megapixels’ worth photons, but it does also come with HTC’s promise to be the most aggressively priced WP7 handset from the company. It’ll be a Vodafone exclusive across the big red network’s global footprint, while the Mozart will be exclusive to Orange in the UK, France, Spain, and Switzerland, exclusive to Deutsche Telekom in Germany, and available on a choice of carriers elsewhere. No peep of an American release for either handset, however.
For the home crowd, Sprint is set to deliver a HTC 7 Pro with a QWERTY keyboard that slides out and tilts — you can see it pictured in the gallery below — at some point in the first half of 2011. It too goes with the same old 1GHz Snapdragon, 576MB of RAM, 5 megapixel cam plus 720p video, and WVGA display resolution (on a 3.6-inch screen), but it gets a bump in storage to 16GB. Read more
Dell Venue Pro gives WP7 a 4.1-inch QWERTY slider with Lightning heritage and a T-Mobile future
To say we’ve been eagerly anticipating the Dell Lightning would be an understatement along the lines of suggesting Microsoft’s launching a few Windows Phone 7 devices today. Dell’s AMOLED-equipped WP7 debut has just gone official with a cringe-worthy renaming to the Venue Pro for T-Mobile, who has in turn announced its intention to carry the 4.1-inch portrait QWERTY slider “in time for the holidays.” Notably, you won’t be able to purchase the Venue Pro directly from T-Mo stores, as Dell and its choice of handpicked retailers are set to handle the purchasing experience. Don’t look for any AT&T hookups, either — Dell has acknowledged T-Mobile as its “launch partner” for the device, giving team Magenta a second major exclusive, even if this one doesn’t last much beyond the launch period. Needless to say, we’ll seek to confirm the full spec sheet as soon as we can, though the officially known 1GHz Snapdragon chip and 5 megapixel imager agree with the Lightning’s original leak.
LG Optimus 7 made official ahead of Windows Phone 7 launch, quickly yanked
It’s gonna be a busy few days in terms of Windows Phone 7, with Microsoft’s much anticipated operating system all set for its official, if somewhat protracted, public airing.
And with WP7 handsets leaking faster than a BP undersea oil well, we were kind of wondering which manufacturer would be first to go live with its handset.
And the answer appears to be LG, who has officially revealed the LG Optimus 7 in all of its hub-boasting glory.
The Optimus 7 has a 3.8-inch WVGA, 800 x 480, capacitive touchscreen and boasts 16GB of internal storage.
It has a 1500mAh battery, a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, loves a bit of 720p HD video and also has Bluetooth 2.1 to go with the Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. There’s also a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor and a digital compass.
LG has also revealed a few features that it hopes will set the Optimus 7 apart from the other WP7 launch handsets including Play-To, which is its DLNA multimedia sharing platform, Scansearch, which is an augmented reality style real-time search assistant and Voice-to-Text, which it says “will be a godsend for text addicts, allowing voice to text transcribing for Facebook and Twitter updates, emails or memos for a convenient hands free experience”.
Samsung Omnia 7 brings 4-inch Super AMOLED screen to Windows Phone 7
Samsung’s Omnia 7 has joined the LG Optimus 7 in getting an early Windows Phone 7 reveal this morning, with the company’s Russian arm outing the 4-inch Super AMOLED WVGA handset already. The 122.4 x 64.2 x 10.99 mm smartphone runs the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 processor with 8GB of onboard storage and a 5-megapixel autofocus camera.
There’s also WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 and A-GPS, along with USB 2.0 and triband UMTS/HSPA (900/1900/2100). The Omnia 7 (GT-I8700) can also record 720p HD video and the phone has an FM radio as well. Read more
Zune software version 4.7 is now ready to receive your Windows Phone 7
Microsoft has taken care of a little bit of T-crossing and I-dotting this morning by updating its Zune desktop software to v4.7. The code should now be fully equipped to welcome incoming Windows Phones, and our tipster’s screenshot above seems to indicate the app marketplace will be up and running on time as well. There’s an additional note to say that app purchases will be accessible from up to five separate phones sharing the same Windows Live ID — clever Microsoft, encouraging people to buy in bulk. As to the Zune HD, we’re hearing there’s no firmware update at this time, it’s still on v4.5.
Via Engadget
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