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HTC is preparing multiple Windows Phone 7.1 handsets, including these 3.7-inch low end models.  (Source: Phone House)

The HTC Eternity, the company's flagship WP7.1 model, will be a whopping 4.7-inches -- almost worthy of the designation "mini tablet".  (Source: HTC Inside)

Samsung will reportedly be offering Mango slider goodness (far right).  (Source: Nanapho.jp)
Nokia, HTC, LG, Acer, Huawei, ZTE and Samsung hope to overwhelm Apple, give fight to Google

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is viewed by many as the slumbering giant of the smartphone market.  With arguably the most innovative interface available on a smartphone today, the platform is mainly lacking in polish and selection.

The company's answer to those shortcomings is one word -- Mango.  Mango -- the Windows Phone 7.1 update -- promises more of everything good about Windows 7; more polish (notably third party multi-tasking, third party tiles, streamlined Office software, and a dramatically improved HTML5-ready browser) and more phones.

As far as the more phones part of the equation, we're starting to get a feel for what's in store when Mango launches in September.  Among the high-profile players to commit to Mango devices are Nokia Oyj. (HEL:NOK1V), Samsung Electronics Comp., Ltd. (SEO:005930), HTC Corp. (SEO:066570), LG Electronics (SEO:066570), Acer Inc. (TPE:2353), ZTE Corp. (SHE:000063), and Huawei technologies.  Fujitsu Ltd. (TYO:6702) and Dell, Inc. (DELL) are also rumored to be preparing designs.

HTC, perhaps a bit concerned about its legal troubles with its Android OS line, is diving deep into Mango with multiple handsets.  Two low-end models -- the keyboard equipped Prime and the touchscreen-only Ignite have been spotted after being accidentally posted by Dutch retailer Phone House.  Both phones pack a lowly 800 MHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 5MP camera, and 3.7-inch LCD display.

Moving to the cream of the crop, HTC will be pushing the definition of a "smart phone" with its giant "Eternity" handset.  With a whopping 4.7-inch SLCD screen, the Eternity is almost the Windows Phone 7 tablet which some users have demanded.  It will pack a 1.5GHz single-core Snapdragon processor, 16GB of storage, an 8MP rear camera, and a 1.3MP front camera.  This handset will surely prompt debate over whether slower Android phones with more cores are "better" or whether a faster single core is better suited for a smart phone.  Images of the Eternity have already leaked.

Samsung, meanwhile is preparing a model with a slide-out bottom keyboard, the SGH-i677.  Little is known about the specs or official name, at this point.  Likewise, the hardware for Nokia's much-anticipated "Sea Ray" -- rumored to launch in October at Nokia World -- is unknown.

If Microsoft can flood the market with high quality offerings, it could overwhelm Apple, Inc. (AAPL) to seize second place -- something DailyTech and a number of top analysts predicted [1][2] would happen within the next couple of years.  From there the company can move on to challenging Google Inc.'s (GOOG) prolific Android platform for world domination.

Windows Phone 7, officially hit its release to manufacturing (RTM) build just days ago.  It appears on pace to meet its planned release schedule.

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RE: So many phones...that will end up as landfill
By rudy on 7/31/2011 12:23:53 PM , Rating: 2
The bigger problem is none of that. Most people do not even need apps as a website has all the function they get out of most apps. WP7 ships with almost everything most people need. The bigger problem is depicted in this article by choice. There are simply no flagship phones shipping on WP7. I personally was very interested in getting one but my carrier sprint only offered 1 phone with a small display and wvga resolution. At the same time the evo 3d had just come out and I cannot justify purchasing something with a single core that is slower and lower resolution and everything. So if M$ wants to play the game they need to make it so more hardware can be released faster and they do need to push retail because in the sprint store the employees basically had nothing good to say about wp7 they just keep saing go android thats all.

When people are acting like that your average walk in phone buyer is not going to touch wp7. And even tech savy ones wont buy it if they have no high end hardware options.


By PrezWeezy on 8/1/2011 7:48:10 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
At the same time the evo 3d had just come out and I cannot justify purchasing something with a single core that is slower and lower resolution and everything


I understand the resolution issue (although I don't have any problem with the size of the Arrive, which I've been using since it came out) but the idea that the number of cores or speed of the processor matters is ludacrise. Who cares how fast the CPU is rated, what matters is how smooth and quick the phone runs. If you had a phone which runs at 100MHz and is smooth as butter, vs a phone that has quadcore 2.5GHz yet runs like Vista on a PIII, which phone makes more sense to buy? You should care more how the phone runs than how fast the CPU is. Besides, getting a single core over a dual core might make sense when it comes to battery life. Especially if, as I said, it runs as fast if not faster/smoother than the Evo.


By CptBlu on 8/2/2011 3:50:37 PM , Rating: 2
and an inteligent person would see 3D on a phone and run from gimmick horror. an inteligent consumer would politely tell the representitive to keep their opinions to them selves and explain the features of the device i am inquiring about not convinvce me to purchase what works for them because i have far diffrent needs the some 17yr old kid at verizon telling me how awesome (a malware proned battery wh###) android is ill admit i got tired of waiting and moved from my touch pro 2 to an evo mainly because this was the point in which android actually got kind of intresting (froyo is the first decent build) and that lasted about as long as its battery 4 months later we get WP7 and i said hello focus yet instantly it was said that it was crap and mainly because it didnt have many apps oh and angry birds wasnt out yet (who cares) i just ask that you give Windows Phone the same curtosy as android and apple and let them take a year or more in others cases to get their feet on the ground and bang out all those features that matter to each individual user because what mattered to you may not matter to me


"This week I got an iPhone. This weekend I got four chargers so I can keep it charged everywhere I go and a land line so I can actually make phone calls." -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg











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