Microsoft announced two mid range phones at MWC this week. The Lumia 640 and the Lumia 640 XL.
The 640 will be coming to ATT, Tmobile, and Metro PCS and will cost between $100-$199.
Operating system Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim
HERE location services Free global HERE Maps and HERE Drive+Free HERE Transit available in the Store
Display 5” HD (1280×720, 16:9) IPS LCD, 294 PPI, Glance screen Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Sunlight readability enhancements
Battery 2500 mAh battery
Processor 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor
Main camera 8 MP AF, LED Flash, Lumia Camera 5
Front facing camera 1 MP FF
Memory 8GB + 30GB free OneDrive, micro SD up to 128GB
Dimensions 141.3 x 72.2 x 8.85 mm
144 g
and than the Lumia 640 XL which will be coming to ATT in America.
Operating system Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim
HERE location services Free global HERE Maps and HERE Drive+Free HERE Transit available in the Store
Display 5.7” HD (1280×720, 16:9) IPS, 259 PPI, ClearBlack, Glance Screen, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Sunlight readability enhancements
Battery 3000 mAh battery
Processor 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor
Main camera 13 MP AF, ZEISS optics, Lumia Camera
Front facing camera 5 MP wide angle FF
Memory 8GB + 30GB free OneDrive, micro SD up to 128GB
Dimensions 157.9 x 81.5 x 9 mm
171g
I'll probably grab the 640 to replace my aging Nexus 4 and to hold me over until the W10 flagship phones launch.
Microsoft also showed off more of the Universal apps platform at the conference and expanded upon it with a blog post.
http://blogs.windows.com/buildingapps/2015/03/02/a-first-look-at-the-windows-10-universal-app-platform/The next Windows 10 preview update will be adding Spartan browser so i'll be looking forward to playing with that.
Some stuff from the Xbox front.
Last eek Microsoft announced that Fable Legends for ONE/PC ould be a free to play game and use a method similar to Killer Instinct and League of Legends. The character selection rotates out a free selection and you can outright buy those that you want.
How much will Fable Legends cost?
Fable Legends will be free-to-play on Windows 10 PCs and free-to-play with Gold on Xbox One. This means you’ll be able to download the game on either system and play through it beginning-to-end without having to spend any money.*
Why have you decided to make Fable Legends Free to Play?
We want to open the exciting world of Fable to more players, and we see free-to-play as a great way of doing that.
Are all of the quests and storylines also free?
Absolutely! The story can be played beginning-to-end for free.
Are the Heroes free?
There will always be a set of Heroes available to play for free. The Heroes on free rotation will be available for everyone to play for a set period of time.
How will Hero rotation work?
A set of Heroes will be available to play for free for a limited time, after which a new set of Heroes will take their place. This gives you the chance to play every Hero in the game for free over time, and any progress made on a Hero will be kept until they come back into rotation.
If you want permanent access to Heroes outside of free rotation, you’ll be able to earn them through gameplay, or purchase them for real money.
Do players who pay have an advantage over those who don’t?
No. You’ll be able to earn everything that affects gameplay.
How does customisation work?
You will be able to customise any Hero! From outfits through to hair colour and different faces, you’ll have an abundance of choices open to you.
Customisations will be unlocked either with earned in-game silver, or by purchasing them. Some cosmetic items – that change your look but don’t affect gameplay – may only be purchasable.
What will I be able to buy as a Villain?
Each Quest in Fable Legends has a number of Creatures that are native to it. If you want to use Creatures that are non-native to that Quest you will be able to unlock them through gameplay, or by purchasing them.
You will also be able to earn or buy different types of Traps and Gates to find new and exciting ways to take down the Heroes.
Will I need Xbox Live Gold membership to play Fable Legends on Xbox One?
Yes. Being a multiplayer game, Fable Legends will require Xbox Live Gold to play.
Will I need to pay for Gold membership to play on Windows 10 PC?
No, Windows 10 PC will not require Xbox Live Gold.
Will purchases I make on Xbox One carry over to the Windows 10 PC version?
Yes! Progress and items will be synced across Windows 10 PC and Xbox One. You can play on Windows 10 PC, and when you log in on Xbox One with the same account, pick up where you left off.
Will there be a boxed collector’s edition of the game?
We know that a lot of people love to collect physical copies and special editions, we are looking into this and will keep you updated.
How will free to play impact the development of the game? Will you focus more on shop items?
We want Fable Legends to be a brilliant game, and we have taken extra steps to ensure that the free-to-play model does not define the game. Our focus is on delivering high quality content for you to enjoy.
Following the launch of Fable Legends we will continue to deliver regular updates including new Heroes and Quests for you to play.
*Xbox Live Gold membership sold separately. Game offers in-app purchases.
Last week Microsoft also announced Forza Horizon 2 presents Fast and Furious. Its a standalone open world expansion similar to what's been done with Infamous second son. It features cars from the fast and furious anc challenges and races related to the series. It comes out on March 27 and is free until Apirl 10th. After that period is up it will cost $10 for anyone who didn't get it while it was free.
and finally to Kick off GDC Microsoft announced a ton of indie games coming to the Xbox One through the ID@Xbox Program. They seem to be catching up with Nintendo and Microsoft as far as relations go. The games include
Knight Squad - Chainawesome games
Gunball - Necrosoft Games
Arirtana - Duaik
Harpy's Feather - Duaik
Inside My Radio - Seaven Studios
Anarcute - AnarTeam
Screencheat - Surprise Attack
Tower of Guns - Grip Digital
Tumblestone - The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild
Smite - Hi-rez
Soul Axiom - Wales Interactive
Bedlam - Redbedlam
Beyond Eyes - Team17
Clusterpuck 99 - PHL Collective
Cuphead - Studio MDHR
Earthlock: Festival of Magic - Snowcastle Games
The Flame in the Flood - The Molasses Flood
Fortfied - Clapfoot Games
Game 4 - The Behemoth
Goat Simulator - Double Eleven
LA Cops - Team17
Magic Duels: origins - Wizards of the Coast
Pixel Galaxy - Serenity Forge
RBI Baseball 15 - MLB.com
Shadow Blade: Rebirth - Dead Mage
Shovel Knight - Yacht Club Games
Submerged - Uppercut Games
Super Dungeon Bros. - React! Games
SWORDY - Frogshark
The Sun and the Moon - Digerati Distribution and Marketing
ZHEROES - Rimlight Studios
Wasteland 2 - Inxile Entertainment
Blues and Bullets - A crowd of monsters