Microsoft has published its Windows and Windows Phone Store statistics for the month of April 2014 on the Most downloaded apps by category, country and markets. The stats aim to give developers a better idea what the “app ecosystem” needs developed and what consumers are more likely to purchase.

The statistics show that the US is still Microsoft’s largest market for Windows 8 and Windows Phone apps with the former boasting more downloads. Read more »

Nokia Lumia 630 is the first smartphone to run Windows Phone 8.1 out of the box. It is also the first WP handset ever to offer dual-SIM support, but we had the single-SIM version at our disposal.

We weren’t particularly optimistic about the phone’s 1,830 mAh battery, but the quad-core Cortex-A7 processor should be quite energy-efficient. Anyway, Nokia promises 600 hours of stand-by or half a day on 3G talks in one charge. Let’s check if we can squeeze the same from our Lumia 630. Read more »

Voice assistants are now pretty much a staple of any major Smartphone OS.

Apple has its trademark Siri, Google has its Google Now service, and now Windows Phone has Cortana. Nokia has decided to list a complete guide on how to utilize the virtual assistant and post it online. Read more »

Analytics and research company IDC has conducted a survey asking some 50,000 people across 25 countries what are their main drivers when it comes to getting a new smartphone.

The results are quite interesting as they show what customers are looking for in a smartphone and 40% of buyers who went the Windows Phone route looked specifically for a device running Microsoft’s operating system. Read more »

The first smartphone to run Windows Phone 8.1 out of the box – Nokia Lumia 630 – was released officially on May 14. Today we finally managed to grab a retail unit and we are ready to take it for a spin.

Nokia Lumia 630 is not only the first WP8.1 device, it is also the first ever released Windows Phone headset with dual-SIM support. The single-SIM Lumia 630 is super cheap at about €140, while its dual-SIM flavor goes for €20 more. Read more »

The Nokia Lumia 930 is coming soon and while there have been preliminary reviews out there there hasn’t really been too much focus on its camera performance.

As we all know, Nokia puts good camera optics and performance high on its priority list. Judging by the Nokia Lumia Icon’s review we can look forward to the Nokia Lumia 930 as the two are practically identical, hardware-wise. The difference is that the Lumia 930 sports Windows Phone 8.1 from the get-go. Does the latest software make a difference in terms of optical performance – let’s find out. Read more »

Windows Phone 8.1 Developer’s Preview has been out for weeks and it brought so many new features that even today we keep discovering new ones. The latest one making the rounds is the option to backup 16MP, 18MP, 34MP and 38MP Lumia HD pictures to OneDrive.

This feature has been there since the release of the WP 8.1 Developer’s Preview as ours first backed up high-res pictures date April 30. Read more »

If you find yourself searching for the popular messaging app WhatsApp on the Windows Phone store, you will notice that it is no longer available.

According to WhatsApp, there were some technical issues with the app, due to which it had to be pulled from the store. WhatsApp is now working with Microsoft to resolve these issues before the app can be submitted again. Read more »

Nokia Camera Beta for Windows Phone got treated to a major update. Version 4.7.1.3 of the imaging app brings new features to Nokia Lumia users who are running it.

The latest version of the app features support for Living Images. Read more »

The Nokia 1020 is at the center of a new photographic project, dubbed RedBull photography. As the name suggests it involves both RedBull and its photographer Ray Demski and Nokia’s acclaimed 41 MP shooter Lumia 1020.

The photoshoot takes place on location in the Norwegian Alps and makes the Lumia 1020 face vast and bright landscapes and a contrast between golden sun and deep blue ice. Read more »

The Windows Phone 8.1 Xbox Music application has received a much needed update.

Perhaps the biggest (and most basic feature) that the update brings is audio scrubbing- that is, the ability to jump to a specific point in a song just by dragging its progress bar. Read more »

Nokia’s 6-second teaser has been expanded to a full video and it’s a trip down memory lane. It shows iconic products from Nokia’s past but also Microsoft’s – this video celebrates the two companies’ long history and plays up their future together.

The video shows a Rube Goldberg machine incorporating plenty of gadgets. Be warned though, the Nokia 3310 isn’t the only nostalgia-inducing product in the video. Read more »

Bing Rewards has been around for iOS and Android phones for a little while now, and Windows Phones have oddly been left out in the cold.

Until now. Windows Phone users can now start redeeming their Bing Rewards. Read more »

OK so you like Windows Phones, but don’t necessarily want to shell out any money for them. This is a pretty high demand to make, however, you may get lucky this weekend if you visit a Microsoft Store.

Microsoft Stores across across the US will be giving away 8 free Windows Phones handsets per day. Read more »

Nokia joined Microsoft last Friday officially but since today is the first working day after the agreement was done Microsoft has issued an ad on YouTube that portrays the big happy family as Not Like Everybody Else.

In the ad Microsoft is the colorful person out of a crowd of black and white street-dwellers in a black and white murky world. As he moves along, being cool and different he sees another colorful person (naturally using a Nokia slate) and finally at the end of the ad we see the colorful protagonist through our own point of view (suggesting perhaps we’re black and white as well). Read more »