BMW will reportedly replace employees phones with Lumias

Reports have surfaced that BMW has plans to bring Windows Phone to about 57,000 employees. They will reportedly deploy Lumia branded devices to staff and executives. Regular employees are said to be getting Lumia 630, while executives will be given Lumia 930. The deal hasn’t been finalized yet but we should expect to hear more about it soon. Microsoft will obviously be the one benefiting more from this as they try to gain a foothold in the Android- and iOS-dominated mobile phone space.

Source: Pocket Now | Via: Ubergizmo

Leak of cancelled Lumia 1020 successor shows up on Chinese site

Microsoft was rumoured to have been working on a successor of the Lumia 1020. Dubbed McLaren, it was supposed to have a giant camera and 3D touch gestures. The project was reportedly scrapped but a listing for a prototype appeared on Chinese auction site Taobao shows that the device (or at least something similar to it) was almost completed.

Its internal name is RM-1052 and as you can see from the photo it has a 1020-like camera hump, similar style, and made mostly out of aluminum. There is a plastic part at the bottom most likely intended to improve wireless reception. Software shot shows it even has a better 1080p display. Too bad we probably won’t see this device out of the Microsoft stable any time soon.

Via: The Verge | Source: Engadget

Make highlight reels with Microsoft Movie Creator

It’s not exactly new but if you wanted a native highlight reel generator on Windows Phone, Microsoft is introducing Movie Creator. Like the others, it’ll let you put together your favorite photos and clips to highlight specific events you want to share with others. You can choose up to 25 videos and images to include in your reels. Microsoft, however, promises there will be more customization features to their app and an easier user experience. It will also be free. The app is now up for beta and can be downloaded for Lumia devices, Surface tablets, and the Lumia 2520.

Source: Engadget

Microsoft launches post-Nokia Lumia 535 smartphone in Asia

Just as the Lumia 830 was the last Windows Phone handset to carry the Nokia name, the new Lumia 535 is the first post-Nokia device to kick off the Microsoft era of smartphone making. A continuation of the Nokia X and Lumia 530 entry-level smartphone range slated for various Asian markets, this particular device seems geared towards a youthful user-base. 

Featuring a 5-inch qHD, (960x540; 16:9) screen, dual 5-megapixel front and rear cameras, the Lumia 535 is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and 1GB RAM. 8GB of onboard storage is supplemented by microSD expansion of up to 128 GB storage. This will come with Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim with Cortana in tow. Lastly, there's a choice of colours including bright green, bright orange, white, dark grey, cyan, and black. While this looks like an ideal and affordable midrange smartphone for Canada, no word on availability outside of China has been announced.

Source: VentureBeat