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As part of the call discussing its fiscal results, Verizon on Thursday both narrowed down its shared data plan schedule and reiterated that it was still interested in Windows Phone. The shared data would be coming in mid-summer, CFO Fran Shammo said. The tier is expected to significantly reduce the cost of having more than one smartphone in a family.
The HTC Trophy at Verizon will soon get an update that should catch it up in feature updates. It will bring many changes, including fixing the disappearing virtual keyboard. A similar update to the Windows Phone OS for other devices, build 8107, was applied to other handsets in the past and suggests that Microsoft's latest update is due very soon.
Verizon had secretly dropped plans for a Nokia-made Windows Phone, according to a possible leak Monday. Nicknamed the Om, it would have shipped in January or early February if The Verge's source was right. It had been scrapped after Verizon had decided on its all-LTE strategy for 2012 smartphones, which would have ruled out the 3G-only Om.
Verizon has gone on record to say it may drop Windows Phone handsets from its lineup if the products based on the OS don't soon offer 4G LTE network compatible devices, CMO Marni Walden told CNET in an interview. She stressed that LTE support was now a given and that Microsoft had to sign onboard. Thus far, Verizon offers only one Windows Phone handset, the HTC Trophy, which was a 3G version of a phone already several months old.
The first Windows Phone 7 handset on Verizon's network, the HTC Trophy, has now arrived in the carrier's web store, though some regions, with New York specifically, are showing it as out of stock and it's otherwise unavailable for order. It is due to arrive in stores on June 2. Online, it costs $150 on a two-year contract and a $50 instant web rebate.
Color banding and resolution problems after users updated their HTC HD7 and Trophy handsets with the NoDo software are being blamed by Microsoft on HTC. A Microsoft tech on the company's forum said the phone maker didn't adhere to Microsoft's strict specifications for its mobile operating system with HTC giving the phones 32-bit color depth support rather than the mandated 16-bits. While the company allows multiple device makers, it has strict chassis guidelines to guarantee a consistent experience across devices.
Verizon's edition of the HTC Trophy has popped up in leaked press photos for the first time. The shots confirm its cosmetic similarity as well as the apps Verizon plans to preload, including Slacker Radio and My Verizon Mobile. PocketNow got little new information, though the official shots virtually confirm the Windows Phone 7 hardware is getting close.
Verizon's long-delayed version of the HTC Trophy could finally show this week. A rumor Monday has the Windows Phone 7 flagship shipping on May 5. The tip to WinRumors didn't give out a price or explain the reason for a delay past the April 15 date pegged in a recent, known accurate Verizon roadmap.
A publicly posted online guide from Verizon has shown at least two devices talked about for its network but so far never confirmed or even put into doubt. The BlackBerry PlayBook has shown up in its Wi-Fi form with a "coming soon" badge. Its mention is unusual given Verizon's sudden indecisiveness on the tablet in April even after RIM promised a Verizon model in March.
The Verizon-bound and Windows Phone 7-powered HTC Trophy has shown up on Best Buy's site, albeit briefly. It also wasn't listed as being in stock, though its price tag is set at $600, PocketNow reported on Wednesday. That price is likely just a placeholder but could also show the handset's unsubsidized price tag.
The once-thought delayed HTC Trophy for Verizon may still be coming based on a leak reportedly pulled from Verizon's site. Microsoft staff are now being given a new promotion building on the old one. Those who bought a Trophy would receive at least a $100 credit per line, Phone Arena was shown; those who bought it before April 1 would have the entire price reimbursed by Microsoft.
A Verizon memo has surfaced that may have narrowed down the nebulous release dates for the HTC Thunderbolt and Trophy. The update put the Thunderbolt on March 17, a date occasionally mentioned elsewhere, and the Windows Phone 7-based Trophy one week later, on March 24. Android Central's copy also had Verizon's three data-only 4G devices from CES, including Novatel's 551L modem, its 4510 MiFi and Samsung's Presto hotspot.
The HTC Trophy for Verizon has been spotted again offering an anticipated dual-mode feature but might not ship for some time. A snapshot of the cellular settings has shown direct references to both CDMA and GSM phone networks as well as the presence of a SIM card slot. WPCentral's photos would make it the first CDMA/GSM combo device using Windows Phone 7 and would help Verizon customers stay linked outside of North America.
Any doubt of plans for the HTC Trophy at Verizon were removed early Monday after a sighting of the phone itself. Along with the telltale logo, the Windows Phone 7 device has a professionally made red wallpaper consistent with Verizon's favorite coloring. The Engadget source claimed the only hardware difference was the use of red highlights on the back.
HTC's two main phones for Verizon in the winter may not ship until much later than expected. A coordinated leak to Electronista and other sites has claimed the Thunderbolt isn't scheduled until March 10. The timing would put the 4G Android phone about a month back from when it was originally expected and could represent another of multiple delays that put it on February 24, 28 and more recently March 3.
Earlier rumors that Windows Phone 7 devices will arrive at both Sprint and Verizon were allegedly confirmed by a Tuesday report. The unnamed source for NeoWin didn't say whether the handsets for the carrier will be unveiled at CES. It's also unknown what the devices will be, though earlier reports had the HTC Trophy coming to Verizon; the HTC 7 Pro is already officially earmarked for Sprint.
It now appears the first, CDMA-enabled Windows Phone 7 device to arrive at Verizon will be the HTC Trophy, sometime in early 2011, Engadget reported on Monday. The provider has already said it's looking forward to the opportunity to sell the handsets as soon as they become available. The leaked pamphlet for the handset (below) is meant for Microsoft employees, and reveals that the Trophy will have quad-band support for connecting to GSM networks when in other countries.
Austrian residents are being offered a free Xbox 360 gaming console with every purchase of a new Windows Phone 7 device, according a print ad from the country. Buyers have to buy the handset through Austrian carrier A1, and on the platform's European launch day, October 21. The Xbox seen by WMPowerUser is Microsoft's entry-level, 4GB Arcade version.
