Rumor Smasher - August 12, 2011

Welcome to Rumor Smasher! Every Friday I attempt to tackle the week's Windows Phone rumors and tell you if they are really going to happen or not. This week Nokia is dominating the rumor mill but the equally as huge Samsung snuck one in before they noticed. Let's smash some rumors.

Nokia heading to AT&T and T-Mobile with affordable devices, Verizon with the high-end?

Our Take: It's definitely odd to us that AT&T and T-Mobile, the original Windows Phone launch partners here in the United States, would be getting the shaft on what will definitely be Microsoft's "hero" device. We sincerely doubt AT&T would miss the chance to get their hands on Nokia's high end Windows Phone. When it comes to T-Mobile it's a little more tricky -- they only officially support the HTC HD7 and have the Venue Pro coasting on their airwaves. But they do have pretty good relations with Nokia because they are the only carrier in the US that have still offered new Nokia Symbian devices each year.

When it comes to Verizon, we could definitely see it happen. Verizon has enough cash to throw around to secure pretty much any high end device they want to. But they were the very last carrier to offer a Windows Phone and many agreed at that point the Trophy wasn't worth it. Maybe Verizon is looking to get on the good side burned WP7 fans? They better be! The last part of the rumor is that the Sea Ray won't come to the US. At first we didn't believe it, but with the N9 skipping a lot of major countries (including the US) we think there's more to this than we thought. You can stay optimistic if you like, but Nokia is trying to be "carrier-friendly" so don't expect the Sea Ray to look quite the same when it launches here.

Will it Happen?: Carrier Stuff - Maybe / Sea Ray skipping US - Yes.

Nokia devices leaked in new video?

Our Take: Earlier this week we saw yet another leak from Nokia's camp as a very official-looking video. In the video we got our first look at a new, super-slim device running Windows Phone that bears a striking resemblance to the slick Samsung Focus. The device also has an interesting 'chin' beneath the hardware keys that matches the color of the back of the phone. So is this for real? Well we're finding it hard to think so. We definitely think the video itself is for real and it is from somewhere within Nokia. But when it comes to the new device, we think it's nothing more than a concept just like the other renders we've seen. Trust us, we'd love to see this device come out but we just don't think it's gonna happen.

Will it Happen?: Nope

Omnia W is the successor to the Omnia 7, certainly isn't pathetic

Our Take: Everyone is looking forward to a shiny new device from Samsung this Fall, and many want to see a phone ditch the plasticky feel of the Focus and opt for something more along the lines of the Omnia 7. With that came word of an Omnia W, a potential followup to the aforementioned launch device that brings along a 1 GHz CPU, 512 MB of RAM, 3.7-inch display, and a 5 megapixel camera. But Samsung recently came out to say the info that came with the device leak was "not accurate". Does that mean the Omnia W doesn't exist? Heck no! It just means that the details we received about the device may not be real. So don't be surprised if Samsung announces something very similar to the Omnia W.

Will it Happen?: Maybe

Mango launching September 1st, updates to begin before hardware?

Our Take: If Joe Belfiore himself says it's "just a rumor", then it's probably just a rumor. It seems too soon to us anyway.

Will it Happen?: Nope

Compal shipping 2 million Windows Phones to Nokia in September, release set for October

Our Take: The source of the rumor was a former IDG News journalist based out of Taiwan? Check. Nokia World is in October? Check. Nokia loves to launch new devices at Nokia World? Check. Well we think that just about does it for this one.

Will it Happen?: Duh.

Rumor: Compal shipping 2 million Windows Phones to Nokia in September, release set for October

We've certainly been having a lot of gossip this week, especially about Nokia. Now Nokia's licensed ODM Compal, the very same company that gave us the codenames Tango and Apollo, are rumored to be kicking Nokia manufacturing into high gear. That's according to Dan Nystedt, a former journalist for IDG News and The Wall Street Journal, who tweeted out the following message:

Nokia supplier, Compal, to start shipping Windows Phone 7 smartphones to Nokia in September, total 2 million in Q4, Taiwan media say.

So it looks like Compal is going to start shipping those devices to Nokia so the company can perform its final touches and stock up before a launch. When is that exactly? Many are assuming Nokia is going to sit tight until its own Nokia World 2011 event in late October, but there's a good chance they'll start shipping a few weeks before then. We imagine it would be tough to hold on to two million devices that the world wants to get their hands on (and those are chump numbers for Nokia). This is still a rumor so be warned, but we think this one is set to come true.

Via: The Nokia Blog
Source: Twiter

Rumor: Omnia W is the successor to the Omnia 7, certainly isn't pathetic

Today we have a rumor that is sure to make Omnia 7 owners excited. Samsung is supposedly going to put out an all new Omnia W handset which is most likely the successor to the popular aforementioned phone and will almost certainly run Mango. This was part of huge leak from HDBlog.it (Italian) of Samsung Mobile's upcoming portfolio of smartphones and tablets which we're just a bit jealous of.

Anyway, what's the Omnia W packing in its trunk? Here's what:

• 1 GHz (?)


• 512 MB RAM


• 3.7 inches


• 5 megapixels


• Bluetooth


• Wi-Fi


• GPS

Now a few other Windows Phone sites are bashing on it and saying these specs are pathetic. However don't be fooled by that 1 GHz processor -- according to the new Chassis 1 requirements all Windows Phones have to follow, that should be the impressive 8x55 series which falls under the S2 category of performance. That's no slouch and while it is usually clocked at 1 GHz, the performance is still leaps and bounds better than what we've seen in this first generation hardware. Plus we've head HTC's using the same CPU in their upcoming hardware and they've clocked it all the way up to 1.5 GHz.

The rest of the specs do suggest the Omnia W could be a mid-range device, like the 3.7-inch display and the 5 megapixel camera, but don't underestimate Microsoft's bang-for-your-buck strategy!

Via: WMPU, WP7 Connect
Source: HDBlog.it

Rumor: Mango launching September 1st, updates to begin before hardware?

We want Mango, like now. We think you do too. That's why this rumor will make you very, very happy. According to Pocket-Lint's "multiple trusted sources", Microsoft will be launching their Mango onslaught on the youngest day of September. This won't just be limited to new hardware either, which is of course included, but Pocket-Lint also claims that first-generation devices will also see updates begin to roll out from then as well. So why September 1st which is not exactly in the Fall season? Here's what they think:

The launch date, we now understand, has been chosen due to its importance in tieing in with IFA, Europe's largest consumer electronics show in Berlin, and means that companies like Samsung, Acer, ZTE and LG will be able to show off new devices with Mango installed.

That actually makes plenty of sense as IFA is a pretty huge event in the year (the biggest in Europe for smartphones besides Mobile World Congress). Plus we know that Microsoft is opening Mango app submissions starting August 22nd, so we figured the Mango launch couldn't be much later than that.

How does Nokia figure into the September 1st timeframe? Well, it looks like they don't. Nokia wasn't mentioned in this rumor while other OEMs were, and everyone is expecting their first device to launch at Nokia World 2011 which takes place in October. Pocket-Lint makes a good observation that Microsoft will perform a two-pronged attack during the Fall with its first wave of devices in September during back-to-school and then the Nokia devices on the brink of the holiday madness (and possibly go head-to-head with Apple).

Hold on to your seats.

Source: Pocket-Lint

Nokia devices leaked in new video? (Update 2)

Whoa! What do we have here? A new, leaked video claiming to be official from Nokia and showing off new devices, that's what! My Nokia Blog receives this video from a tipster who was allegedly a Microsoft employee and used a .ovi email address. The video itself looks legit to us despite recycling old images and footage. This could very well have been an internal video that was meant for employees or carriers, but we don't know anything for certain at this point. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the tease after the break.

Source: My Nokia Blog

Update: The video's been removed...which makes this about 1000x more legitimate than before. We'll see.

Update 2: I've reuploaded the video to our own YouTube channel if you missed it! Watch it below and enjoy.

Rumor: Nokia heading to AT&T and T-Mobile with affordable devices, Verizon with the high-end?

The Nokia Blog (which is unofficial by the way) has an interesting piece of gossip about Nokia's upcoming Windows Phone strategy in the United States. For one, their "very reliable source" claims the Sea Ray will not make its way stateside which is a surprising move. However it could be that carriers have had some influence over Nokia's devices and so the Sea Ray design may not have made the transition. The second piece of the rumor organizes how Nokia devices will be represented on each of the major carriers. AT&T and T-Mobile are said to receive "affordable" devices, which probably equates to a mid-range handset for between $100 and $150 on contract. Meanwhile Verizon, who was the very last to enter the Windows Phone race, is going to carry a high-end model. Nothing else was mentioned so we don't know what to make of this.

If this is true, how do you feel about AT&T and T-Mobile, the original Windows Phone launch partners, getting the shaft on a new Nokia while Verizon swoops in to yank the high-end? What about the seemingly left-out Sprint users out there?

Via: WMPU
Source: The Nokia Blog

Verizon product roadmap for September & October leaks, no Windows Phones in sight

Uh oh. We don't want to see another Verizon Trophy debacle on our hands, but we're beginning to worry that may happen yet again. IGN received a photo of Verizon Wireless's inventory plans for September & October and there are quite a few devices in the works for Big Red customers. There's the much delayed but still eagerly awaited DROID Bionic, a possible Galaxy S II device in the Samsung Stratosphere, the female-friendly HTC Bliss, and plenty more interesting phones. However, we can't help but notice that one little thing is missing: a Windows Phone!

Many (including us) were expecting Verizon to be ready from the get-go this time with Microsoft's impending Mango hardware onslaught, but judging from the photo it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Now don't grab your pitchforks just yet -- this roadmap is for September & October only from what we can tell, so there's still a chance we could see a CDMA (and possibly LTE) Windows Phone riding Verizon's airwaves before the year closes. There's also the notable omission of any iPhone 5 which is likely being kept out of their inventory systems by Apple, so it's not unreasonable to think Microsoft may be doing the same.

Still if this information does prove accurate and if Microsoft isn't hiding the phones from these lists, the lack of a Big Red Mango at launch will surely be a big disappointment to many budding Windows Phone bandwagoners.

Source: IGN

Rumor: Nokia Windows Phone to debut on August 17th?

Partaaay! According to an invitation received by the::unwired, Microsoft and Nokia are holding a little shindig at Germany's GamesCon 2011 on August 17th. Why is this worth noting? Well as a phone manufacturer, Nokia doesn't typically make the rounds at popular video gaming conventions so this is already quite unorthodox. Then there's the appearance of the (new) Windows Phone logo in the bottom-right corner next to the Nokia logo and the promise to raffle off three "Nokia with Windows Phone (as soon as available). Therefore this party could very well be our first 100% official look at an upcoming Nokia Windows Phone.

My theory? I don't think this is going to be a full official unveiling but instead a strategic hype-building event. They most likely will just show a public demo of a near-production device, give us a name and that's that. Of course this is all speculation and until those promised extra details emerge soon, we don't know what to expect two weeks from now.

Via: WMPU
Source: the::unwired

Rumor: HTC Omega leaked specs reveal 1.5GHz CPU and 8MP camera

It looks like someone noticed the HTC Omega case's appearance yesterday and decided to flesh out the rumors we know so far. Previously we only knew that the Omega would have a 3.8" display, but now things are getting a lot more interesting with Gadgetian claiming to have the full spec sheet for the unreleased device. So what goodies does it reveal? Here's are the highlights:

• Windows Phone Mango
• 1.5 GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 CPU
• Adreno 205 GPU
• 512 MB of RAM
• 3.8-inch SLCD screen
• WVGA (800x480) resolution
• 16 GB internal storage (No slot for microSD)
• 8-megapixel autofocus camera w/LED flash and 720p recording
• Accelerometer, G-Sensor (Gyroscope), 

Yes, this is indeed the second HTC device rumored to be packing the 1.5GHz 8255 processor and does line right up with the new Chassis requirements Microsoft outlined at MIX '11. It's also worth noting that the specs show European 3G frequencies and if you couple that with the 3.8" display and high-end processor, we think it's safe to assume this is the true followup to the HTC Mozart. We're looking to see if any manufacturer can squeeze out a dual-core phone powered by the 8x60 line rumored to support Windows Phone, but we could totally settle for such a powerful single core chipset. Rumors are coming fast and hard, so hold on to your hats people--Mango hardware is just around the corner!

Via: WMPU
Source: Gadgetian

Debunked: HTC Ruby an Android phone after all

Yesterday we reported on new photos from Flickr that supposedly displayed the HTC Ruby. There was a possibility that the device could have been a Windows Phone, due to the Ruby codename once referencing Sprint's HTC Arrive. That's not the case anymore: PocketNow has written a followup based on newer photos they've found and they heavily suggest the Ruby is in fact an Android phone that's destined for T-Mobile. The icons in the camera app seen in the photo above gave away Ruby's Android-lovin' nature.

There's still a tiny smidgen of a chance that the Ruby could be Windows Phone since we know HTC loves to flat out ignore Metro at times, so it's possible this could be an included HTC camera app. But that's stretching it and we think it's safe to assume that Windows Phone Mango won't be shining on this Ruby.

Via: PocketNow

Rumor: Nokia W8 announcement today

This is...odd to say the least. Apparently the rumor mill is spinning wildly and spit out a juicy bit of gossip: Nokia might just announce the W8 Windows Phone...today. Today being July 21st overseas, coincides with the release of Nokia's quarterly financial report which many are assuming won't be good news. Rumor has it Nokia is announcing the W8 (which we've heard is going to be a redone N8) today in order to soften what could be a huge hit on its stock. This is all according to more than one Nokia insider, one being Eldar Murtazin and the other Daniel Galbinisteanu who explicitly says, "Nokia W8 to be officially announced tomorrow!" According to some of his other tweets, the specs will include the expected 1GHz processor and Carl Zeiss optics. However, he also noted that the W8 will not be Nokia's high-end Windows Phone. So what will? Presumably the Sea Ray, which is based on the N9 design.

This is still highly suspect for a few reasons: Nokia insiders have been wrong before, announcing a new product the same day as a quarterly financial report is unorthodox, and we've seen the Sea Ray in public way more often than the W8 which is still unconfirmed. Stay tuned because the next few hours could explode if this holds true.

Via: GSMDome, WMPU
Source: Twitter (@as21ro) (@eldarmurtazin)

Microsoft-registered 'microsoft-sony.com' site discovered, possible Windows Phone partnership with Sony in the works?

Oh, Julie. You were so gorgeous in your 48-hour lifespan. Unfortunately Sony remained hesitant on your chances for too long and before we could protest, you were gone. Then a few months later our hope was given new life again when we found another new photo of you, this time older and more sophisticated. Since then we've believed you may really truly come back and have been praying for the day we see you in person.

Now the always reliable members of NeoGAF have stumbled onto more evidence that your death has been greatly exaggerated. It looks as though Microsoft has registered two website domains that are nearly identical: 'microsoft-sony.com' and 'sony-microsoft.com'. When visiting them in a web browser, the former brings up a Bing results page for "Microsoft Sony" and the latter is just a dead page.

This could really mean anything, but this does hint at some kind of partnership between the two. The only major consumer-facing product the two of them really work together on are Sony laptops with Windows and Sony-made Windows Phones which were sadly canceled before launch. A little part inside of us is hoping this means Sony has reconsidered its stance on the latter and is planning to join Microsoft once again in the mobile platform wars. Just give us a chance to see Julie again one last time, Sony!

Via: Neowin
Source: NeoGAF, WhoIs (1) (2)

Rumor: Samsung's GT-i8350 yet another Mango device?

Yet another Samsung Mango device? Huzzah! After last week's rumored Galaxy S II-based device, today we have a new unannounced Windows Phone to dream about. Nanapho.jp spotted a support page for the GT-i8350 on Samsung's UK site as well as a UA Profile that spills the beans about an 800x480 display and Internet Explorer 9 (hence Mango).

Thinking back to Samsung's real model numbers for their devices, the Omnia 7 was dubbed the GT-i8700. So it's entirely possible that this phone would be the successor to the Omnia 7 for a worldwide release while the previously rumored SGH-i937 would be sticking around in the United States. Yup, it looks like Samsung might be repeating the same strategy as its previous Windows Phone lineup and to be fair it worked out really well for them. Anyone excited yet to see this bad boy in action?

Via: Electronista
Source: Nanapho.jp

HTC Eternity Rumored, Pictured, Spec'd, and Drooled Over

German site HTCInside has managed upon two very important sets of photos of a new, unannounced Windows Phone called the HTC Eternity. The first is the one above featuring a shot of the device itself, which is pretty much an exact replica of the Desire HD except for the always-there Windows Phone hardware buttons. But the more interesting part is the second photo (past the break), which includes a spec sheet containing all of the goodies you can't see in the first. Let's take a look shall we?

• 1.5 GHz Qualcomm MSM 8255 SoC (system-on-a-chip)
• Windows Phone Mango
• HSDPA 14.4 Mbps
• 4.7" WVGA (800x480) Super LCD
• 8-megapixel auto-focus camera with dual-LED flash
• 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera
• Records up to 720p HD video
• 16 GB storage, 512 MB RAM
• 1650 mAh battery
• DLNA support

Sounds pretty cool right? There's just one thing: we don't buy it. First of all, it's 2011 and HTC knows that it cannot come out with a replica of the Desire HD for Windows Phone and call it "new", even if it does have that gargantuan 4.7" screen. Second of all, the software on the phone does not look like Mango from what we can see. We know that most of Microsoft's press photos showing the Mango software usually displays a Linked Inbox tile in place of the typical Outlook one, and would also likely include the new People tile. Third of all, the specs are just a little too outlandish for us to really believe. A 4.7-inch screen? Probably won't happen. A 1.5 GHz MSM 8255 chip? Would be nice, but the 8255 can only go up to 1.4 GHz.

So you should join us as we take a spoonful of salt with this rumor. Yet despite our skepticism, we still hope we won't be waiting an eternity to see this one come out.

Via: PocketNow
Source: HTCInside

Rumor: More Phones from HTC, Samsung, and LG Going Buttonless?

When we first saw the Nokia Sea Ray, we were totally stoked. Then we saw this mysterious photo of the Sea Ray using virtual buttons on the display and we were...confused. But now we're starting to hear from the venerable Eldar Murtazin that the upcoming wave of Mango phones won't be out of style next to Nokia's new digs. According to a recent tweet of his, the design guideline for manufacturers to follow while creating Mango-flavored handsets does not require hardware buttons. So therefore he assumes that other manufacturers like HTC, Samsung and LG may be joining Nokia in their boycott of buttons with at least a few phones when Mango releases this Fall.

While they may sound great on paper, we do fall in the same line of thought as others who think that buttons are there for a reason. They obviously work, they don't require you to look at your screen 100% of the time, and you control something digital through a tangible interface. Plus don't even get us started about what will happen to software if buttons are ditched for good. So far only the Nokia N9 and the Palm/HP WebOS devices have been able to woo us away from these cynical presumptions, but just because they could do it doesn't mean other manufacturers should follow their lead before actually thinking out the software. How would you feel about a buttonless Windows Phone?

Via: WMPoweruser
Source: Twitter (@eldarmurtazin)

Rumor: Is the Nokia Sea Ray buttonless? New photo teases virtual buttons

If you're weird or obsessive about Windows Phones like we are, you were probably wondering where the heck the mandatory Windows Phone hardware buttons were when you first saw the Nokia Sea Ray this morning. While demoing the phone, we noticed Stephen Elop kept the bottom piece off the screen when he turned the phone on and so our minds became even more confused.

Thanks to a new photo that has leaked from the XDA-Developers forums, it turns out we could have been looking in the wrong place! It looks like the Sea Ray will be carrying over the N9's buttonless approach and will in fact use virtual buttons instead of the predetermined hardware ones. WMPoweruser actually proposed a very interesting theory that suggests how this may be possible:

The picture reveals that the buttons are in fact screen based, likely using the extra 54 pixels of the N9’s 854×480 screen to display the buttons.

Of course that would make the Sea Ray the first Windows Phone to have a resolution of 854x480 and while that would normally be a violation of Microsoft's restrictions, they could let it slide due to the actual screen still being 800x480 and the remaining vertical 54 pixels only being used for controls. However, this is still a rumor because this image has appeared literally out of the blue on a forum so this could be entirely fake (and the virtual buttons in the photo do look pretty 'alpha build' to us).

So what do you think of Nokia's possible move to a buttonless future with the Sea Ray? Would you prefer real buttons (either capacitive or hardware)?

Via: WMPoweruser
Source: XDA-Developers

Rumor: Mango Update for Developers Still On Its Way, Updates through Zune, Includes New Features

We missed this thanks to a screwed up timetable of ours, but yesterday Neowin originally reported that a Windows Phone Mango update for all developers would be available starting the next day (today). However, Microsoft's Brandon Watson shot down that rumor via his Twitter within a few hours claiming that "Press reviews of consumer features are only thing happening this week."

Now Neowin has returned with new information and still claims a developer update to Mango is on its way. A tipster from within Microsoft explains that the original rumor turned out to be false because of a last-minute issue with a "a faulty upgrade script" that would only update from within Microsoft, not any other developers worldwide. The tipster also included some info about how the process is going to happen for you folks at home:

"[The update process is a] Zune software update and an executable that makes some changes to the registry to get the Zune software to look at the right place for the pre-release updates. It's a series of two updates, just like Nodo."

According to the source, "the only guaranteed update path from this pre-Mango to the final Mango will be to revert back to the backup made by the pre-Mango update, since carrier-approved updates will only be made to carrier-stamped versions on the phone." This means that the update should be performed on a PC that you know you'll have access to in a few months time. Risky business.

Finally this informative informant has let loose some very interesting new features that are included in the Mango beta the press was given but was most likely under a non-disclosure agreement in order to stop anyone from spilling the beans. The camera application is said to have received a ton of features, the biggest being a touch-to-focus feature when taking photos so that the hardware camera button is no longer required. The second is a "phone lock delay" which (if you have the option on) will only lock your phone with a PIN once for every certain amount of minutes that you specify. That means that if you set it to 15 minutes, once you unlock your phone you can keep swiping it without entering the PIN each time and it will not relock until 15 minutes later. Plus any audio stuttering issues that were originally found in NoDo and pre-NoDo are a thing of the past with this Beta build, and developers are said to have more under-the-hood tweaks including "list controls now being populated and scroll in a separate thread", and all image loading in list based controls os automatically handled in the background."

So developers are you excited by the possibility of a Mango software update? What do you think about the risky nature of the update path from the Beta to the final build? Tell us in the comments!

Source: Neowin

Rumor: Nokia to Unveil First Windows Phone at Nokia World 2011?

We really want a Nokia Windows Phone...badly. When we saw that Nokia N9 announced last night we realized just how amazingly awesome the company is at unique and powerful hardware. Apparently a lot of other people want to see a Nokia Windows Phone too and soon, and it just so happens that the manufacturer announced their agenda for Nokia World 2011 today. So of course the rumor mill has put two and two together, and now we have a tiny bit of gossip suggesting we will see the company's first Windows Phone(s) at the event, which starts on October 26th.

Why would people assume Nokia is launching such a highly anticipated device at Nokia World? Historically the company has used the event as a launching ground for new hardware, like last year's Nokia E7 announcement. However since last year's event, Nokia has seen a tidal wave of changes: a new CEO, a completely new smartphone strategy, the abandonment of Symbian, and the strategic partnership with Microsoft. The fact of the matter is Nokia has become unpredictable; they have broken a long held pattern of behavior this year and there's no guarantee they're sticking to the same old strategies. That said, the manufacturer is still holding Nokia World which means it sees value in the venue so there's still a hint of plausibility with this rumor. But if we were you, we'd be chewing down this factoid with a few grains of salt mixed in for good measure.

Source: Nokia, PCMag

Rumor: Nokia Only Producing 125k Windows Phones this Year?

Nokia has been talking a big game lately about Windows Phone and the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer appears ready to go all in with the OS. But according to the latest morsel of gossip from Eldar Murtazin, they won't be quite as ready as we thought, at least for this year. When asked about how many units of their Windows Phones Nokia plans to produce until the end of the year, Murtazin responded with a succinct reply: "125 k". Assuming that means 125,000 then we're quite shocked by how low that is.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, it seems that the user's question was originally in response to this tweet from Murtazin saying Russia would be among the first countries Nokia would launch in, so he may have meant 125k just for Russia. In that context it would make sense, but if he meant that amount for the rest of the European markets expected to receive the devices at launch then that is extremely small especially for a flagship device from Nokia.

If the rumor is true, do you think Nokia is producing enough Windows Phones? Or does that number seem suspiciously low?

Via: IntoMobile
Source: Twitter (@eldarmurtazin)

Rumor: Nokia packing a QWERTY keyboard into upcoming Windows Phone, "Nokia Tweaks" to the UI?

The Nokia hype train is starting to build lately, and now we've just received word that the company may be planning a Windows Phone with a QWERTY keyboard among its upcoming portfolio of phones. The news comes from the site Shiny Shiny, whose reporter Anna Leach managed to squeeze a few details out from a rep about Nokia's upcoming Windows Phone strategy.

On a potential QWERTY keyboard device:

Oh and expect a Blackberry-rivalling QWERTY phone in that line-up of phones out this year. Nokia have a A rep said that Nokia wanted to cater to the business market, that Windows Phone was a natural choice for the business user and that business users wanted QWERTY keyboards. I'm taking that as "yes we are releasing a QWERTY phone in our 2011 line-up".

On 'Nokia tweaks' to the UI:

One of their top comms guys dropped the hint that Nokia will be customising Windows phone to make their devices stand out from the rest of the pack - devices by Samsung and LG.

When we pushed their apps guy a little more on what Nokia might add he suggested that the integration of Nokia features will have to be deep within the phone, rather than just the introduction of a few native apps. For instance he said that Nokia Maps could be used to give a deeper integration of location throughout the phone, rather than just plonking the app on the homescreen. It's in keeping with the Windows Mobile ethos of contextualising phone functions rather than the separated out experience you get with iPhone style apps.

This is all hearsay (hence the 'rumor' tag) but what do you think about Nokia customizing the UI? And are you excited about a QWERTY keyboard device from the hardware company? Tell us in the comments.

Via: WMPoweruser
Source: Shiny Shiny