Windows Phone as an OS certainly doesn’t lead the pack, at a party there’s usually one guy with a Windows Phone while everyone else is on Android or iOS.  And this is due to the fact that it is often considered to be lagging behind in features and release time. With the new touch-friendly Windows 8 on its way later this year, Microsoft will try its hardest again to “catch up” and surpass the competition.  It is imperative that Windows Phone 8 becomes something more than a release to bring them up to “the bar,” because well, that’s all Microsoft has done in the past.  And if its future tablet and smartphone initiatives dream of becoming a staple gadget in someones hand, they’re simply going to have to do more.

“I am very excited to hear that Microsoft is making a strong push to catch up to the iOS and Android platforms,” Sina Mobasser, co-founder of iOS and Windows Phone app BarMax said. “But while the specs that were leaked are certainly appetizing, they will not be enough.” Mobasser thinks Microsoft is still “holding a lot of cards close to its chest,” and we have to agree.

Just last week we talked about a leak regarding Windows Phone Apollo, today we are going to try hard to answer another big question:
How does Apollo stack up against Android (or even iOS)? Are it’s new features enough to draw new users in?

Hardware Options

First off, unlike the current iteration of Windows Phone, Apollo will offer multi-core processors and expandable storage through microSD.

In comparison, iOS doesn’t have expandable microSD ports but certainly does do multi-core. As for Android, while they do both just fine, which essentially means this is one area where Microsoft simply ‘catches up’.

Mobile Payments

Apollo is set to use NFC technology to bring us mobile payments allowing you to simply swipe your phone onto a point-of-purchase RFID tag to buy coffee, consumables, and other awesome goods. This is very similar to what Google is attempting with its “Google Wallet” platform.  The big difference here is that Microsoft’s NFC system will play by carrier rules due to its ability to be directly controlled and branded by the carriers. So, at least in theory this trumps Android’s Wallet, and for now at least, even iOS has a no direct comparable ‘wallet’ feature.

Desktop Integration

There is one of the areas where Apollo is really going to shine: direct integration as a companion experience to the upcoming Windows 8 OS. It seems that Windows Phone 8 is actually switching out to the NT kernel (same core as standard Windows), and apps should easily be able to convert between both platforms, something that will make developers happy.

Additionally, both will have very similar interfaces and experiences, making WP feel more like an extension of our desktop/laptop world, and not something completely foreign.

Apps

It is no secret that both iOS and Android win here, Microsoft hopes that by the time Apollo arrives it has at least 100,000 apps in the market.

Data Management

Both Windows 8 and Apollo tout new features that supposedly are designed to make tracking your mobile usage much easier than in the past. Both have “DataSmart” as a live tile that breaks down your overall usage and automatically tries to go for WIFI whenever possible over cellular connections to data.  This seems to be an area that Android 4 has improved on quite a bit, so overall I’d say WP just plays catch up here.

Enterprise

Another area where Windows Phone could likey shine above the competition is in enterprise. WP8 will offer the same native BitLocker encryption that is found is Windows 8, meaning 128-bit, full-disk encryption. Additionally, companies will be allowed to create personalized, proprietary software for their employees with Windows Phone 8.

Overall

Windows Phone Apollo looks to finally play catch up in a lot of different areas that Apple and Google currently lead the pack on. Whether or not its enough to pull in users remains to be seen.

Either way, 2012 looks to be an interesting year for Windows and Microsoft.

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

The post How Does Windows Phone 8 ‘Apollo’ Compare To Android And iOS? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Windows Phone Tango doesn’t sound like it’s going to be nearly as substantial as its tropical fruit-named predecessor, but it will reportedly still bring some new moves to the dance floor. For instance, we’re hearing that it’ll get support for smaller screens, smaller chassis sizes, and even LTE. Considering all the LTE-equipped Droids out there, that’s a good thing for Redmond.

But it takes two to tango! There’s a good chance that Nokia will be showing off its new Nokia 719 and Nokia 900 at CES, both of which could very well ship with Tango right out of the box. The newest WP7 update is rumored to be released “soon” after CES.

Looking a little further down the roadmap to what could be Windows Phone 8, we’re hearing that the “Apollo” update is currently being slated to launch in mid-June 2012. Does this mean you should wait? Or is it likely that existing WP7 and WP7.5 devices will be eligible for the WP8 upgrade?

The post CES To Set Stage For Windows Phone Tango Update appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Meant to be a follow-up to the already available BlackBery Curve 8520, the Curve “Apollo” offers some significant spec bumps compared to its predecessor. It’s not going to floor anyone with its 512MB of RAM or its Tavor MG-1 800MHz processor, but at least it’s respectable enough for the average business user.

We’re chalking this up to an unsubstantiated rumor for now, but it looks like RIM is ready to roll with Apollo… after it gives it a proper model number. Other specs include quad-band GSM, tri-band UMTS/HSPA 7.2Mbps, Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi-N, GPS, NFC (nice!), 5MP camera, and BlackBerry OS 6.1.

As far as low- to mid-tier smartphones go, the Apollo looks like it could be a very affordable hit with corporate IT departments. Not everyone needs a touchscreen, y’know.

The post First look: BlackBerry Curve Apollo with 7.2Mbps HSPA, NFC appeared first on Mobile Magazine.