Windows Phone Summary of the Week: April 16 - 22 2012

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Welcome to the summary of the week where we wrap up the Windows Phone news of the last six days. Before we crack on with the summary itself, WPCentral has been continuing with the Windows Phone tutorials covering the platform basics. We've taken a look at the People Hub, Windows Phone camera, and the best weather apps available on the Marketplace. This week we've also had the pleasure of being joined by Pratik Kothari, developer of Social Mints, for an insightful developer interview.

Our forums have continued to be the location for all discussions Windows Phone, this includes the story of a member managing to damage the Lumia 800 screen, which features Gorilla Glass. But enough of all things WPCentral, let's get straight into the summary.

Kicking us off on our highlights is the debate on whether or not Microsoft will be releasing Windows Phone 8 "Apollo" to current and previous generation handsets. The company has also been rumoured to be discussing "Apollo" with partners in the UK. Nokia has released their Q1 financial report that details a €590 loss, as well as a strong Lumia US launch.

Speaking of financial gains and loses, the developers of Taptitude have revealed they are making over $1,000 per day with in-app advertising. This is just on Windows Phone, something that could provide that extra incentive to those who are dismissing the platform. A recent WPCentral poll we ran on the front page revealed an interesting outcome. According to surveyed readers, the majority left either the iPhone or Android handsets for Microsoft's mobile platform. 

Microsoft Research has been working on a project titled FALCON to improve the launch time of apps on Windows Phone by using algorithms to calculate which app(s) the user is likely to open. SkyDrive has been updated with shortened URLs for Twitter posts on Windows Phone. European carriers have reportedly been cold with platform reception and sales, we dig into why this could be reality. Meanwhile in the states, Verizon has been supposedly warming up to Windows Phone with LTE functionality. Could we be seeing more handsets from the carrier?

Angry Birds is joined by six other Xbox Live titles that have received permanent price reductions on the Marketplace. To join this trend Battlewagon, Deer Hunter and Glyder also have their prices slashed. If this wasn't enough for the deal hunters out there, Kinectimals is this week's Xbox Live Deal of the Week. Monster Island was released and was then subsequently pulled, which we expect is down to broken achievements.

We previously looked at Wordament being given Xbox Live status, and the title was even prematurely listed under the Live filters on the Marketplace. Now the date has been confirmed - April 25th. The NES emulator for Windows Phone called vNESLight is taken through its paces by WPCentral.

As mentioned above, there has been many headlines surrounding the upcoming "Apollo" update for Windows Phone. We've even heard rumours of the release being tested on a Lumia 800, leading us to believe it will be possible for previous generation handsets if true. We attended the recent WPUG meetup in London where some exciting apps were demoed by local developers. One of said projects was Pepper; a new service that's aiming to change the way we find local music venues / artists.

Both Viber and AboutOne are set to release Windows Phone apps, with the latter being an exclusive title. Executive Caddie + is on its way to Lumia Windows Phones as an OEM exclusive. The special versions of the app feature unique colour themes depending on which Lumia is purchased as well as added augmented reality functionality. The voice app TalkBox, which is already available on both Android and the iPhone is coming to Windows Phone.

BandWidth has been removed from the Marketplace due to a cease and desist request from Speedtest.net. Good Technologies has released Good for Enterprise on the Marketplace, but should you be a Star Wars fan a Kinect app has also been made available on the platform. Like we'd need another IM client for Windows Phone, Samsung's ChatON service could be on its way.

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Dell have announced that they are interested in Windows 8 and what the company could bring to the table hardware wise, but is opting out of the smartphone side of the business for now, which might mean we may not see another handset with upcoming "Apollo". The white Lumia 900 was stocked at AT&T stores, but only in a limited number.

Microsoft and the Windows Phone team have taken the Smoked by Windows Phone campaign to Italy, challenging the public to see if they can best the platform at general smartphone tasks. The "Dare to Live" UK campaign (much like Smoked by Windows Phone - with a twist) kicked off yesterday with a daring event in London's west end. Also, should you manage to get your hands on one, unfortunately it doesn't ship with the latest firmware fix from Nokia.

Rumours are flying high of Nokia working on the next version of Lumia 800 firmware with the official update page listing Vodafone firmware updates as "under creation". Speaking of updates, the manufacturer is readying a Lumia 710 update that's destined for China and Europe. In this coming week we're going to see Nokia launch a Windows Phone "Tango" handset targeting Asian markets - the Lumia 610. To close up the hardware section, we have Elgiganten, a Swedish Retailer, offering a free Xbox 360 console with any LG Optimus 7 purchase.

Nokia has launched the Lumia 710 and 800 in the Philippines with a rocking party, further displaying how the company can spend money they don't have and are able to host superb events. Windows Phone UK has launched a competition for participants to send in Spring photos taken with their Windows Phone. Those who are selected as winners will win one of four available Windows Phone mugs. The latest advert published on the Smartphone Beta Test Youtube account highlights the Carl Zeiss optics, unfortunately the video states the hardware is good at low-light photography - something many owners would disagree with.

To close up the summary, we have Microsoft offering support to developers by cross-submitting apps to newly added countries to the AppHub supported list.

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  • Microsoft saving Windows Phone developers time by cross-submitting apps to new markets
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Rich Edmonds
Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.