HTC 8X to reportedly gain access to Windows 10 Preview

Pretty much all of the WP8 Lumia smartphones are compatible with the Preview version of the upcoming Windows 10 OS. Many people have tried the test builds and helped shape the final version of Windows 10, which should kick off later this year.

There are lots of Windows Phone devices outside the Lumia lineup, but until today just one got the Windows 10 Preview treatment - the HTC One M8 for Windows. Today's rumor suggests another phone will be added to the list.

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Testing Windows 10 on Surface 3: Perfect combo or buggy embuggerance?

Microsoft's new Surface 3 tablet should be the perfect hardware for Windows 10, set to be released on 29 July. We put it to the test.

Microsoft's Surface experiment is significant on several levels. When the initial Surface device (running Windows on ARM, also known as Windows RT) was released in October 2012, it was the first time the company competed directly with its hardware partners.

Perhaps this was because it did not trust them to create tablets that worked well with Windows 8 and its curious hybrid personality, part touch-friendly and part wedded to keyboard and mouse. Surface was also an attempt to counter Apple's success with the iPad: tablets with long battery life, low maintenance, easy app deployment, and high resistance to malware.

Surface was also Microsoft's opportunity to show that a device running Windows could match the Mac's out-of-box-experience, where one company controls both hardware and software, and there is no pollution from adware or mis-conceived vendor enhancements.

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Led by the Lumia 535, Windows Phone sales surge ahead of iOS in Pakistan

While Windows Phone sales are growing steadily in major markets such as India and the EU, another country where this is also happening is Pakistan. Patrick Mercanton, head of marketing for Near-East, North Africa, Levant and Emerging Asia for Microsoft Mobile Devices, in an interview to The News has highlighted this drastic growth and stated that "Windows Phone is now officially the second smartphone ecosystem by volumes sales".

Mercanton claimed that the change of branding from "Nokia" to "Microsoft" hadn't faced a negative reaction from the Pakistani audience at all, and the people there have taken to the new branding just like they did with the former. Moreover, the actively growing amount of Nokia-made feature phones used in the country also had a positive impact, as people using these phones were more likely to use a Windows Phone made by Nokia/Microsoft as their next device.

The executive also said that people who already used the Windows desktop OS would be more likely to jump ship to the phone OS once Windows 10 officially launches in the country, with people being enticed by the "seamless experience across screens." Coupled with the competitive pricing of Microsoft Lumia smartphones- such as the Lumia 535 which costs roughly PKR 14000 (~$140) in the country, Windows Phone share is likely to increase over the next few months.

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Microsoft Lumia 940XL leaks - is this the new flagship Windows Phone?

It's been almost a year since the last flagship Windows smartphone - the Nokia Lumia 930 - was launched, so the platform is certainly due a new addition. Say hello to the Microsoft Lumia 940XL.

There have been a few rumours flying around about this handset, but we've now had the most comprehensive spec leak to date thanks to NokiaPowerUser.

While the site notes it's unsure whether the 940 XL name will stick for launch, it seems a little more confident with the specs it has.

The Lumia 940 XL is said to pack a 5.7-inch QHD display, octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, 20MP rear camera, 5MP front snapper, microSD slot and a slim, metallic unibody design.

That would see it comfortably compete with the Samsung Galaxy S6, HTC One M9, LG G4 and Sony Xperia Z3+.

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WhatsApp calling is finally en route to Windows Phone

The beta version of instant-messaging service WhatsApp has just added the in-app calling feature that was recently brought to the corresponding apps for iOS and Android.

Microsoft has remained dedicated in its efforts to push Windows Phone into contention with iOS and Android in the mobile space, but one ever-present stumbling block for the company has been the general lack of developer enthusiasm for its platform. Social media apps, in particular, have struggled to make the jump from the Big Two. The Windows Phone Store does not yet have a Snapchat app, for example, and it took an unholy amount of time for Instagram -- still in beta, by the way -- to finally reach the tiled interface.

Those rocking a Windows Phone device seeking WhatsApp's calling service shouldn't be left sitting on their hands for much longer, though, given that the feature has just rolled out to beta testers. Presumably, those trialling the beta will ensure that any lingering bugs are duly ironed out, and the full-on, not-in-beta WhatsApp for Windows Phone will subsequently reap the benefits.

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Microsoft Updates OneDrive on Windows Phone and Android

Not a lot of meat here, but Microsoft has announced updates to the OneDrive app on Windows Phone and Android. And each adds exactly one interesting new feature. On Windows Phone, that’s Cortana integration.

Windows Phone. The Windows Phone version of OneDrive now integrates with Cortana, the personal digital assistant. This means you can start a Cortana search (by saying “Hey, Cortana,” if you enabled that, or by manually starting Cortana by tapping the hardware Search button) of OneDrive by saying “OneDrive search for … “. So you can say something like “OneDrive search for Puerto Rico photos” and it will search your OneDrive storage for results that match. Microsoft says it also works with a specific word or phrase that is in an Office document or PDF.

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Windows Phone Market Share Will Surpass Android And iOS: Analysis

A recent market analysis conducted by International Data Corp. (IDC) predicts that the market share of the Windows Phone operating system (OS) is likely to surpass that of Apple's iOS and Google's Android by 2019. It reveals that in the coming four years, the market share of Windows Phone -- which is expected to be 3.2 percent in 2015 -- is expected to rise to 5.4 percent in 2019. Shipments are expected to grow twofold, from 46.8 million in 2015 to 103.5 million units in 2019.

According to IDC, at the end of this year, Android will record a market share of 79.4 percent. This year, 1.15 billion Android units are predicted to be shipped and the IDC analysis forecasts that there will be 8.5 percent growth in shipment of Android devices this year.

With 237 million iPhones expected to ship in 2015, the global market share of iOS will reach 16.4 percent. IDC claims that year-over-year growth of iOS will be 23 percent. The report predicts that there will be exponential growth of 34.1 percent for Windows Phone. The Windows Phone OS will be shipped in 46.8 million units this year. This will help Microsoft’s OS to gain a market share of 3.2 percent.

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