News - Windows Phone 8 Apollo screenshots leaked

[HEXUS]

A few pictorial morsels showing features from Apollo.

Read more.

[Lord Midas]

I'll be interested if they bring out a Winpho8 the same size as the Galaxy Note. And with a little more oomph, perhaps dual/quad core support.

[cameronlite]

I'll be interested if they bring out a Winpho8 the same size as the Galaxy Note. And with a little more oomph, perhaps dual/quad core support.

The Apollo update is supposed to up the hardware specification to support "super phones" - i.e multicore support. However, if you use a Windows Phone, you'll see that multi core support isn't required as a single core doesn't even struggle.

It really depends how much more taxing WP8 is in comparison to WP7. The biggest hardware specification people want is an increased screen resolution (currently the maximum is 480x800).

[Whiternoise]

I'll be interested if they bring out a Winpho8 the same size as the Galaxy Note. And with a little more oomph, perhaps dual/quad core support.

What do you need the dual/quad for? Everyone with a smartphone has been hooked by this marketing BS that you need a quad core in your pocket and I don't understand it. You get less battery power and barely any applications are properly threaded (I don't know about the kernel itself).

WP7 has been running on single core hardware for the last two years and there have been no complaints about slowdown, the OS clearly works and developers code accordingly.

I've been writing code for a microcontroller with 2kB RAM and a paltry 8MHz clock and it's surprising how much you can squeeze in. Putting faster chips in phones makes developers lazy.

If your phone suffers from slowdown it's because the OS wasn't written well enough, not because your phone isn't fast enough.

[cameronlite]

What do you need the dual/quad for? Everyone with a smartphone has been hooked by this marketing BS that you need a quad core in your pocket and I don't understand it. You get less battery power and barely any applications are properly threaded (I don't know about the kernel itself).

WP7 has been running on single core hardware for the last two years and there have been no complaints about slowdown, the OS clearly works and developers code accordingly.

I've been writing code for a microcontroller with 2kB RAM and a paltry 8MHz clock and it's surprising how much you can squeeze in. Putting faster chips in phones makes developers lazy.

If your phone suffers from slowdown it's because the OS wasn't written well enough, not because your phone isn't fast enough.

I was trying to be tactful - but hey, you hit it on the head - a good OS doesn't require more than 1 core.

[3dcandy]

What do you need the dual/quad for? Everyone with a smartphone has been hooked by this marketing BS that you need a quad core in your pocket and I don't understand it. You get less battery power and barely any applications are properly threaded (I don't know about the kernel itself).

WP7 has been running on single core hardware for the last two years and there have been no complaints about slowdown, the OS clearly works and developers code accordingly.

I've been writing code for a microcontroller with 2kB RAM and a paltry 8MHz clock and it's surprising how much you can squeeze in. Putting faster chips in phones makes developers lazy.

If your phone suffers from slowdown it's because the OS wasn't written well enough, not because your phone isn't fast enough.

True in many ways, WP achieves a great deal of it's speed from closely tying you to specific hardware...so that's why Android (for example) really needs better hardware to be smooth and slick. It's a different way of achieving the same end product, but for me it's also a reason that WP hardware will always lag behind Android in many ways...

[Agent]

I like WP in general, but I wish they'd move away from the 8-bit-like colour pallet

[cameronlite]

True in many ways, WP achieves a great deal of it's speed from closely tying you to specific hardware...so that's why Android (for example) really needs better hardware to be smooth and slick. It's a different way of achieving the same end product, but for me it's also a reason that WP hardware will always lag behind Android in many ways...

What it sounds like you're saying is that it's a BAD thing that WP runs on a single core and that it's better to have expensive, power consuming hardware...

WP hardware will catch up to Android hardware - simply because people go for specs but not because it's a requirement.

[Hicks12]

Personally find dual core is perfectly fine on my android device but the 512mb ram is now lacking, only reason for slow downs... But really i do like wp7 and would like to get into that area again but its always to expensive or unable to find them! I would like a strong dual core from their next revision though, when i come to the end of my contract wp7+ will certainly be high on the list but id require my personal testing first and it depends on availability, i couldnt find them anywhere when i was getting a new phone , but i got my current phone for the same price as most budget phones £168 so i won in that area .

If there are WP8 devices that have HD screens above 4" (preferably below 4.7") and dual core or atleast a sizeable performance boost in general and are available with a similar pricing to other main competitors then id probably snap it up .

[Spud1]

Still very "meh" about Apollo - no really nice new features, still crippled by that useless hard wired "bing" button (why the EU hasn't jumped up and down about anti-competition here I really don't know), Live tiles are still not Live, browser is better but still rather average, and even the things I can't talk about that are coming are not very exciting.

All that said for most people it will still be a nice platform..very simple to use, slick UI (even if I hate metro styling..why make it so you can't read a whole word at once with headings), just not what I feel it should be, which is a shame. Trying so hard to stick with this phone but I know that later this year I will be jumping either to iPhone 5 or the QNX Blackberry (BBOS10 - BB london).

btw the whole hardware debate is a bit silly - as many have said above, a well designed OS won't need super powerful expensive battery eating CPU power/ram..and well designed apps the same. I have heard so many times "Oh I won't get one of those windows phones, the hardware is <insert expletive>. I'll get an android because its got quad cores and a flux capacitor". Makes me laugh as my personal gripes aside (especially the search one which really gets my goat lol) most people will be much happier on WinMob than Android - much slicker, much more intuitive UI etc...but they are put off by one of it's biggest advantages. Crazy.

[george1979]

I've had my Nokia Lumia 800 for a month or so now and I agree about the hardware - it runs really smoothly with no slowdown whatsoever. If it runs fine with one fast core why add more hardware just for the sake of marketing? I'm more concerned with usability/reliability over specs.

Friends of mine that have the S2 and Iphone 4S were really impressed by it when they played with it, so much so a couple have said are considering switching to WP when they upgrade. IMO its a much better OS than Android and iOS - so much slicker and nicer to use. MS and Nokia have really done a great job with it. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Apollo adds to WP7.
As for the search I don't really see a problem - I can just go to the browser and use google if I feel the need.

I had a BB before the Lumia... never again. Poor build quality, unpleasant OS and the BB desktop suite was a nightmare for me.
I did consider getting the S3 (mainly due to the screen) until I saw the pics of it. To me it looks cheap and its just a bit on the large side for my taste.

[3dcandy]

What it sounds like you're saying is that it's a BAD thing that WP runs on a single core and that it's better to have expensive, power consuming hardware...

WP hardware will catch up to Android hardware - simply because people go for specs but not because it's a requirement.

Nope...just that you can achieve really good speed from a specific hardware setup. iOS and WP both have the hardware set in stone. No innovation is allowed with the hardware, I believe (correct me if wrong) that about the only thing you can change hardware wise is the camera sensor even the buttons are set in stone..

Google did not want those kinds of restrictions so the speed is not always there. It's just a totally different way of doing things, and this is why I can't believe Nokia have bet everything on an OS that really hinders their design teams so much. Yes I know they have had problems getting stuff to market, and yes their WP offerings will be quick now (no real big hardware changes for Apollo except screen res) but they will also be nearly exactly the same as anybody else can make. Why would you choose Nokia over HTC or Samsung when the hardware doesn't vary as much as it used too...I would probably go mainly on price. And that brings me onto price, the Lumias are a very good price on contract, but that's because sales in the UK at least are still sluggish even if they are really cheap. I don't believe WP hardware will catch up because already WP has a rep for being cheaper...

[TheAnimus]

I can just go to the browser and use google if I feel the need.

I really like my WP7.5 phones, but at the same time this bugs the crap out of me, I should be able to use any search app I want from the search button! Thou I do like how installed apps also get searched.

[Spud1]

As for the search I don't really see a problem - I can just go to the browser and use google if I feel the need.

Except that on WP 7.5 this is a pain to do You have to load the browser, go to google, then switch from mobile to classic view (this step involves a zoom too)..even if you make google the homepage, that is still much more difficult than either just pressing the search button, or just loading the browser and immediately searching (ala iOS/QNX/Droid). It's one of their most ridiculous design decisions imo.

@3dcandy - Google do/did place restrictions on android hardware too, just not so strict. The buttons are a requirement, although they are allowed to be soft keys. The general lack of rigidity is also one of their biggest weaknesses though, along with the unrestricted app store This point is very...controversial on this board where people generally hate enforced rules (even when its better for them!) though.

[cameronlite]

Except that on WP 7.5 this is a pain to do You have to load the browser, go to google, then switch from mobile to classic view (this step involves a zoom too)..even if you make google the homepage, that is still much more difficult than either just pressing the search button, or just loading the browser and immediately searching (ala iOS/QNX/Droid). It's one of their most ridiculous design decisions imo.

@3dcandy - Google do/did place restrictions on android hardware too, just not so strict. The buttons are a requirement, although they are allowed to be soft keys. The general lack of rigidity is also one of their biggest weaknesses though, along with the unrestricted app store This point is very...controversial on this board where people generally hate enforced rules (even when its better for them!) though.

Why don't you just save Google to a tile?

[directhex]

Why don't you just save Google to a tile?

Or install the Google app, which has a simple live tile