There's a lot going on in the world of Windows Phone. So much, in fact, that it is sometimes tough to catch every important story. Device rumors come and go. New apps join the Windows Phone Store, and your favorite app can get a big update with a new look or new features.
Therefore, every week we will compile a list of the Windows Phone news that you just shouldn't miss. Welcome to the "Windows Phone Weekly Digest."
Windows Phone
This week we saw a lot of possible info come out about upcoming Windows phones. An Indian import site reported that a new 5.7-inch Windows Phone was shipped from Finland to India for internal testing. The new device, which some have already dubbed the Lumia 840 XL, comes in both single and dual-SIM flavors.
While that phone appears to be a mid-range device, benchmarking site GFXBench gave us some specs on what seems to be a flagship Windows 10 phone. The "Nokia RM-1106" sports a 5.2-inch screen with a possible 2560×1440 resolution and what Nokia Power User says is 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 20-megapixel rear camera, and likely a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor.
An alleged photo of a curved Lumia display surfaced on Twitter. If the picture is indeed legit, it hints that one or both of the new upcoming flagship Lumias, only referred to so far as the "Cityman" and "Talkman," could sport a curved screen, much like Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge.
Other rumors surrounding the "Cityman" and "Talkman" cropped up on a few other sites. Most notably, the two hero devices are likely to be the first Windows phones to have USB Type-C support. The new connector is said to be necessary for Continuum for Phones feature.
Other notable items:
- The Lumia 535 dominates Windows Phone usage and Windows 10 Mobile grabs more new users in May
- The Lumia 930 and Lumia 735 are on sale for £40 off via O2 UK until May 27
- The Lumia 920 is a hero, helps save a man's life
- Verizon LG Lancet unboxing and first impressions
- How to download offline maps in Windows 10 Mobile
- Xiaomi is taking sign-ups for Windows 10 Mobile ROM beta program, but just for Beijing residents
Apps
In the world of apps, two of Microsoft's internally-tested beta apps were leaked ahead of release. InstaNote, an app for taking voice memos, and the self-explanatory Dialer for Lync Meetings were both previously unannounced.
Windows Phone super-dev, Rudy Huyn, was his usual prolific self. His 6tin Tinder clients for Windows Phone got a new user interface and login screen. Additionally, his Instagram app, 6tag, was updated twice. One update fixed video upload and collage filter issues, while the other contained some minor bug fixes.
Meanwhile, Fantasia Painter, an app that hadn't seen any attention from its developer in two years, finally got updated.. It isn't clear what the update brought with it, but the loyal followers of the photo-editing app were happy to see that it is still alive and well.
OneDrive for Windows Phone paired up with Cortana for some added search capabilities. The online storage app now allows you to ask Cortana to find photos and documents based on phrases describing or contained in them.
WhatsApp beta testers got a big treat this week when the wildly popular messaging app picked up its highly-anticipated calling feature. Only a relative handful of users have it now, but it's a hopeful sign that the feature's wide release isn't too far away.
And lastly, another cross-platform app made its way to our phones. Zapya, a file-sharing app that lets you transfer data between devices, brought an official app to Windows Phone.
Other notable items:
- Microsoft now has a Certificates viewing app for Windows Phone
- Surfy browser for Windows Phone gets an overhaul in design and better downloading
- Italian bank UniCredit launches its Windows Phone app
- Chillr allows HDFC Bank customers in India to instantly transfer money to your contacts
- Flipkart for Windows Phone lets you sign in with your phone number
- Xbox Music picks up bug fixes and minor improvements in latest update
- PicHit.me for Windows Phone - revisiting the photography clearing house
- Tubecast gets a minor bug-fixing update
- Viber for Windows 8.1 updated with spell checker support
- Lumia Camera Beta get a minor update for some Lumia Windows Phones
- Opera Mini browser beta for Windows Phone gets a small update
- Tesco Calling brings cheap international calls and SMS to Windows PhoneZomato update brings new design, Uber integration and Urbanspoon listings
- Microsoft Hyperlapse Mobile updated with Lumia Icon support
Games
It was another good week for gaming on Windows Phone. Game Troopers' latest title, Monster GO! landed on Windows phone slightly ahead of schedule as an Xbox title.
Another new Xbox title hit the Windows Phone Store as well. The action-packed endless runner Lara Croft: Relic Run is now available.
The popular tower defense game Bloons TD 5 hopped over from iOS and Android to Windows and Windows Phone as a universal app.
And perhaps even more encouraging was the launch of Astro Bouncer, which happened simultaneously on Windows, Windows Phone, and Android. The cross-platform release hopefully means that the perceived "app gap" is closing.
The kids' favorite Cloud Raiders got revamped in its latest update. Along with the improved graphics, it also gained some new characters, major technical improvements, and some new features.
Other notable items:
- Bring Me Home - a traffic dodging endless runner game for Windows Phone
- Tiltagon - a slightly painful arcade game for Windows Phone
- Save magical beasts in the latest open world adventure Beast Quest
- Superslug, a Windows Phone game that pits bugs against chickens
- Overkill 3 for Windows Phone will never support 512MB devices
- Plague Inc. spreads to Windows 8.1 with cross-buy support on Windows Phone