[Nero3000]

1) I highly doubt it holds a candle to Siri, although I have yet to try that function. 2) not sure what you mean by that 3) developer environment means shit if there's no apps.

1) It can launch third party apps.
2) facebook and twitter photos appearing in one place, app cards from bing search etc.
3) well there are apps...
4) office integration
5) live information on start screen
6) Better music experience

[mescalineeyes]

Because Zune Pass is built in, its a much better experience than Spotify will ever be. Just watch the tech hubbub when itunes/iPhone gets an integrated music subscription service. Zune Pass is a terrific advantage that no one knows about. I dont think its available in every market, which sucks though.

Well iTunes match kinda sorta...
It's a much bigger deal if iTunes actually got a subscription service because it's actually an ecosystem people use unlike Zune, which is niché at best.

6) Better music experience

than iOS? Please elaborate.

[giga]

that was a very bad written review many inaccuracies from how the multitasking works to the twitter intergration and so on someone who has used a windows phone more than a day would have been a better candidate to do the review

What was inaccurate?

[VanMardigan]

Well iTunes match kinda sorta... It's a much bigger deal if iTunes actually got a subscription service because it's actually an ecosystem people use unlike Zune, which is niché at best. than iOS? Please elaborate.

Comparing iTunes match to the Zune Pass service is laughable. And your comment about iTunes usage is simply dodging the real issue of WHY an iTunes subscription service would be a big deal: a seamless, integrated music subscription service is a big deal, and MS has that. Writing off Zune Pass because a lot of people don't use it is silly. Its still a plus for the platform and something to point out as an advantage vs. other platforms.

[mescalineeyes]

Comparing iTunes match to the Zune Pass service is laughable. And your comment about iTunes usage is simply dodging the real issue of WHY an iTunes subscription service would be a big deal: a seamless, integrated music subscription service is a big deal, and MS has that. Writing off Zune Pass because a lot of people don't use it is silly. Its still a plus for the platform and something to point out as an advantage vs. other platforms.

Fair enough. :)

I'll give it a try today.

[derFeef]

Fair enough. :) I'll give it a try today.

Zune Pass is not available in Austria :(

[mescalineeyes]

Zune Pass is not available in Austria :(

Yeah I just realized that. Oh well. Guess I'll stick to Spotify for now... which is probably better anyway since the reason I am using it in the first place is exactly so I can jump around OSs as I please and not being tied into one ecosystem.

[MCD]

On WP7 wallpapers, the cool thing about being into photography is that you can make your own wallpapers. Currently using this as my lockscreens background... Works rather nicely too since the time and date are situated in the open space

BLUETSUNAMI!!!

FINALLY A BRO I KNOW IN HERE.

WELCOME TO THE SOCIAL.

[gcubed]

There is one line in that review that i would like to highlight which indicates a wider problem. He says the Verge site renders incorrectly on IE9 mobile. Which is true. It also fails to render properly in IE9 desktop and IE10. I struggle to believe that sufficient cross browser testing was done, at least with IE9. It is also not just the verge, but other sites too. They probably just targeted Webkit, rather than HTML5 purely, which is what happened in the IE6 days. Web developes really need to start doing HTML5 feature detection rather than targeting a specific rendering engine.

its been a while since i visited verge on Firefox, but it looked fine to me. Firefox isn't webkit

[Good Job Bob]

I've not used WP7 but for more than a few minutes at an AT&T store, but from what I've seen the rendering in IE9 is pretty atrocious compared to Mobile Safari/Chrome for Android.

[D4Danger]

I've not used WP7 but for more than a few minutes at an AT&T store, but from what I've seen the rendering in IE9 is pretty atrocious compared to Mobile Safari/Chrome for Android.

in what way? It's the same browser as the desktop version.

the only difference is everyone is using -webkit- prefixes nowadays to be trendy so some extra things only appear properly in webkit based browsers. But that's a whole other story.

[VanMardigan]

wow, civ rev is a big letdown so far. Super low quality assets and the trial is horrendous, absolutely no clue how to handle any of the controls, and I had played this game previously. I dont know what I'm supposed to be doing.

[antiquegamer]

wow, civ rev is a big letdown so far. Super low quality assets and the trial is horrendous, absolutely no clue how to handle any of the controls, and I had played this game previously. I dont know what I'm supposed to be doing.

Screenshot makes it look like DS port... I haven't try it yet, I have been busy playing Dodonpachi Maximum. Never knew SHUMPP could be so fun with touch screen. Now I will have to go try the iOs one later.

[kazinova]

I'm thikning of buying Civ Rev in spite of the terrible port to have something mobile on me for PAX East this weekend (plus it's only $3), I really wish Carcassonne had come out this week instead. How long have I had this Xbox Live tile without actually getting a single online game out of MS?

Probably going to bring Mario Kart 7, Kid Icarus: Uprising and my 3DS instead, not worth squinting through the Civ Rev port.

[Commodore]

wow, civ rev is a big letdown so far. Super low quality assets and the trial is horrendous, absolutely no clue how to handle any of the controls, and I had played this game previously. I dont know what I'm supposed to be doing.

I was just going to ask, is Civ worth it as a mobile game? Especially if you already have the desktop version

[SCHUEY F1]

wow, civ rev is a big letdown so far. Super low quality assets and the trial is horrendous, absolutely no clue how to handle any of the controls, and I had played this game previously. I dont know what I'm supposed to be doing.

Yeah, I'm a bit disappointed as well. Once I get a handle of the controls it will be ok. I hope Carcassonne is a better port.

Also regarding the Verge review, like some others I was disappointed especially since he didn't give props to Zune Pass (which is excellent), Nokia Drive, Nokia Transit, Office, local scout, etc. The voice search on the phone is great imo. I don't need my phone to call me Rock God :P

[kharma45]

Can't see the Lumia 610 selling over here at all, priced at £228 SIM free when you can get the Lumia 710 for £139.95 including a £10 top-up.

Clove has the price for the Lumia 900 up too, £486.

[lastflowers]

Also regarding the Verge review, like some others I was disappointed especially since he didn't give props to Zune Pass (which is excellent), Nokia Drive, Nokia Transit, Office, local scout, etc. The voice search on the phone is great imo. I don't need my phone to call me Rock God :P

I'm disappointed in the review, but I certainly understand where he is coming from. A lot of the freshness of Mango has worn off, and Android's getting incredibly close to unifying the ecosystem.

The OS fits my needs perfectly, but some of the issues he has (power twitter user, google docs, loads of iOS quality games) are not currently addressed via third party apps.

That being said, the other reviews I've read all seem incredibly positive, and hopefully the phone will succeed in bringing good consumer perception to the platform. Without the consumers, developers won't allocate lots of resources to fix the issues Josh had...

[VanMardigan]

I'm glad I didn't pay for that game. I was going to blind buy it given how much I enjoyed the game previously, but this is a horrible port that doesn't deserve our money. Besides the low res visuals, the audio is bad, the controls are finnicky and the tutorial is crap. Even after I got used to the controls, it still felt like I was missing features and I was constantly doing things by mistake. The accelerated turn system in the tutorial is also wildly disorienting and I had no idea how to progress since everything was moving too fast around me while my cities developed at a much slower clip, even on the easiest setting.

I uninstalled it from my phone, I'll keep an ear out for updates, but as it stands, this is a rip off.

[Piper Az]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/05/te...4B4AA282529304

NY Times's review of the 900 & WP7 is pretty much on target.

[SCHUEY F1]

I'm glad I didn't pay for that game. I was going to blind buy it given how much I enjoyed the game previously, but this is a horrible port that doesn't deserve our money. Besides the low res visuals, the audio is bad, the controls are finnicky and the tutorial is crap. Even after I got used to the controls, it still felt like I was missing features and I was constantly doing things by mistake. The accelerated turn system in the tutorial is also wildly disorienting and I had no idea how to progress since everything was moving too fast around me while my cities developed at a much slower clip, even on the easiest setting. I uninstalled it from my phone, I'll keep an ear out for updates, but as it stands, this is a rip off.

I bought it blind :(

[D4Danger]

I'm glad I didn't pay for that game..

one of the best things about Microsoft's stores, mandatory demos/trials.

[Greyface]

one of the best things about Microsoft's stores, mandatory demos/trials.

It's mandatory?! When did that come into effect?

[VanMardigan]

It's mandatory?! When did that come into effect?

Xbox live games must have a trial, been that way since the beginning.

And yeah D4, this isn't the first time its saved me money.

[SCHUEY F1]

The Skyscanner app has been updated. Great app, highly recommend it for looking for flights. Designed by the same developers as App Flow, Weather Flow, etc.

[Greyface]

Xbox live games must have a trial, been that way since the beginning. And yeah D4, this isn't the first time its saved me money.

Ah, it's only mandatory for games then. I know some apps dont always have trials. I was listening to a 5by5 podcast recently and the commentator started criticizing mandatory trials so I turned that shit off.

[woahitsreeo]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/05/te...4B4AA282529304 NY Times's review of the 900 & WP7 is pretty much on target.

The NYTimes review is quite on target except the journalist should have mentioned that there are 3rd party options for some apps like Pandora Radio.
Although, I guess mainstream consumers tend to opt for official first party offerings.

[SCHUEY F1]

What is the difference between Words with Friends and Words by Post?

[JaggedSac]

I am of agreement that Civ Rev is awful.

What is the difference between Words with Friends and Words by Post?

Based on about 5 month old info(when I got rid of my Droid Eris and got a Titan)...userbase.

This Nokia phone and its Microsoft operating system are truly lovely — more beautiful than the iPhone or Android software, and, for most functions, just as powerful. But is that enough to make you willing to sacrifice important apps like Scrabble, Pandora and Dropbox? Is “just as good” enough to justify losing out on the universe of accessories and compatibility?

This agrees with my thoughts on the whole thing. OS is great, some small niggling things here and there, but the only issue that will cause consumer irritation is the lack of a lot of the big name apps, as well as some of the small name ones, regardless of facsimiles. This should be priority #1. #2 should be adding more background task types so that applications can cover a wider range of things. Maybe provide some lower level information to applications as well.

[Anton Sugar]

Any commentary on the OS is factored out of these reviews when I read them. I already know the OS inside and out, its pros and cons--I just want to know if its a high quality phone with a decent battery life, and that seems to be the case.

What is the difference between Words with Friends and Words by Post?

WP7 doesn't have Words with Friends...?

I have never used Words with Friends, but I heard Words by Post is better, faster, and less ad-driven.

[D4Danger]

Ah, it's only mandatory for games then. I know some apps dont always have trials. I was listening to a 5by5 podcast recently and the commentator started criticizing mandatory trials so I turned that shit off.

what?! who could be against that? some people smh

[Nero3000]

The Skyscanner app has been updated. Great app, highly recommend it for looking for flights. Designed by the same developers as App Flow, Weather Flow, etc.

Echoing the above post.

Excellent app. I was using it when booking flights to Croatia earlier this year.

Stuck a couple of live tiles for the different flight schedules possible for me and my friends and watched it go up and down on the start screen. One day it dropped 30% and we booked.

[NeOak]

Also regarding the Verge review, like some others I was disappointed especially since he didn't give props to Zune Pass (which is excellent), Nokia Drive, Nokia Transit, Office, local scout, etc. The voice search on the phone is great imo. I don't need my phone to call me Rock God :P

Engadget has toned down the Apple favoritism since Josh left for the verge. I wonder why...

[giga]

Anandtech review: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5724/n...sized-with-lte

Battery life still in the average of other WP7 devices.

Engadget has toned down the Apple favoritism since Josh left for the verge. I wonder why...

I guess that's why he uses a Galaxy Nexus for his personal use.

[BlueTsunami]

BLUETSUNAMI!!! FINALLY A BRO I KNOW IN HERE. WELCOME TO THE SOCIAL.

:bow

Drinky hooked me up with an HD7. Feels good to be using the sleekest OS around.

[SCHUEY F1]

Pocket Now Lumia 900 - Galaxy Nexus Comparison

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=tkifKnNmeVg

[Milchjon]

Anandtech review: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5724/n...sized-with-lte

The end result is a device I can find only positive things to talk about with, and it's the Lumia that finally rounds out Nokia's complete entrant Windows Phone lineup.

Yay...

If you're looking for a make or break launch that might upset the balance, wait for the Apollo update.

Brotkasten, call your lawyers.

[SCHUEY F1]

Yay... Brotkasten, call your lawyers.

He hasn't posted in days. Must be pretty busy.

[Milchjon]

He hasn't posted in days. Must be pretty busy.

With all the reviews coming out, I guess he's busy screening for copyright infringement.

[JaggedSac]

Excellent write up by AnandTech as usual.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=tkifKnNmeVg

Interesting stuff.

[SCHUEY F1]

Played with Civ Rev a bit more. Getting used to it. If you bring up the Game Help in settings it shows what the buttons do. It definitely could be better, but I will play it to get some more achievements.

[Milchjon]

Is the new version of Wordament out already?

[MCD]

:bow Drinky hooked me up with an HD7. Feels good to be using the sleekest OS around.

Damn that Drinky, he is a better shill than me.

[SCHUEY F1]

Is the new version of Wordament out already?

Probably not for a few weeks. Carcassonne and Pirates still need to come out as well.

[antiquegamer]

Excellent write up by AnandTech as usual. Interesting stuff.

Reading some of the comments on Windows Phone 7 Lumia 900 review and Josh is calling MSFT fanboys crazy...

There sure are a lot of hate for Microsoft on the net. I don't think they will ever overcome all the damage they did in the 90's to their brand image.

[Complex Shadow]

Reading some of the comments on Windows Phone 7 Lumia 900 review and Josh is calling MSFT fanboys crazy... There sure are a lot of hate for Microsoft on the net. I don't think they will ever overcome all the damage they did in the 90's to their brand image.

is there like a list of all the bad stuff MS did in the 90s.

[derFeef]

is there like a list of all the bad stuff MS did in the 90s.

Releasing Windows 95, cmon, that was pretty evil.

[Pctx]

WP peeps....

It seems like MS is aiming to cut off WP7.x units that have less than 512MB for the Apollo update. Any truth to this?

[Windu]

WP peeps.... It seems like MS is aiming to cut off WP7.x units that have less than 512MB for the Apollo update. Any truth to this?

no

[NeOak]

WP peeps.... It seems like MS is aiming to cut off WP7.x units that have less than 512MB for the Apollo update. Any truth to this?

Nobody knows if even Mango devices will get an update.