Reflections on today's launch from Nokia World

Just let me say this - I'm a technology freak. I love new hardware, innovative software etc. However, when thinking of the partnership between Microsoft and Nokia, I have understood that keeping the big picture is important.

I will explain my views by looking at the Nokia Lumia 800.

Why does this device matter on so many levels? Well, it's all about the experience.

The device itself is wonderfully built, with quality materials used for the best possible phone experience. Having owned an iPhone 4 for over a year, good call reception and quality is something I find myself missing.

The storage should be enough for everyone. Remember that photos, videos and documents are normally synced to the cloud. Also, the Nokia Music service will in most cases (like Spotify) stream rather than play from the installed memory.

Of course, this device is not the 64 GB, dual-core gaming-madness we were waiting for. But this device, being Nokia's entry into the Windows Phone world, is a solid and attractive choice for it's end users. It might even tempt a guy like me.

Are there no drawbacks to this launch? Of course there is. No front-facing camera. This is actually not easy to understand, being Microsoft's big investment in consumer-friendly Skype and it's push of Lync to mobile platforms. This will also be the first phone shipping with Lync, if the specifications on Nokia's webpage is correct.

We'll see how this plays out. For the majority of users, this will be a device to be reckoned with.

I, on the other hand, find myself wishing I could jump forward 1 year to the WP8 push. That's when I predict we'll see these phones with 64GB storage, NFC, 1 GB ram, 1280x720 screen resolution etc.

Lovely times ahead in any case. Happy choosing your next device!

Xbox Live Avatar utilizing Mango sensor-APIs

Known before is the avatar dancing to any music playing on the device, but using the built-in sensors of the phone, like the accelerometer, you can make the avatar fall to the ground or seemingly get annoyed by you pinching him.

Don´t annoy him too much though. He will break your screen or even worse, change panorama!

Funny detail from the Windows Phone team.

New featurette: How to improve Windows Phone

To differentiate this blog from just a news source, I've made a new feature where I touch base with Windows Phones' strength, but also where it can continue to innovate through functional design with the Metro guidelines as a foundation.

Clearly the balance between simple and functional is to be found.

The different parts are to be named:

• How to improve WP, part 1: Apps
• How to improve WP, part 2: Games
• How to improve WP, part 3: Hardware
• How to improve WP, part 4: Integrated Services
• How to improve WP, part 5: Hubs
• How to improve WP, part 6: The Camera

Any suggestions on more topics to touch?

Why Windows Phone?

A simple question maybe, but with a lot of answers. Is Microsoft doing everything right from the get-go? Quick answer: No. However, it has a lot of strengths and it's foundation for doing something spectacular is unmatched.

Why does this OS matter?

Design
No, I'm not talking from a "looks beautiful" perspective. As a long-time iPhone-user, I can see why people find iOS attractive, but a grid of icons is hardly innovating in our technology-consuming world. iOS has in four years gone from being innovating to stationary. The new comer in Windows Phone gets rid off (almost) the static grid of icons and makes use of the information an app can provide, and focuses actually on multi-tasking. The user should be able to do several things at once. The unified notification system, which in contrast doesn't annoy like the UAC-inspired Apple messaging system, is a testament to that fact.

I know from experience that Apple will continue to create amazing devices with tightly knitted software on top. But the innovation in the smart phone world will be led by Windows Phone - if done right, that is. And that's the reason why this blog exists!

Workflow
The vision of Windows Phone as the mobile OS where work can be done is shared by Microsoft. However, there are also places where it can make it better and more feature complete. More on that later in this blog.

Fun
Music, games, content creation. You name it. Windows Phone is fun, and has to continue being a place where innovation and just plain silliness can meet. Content and innovation is created through dialog and reflection, but also through inspiration and socializing.

Big words, but it all will make sense during the next weeks. Hint: May 24th.

First post, hello!

This is the first post of many concerning the mobile world we live in today. More specifically it turns it focus on the coming Nokia phones with Microsoft's new and promising operating system.

Stay tuned for more information!