“Microsoft and YouTube are working together to update the new YouTube for Windows Phone app to enable compliance with YouTube’s API terms of service, including enabling ads, in the coming weeks,” the two companies both said in a statement. “Microsoft will replace the existing YouTube app in Windows Phone Store with the previous version during this time.”

They had a bit of a disagreement earlier over an app custom-developed by Microsoft for Windows Phone. It took the initiative upon itself to create one for the platform. The YouTube app didn’t have any ads and it allowed for downloading of videos. Google, as you could imagine, was not happy with this because there’s money to be made off those videos.

A few days ago Microsoft issued a statement on the matter. “Microsoft updated the Windows Phone YouTube app to address the restricted video and offline video access concerns voiced by Google last week. We have been in contact with Google and continue to believe that our two companies can work together to hone an app that benefits our mutual customers, partners and content providers,” it read.

The belief paid off because Window Phone users will soon get a YouTube app — they’ll just have to suffer through the ads like everyone else.

[via The Next Web]

While the device is has a nice aluminum body, don’t think it to be a weighty piece of kit. It’s rather lights, and it’s 4.5 inch PureMotion HD+ fits in the hand very nicely. The rounded edges surrounding the device also help this great in-hand feel. While the pack plate of the Lumia 925 is polycarbonate, it’s certainly “metal enough” to get the quality feel we’ve come to expect. This isn’t a HTC One, of course, but no phone can really compare to it in the in-hand feel department.

The sides of the 925 are simple, leaving the most important bits. You’ll find the volume rocker, power/lock button, as well as the dedicated camera button on the right side, leaving the left panel of the device clean. Nokia also felt the need to cram the micro SIM card slot, Micro USB port, and 3.5mm headphone jack at the top of the handset, leaving the bottom of the device clean as well.

The back of the 925 is a feast for the geeky eyes. Living within the polycarbonate backing is a large speaker grill, as well as the 8.7MP PureView camera, and the Nokia logo in between the two.

Windows Phone has seen some great handset designs from Nokia and HTC, but the Lumia 925 takes the great design we’ve seen from previous handsets and gives it a great build quality to match the beautiful design.

It’s going to be a tough call between the Lumia 925 and 928 if you’re looking for the next greatest Nokia Windows Phone handset. Still, while the very-plastic 928 has its advantages, it certainly feels nowhere near as great in the hand as the beautifully designed and crafted Lumia 925.

Check out the gallery below!

We’re guessing the point of this augmented reality feature is to make it easier to find the spot you are looking for. This is yet another compelling reason for potential Windows Phone converts to buy a Lumia device over the others.

[Nokia; via engadget]

Unsurprisingly the most popular category for the use of in-app purchases was games, which saw more than twice the adoption of the second biggest category, tools and productivity. But in-app purchases are being used across many other categories like books and reference, health and fitness, education, and kids and family.

Looking at the 20 games and 10 other apps with the highest in-app purchase revenue, it was noted that quality is a defining issue – all have a 4-star rating or higher. Moreover, 90% of these top titles are free, with all revenue generated via in-app purchases. Those that are paid apps are from well-known developers.

Finally, Microsoft noted that 28 of the top 30 are “useful even without in-app purchase”, with the additional purchases used to enhance the experience…

This past quarter, IDC reports that Windows Phone accounted for 3.2 percent of worldwide phone shipments. BlackBerry accounted for 2.9 percent. That’s pretty sad for a company that practically dominated the industry not too many years ago. Windows Phone growth is slow, but hey, at least it’s growth. In fact, it’s better than what IDC predicted. Behind BlackBerry is Linux with 1 percent market share and Symbian with 0.6 percent.

Meanwhile Android and iOS continue to run the world. Combined, they add up to 92.3 percent of the market share. Android, of course, has a wide lead internationally, claiming 75 percent of all smartphones sold last quarter, leaving iOS with the remainder of 17.3 percent.

Symbian actually saw the greatest decline percentage-wise. In the first quarter of 2012 (the year-ago quarter) it held at 6.8 percent share. Technically, Windows Phone actually saw the most growth by percentage, because it grew 133 percent. However that’s only moving from 2 percent to 3.2 percent. The biggest overall leap made was by Android — from 59.1 percent to 75 percent. Though iOS shipment volume increased, market share decreased from 23 percent to 17.3 percent.

[via Gotta Be Mobile]

One of the new (er, perhaps “recycled” is a better term) features is the return of support for FM radio, which Windows Phone 8 users highly requested. In keeping with the theme of music, the update improves song information and metadata accuracy on your phone. It also makes it easier to perform functions like selecting, downloading, and pinning tracks within Xbox Music.

Support for CalDAV and CardDAV, syncing protocols for contacts and calendars, comes in the update as well. This in particular is really going to boost productivity of Windows Phone 8 users who use Google’s services.

Lastly, Microsoft is promising that with this update it will make Windows Phone 8′s Data Sense feature available on more carriers. Data Sense allows users to monitor their monthly data usage and even cut back on some of it.

Though this Windows Phone 8 update won’t be available until “later this summer” according to Microsoft, it’s going to ship with the new Nokia Lumia 925. Buyers should have access to the latest version of WP8 slightly ahead of everybody else.

[via PhoneScoop]

The former is described as the “next generation imaging software” made to “capture clearer, sharper pictures and video, including the best low light images.” The Nokia Smart Camera mode will soon come with the so called Amber update to all Lumia Windows Phone 8 smartphones, offering an easy way to capture ten images at once and edit the pictures with options like Best Shot, Action Shot, and Motion Focus for creating the perfect high quality image.

As for Hipstamatic, it will allow users to share their photos with like-minded enthusiasts on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Instagram. Look for it in the Windows Phone Marketplace soon.

The Finnish company said that the Amber software update will happen at some point this summer. We’ll get back to you as soon as we get some more precise date…

[Image from Engadget]

T-Mobile is excited to continue building on our partnership with Nokia and Microsoft by bringing customers another exclusive device – T-Mobile’s flagship Nokia Lumia 925. T-Mobile’s first LTE Windows Phone 8 device introduces a thin, lightweight metal design and features a large 4.5″ PureMotion HD+ display with the latest Pureview Camera innovation with an advanced 8.7MP camera. The Nokia Lumia 925 will also come with an extensive catalogue of Nokia services such as the HERE suite of integrated location and navigation services and Nokia Music. The premium 4G LTE smartphone provides a beautiful and durable device that will help keep customers connected on T-Mobile’s blazing-fast nationwide 4G network.

If you’re interested to be among the first ones to get this powerful Windows Phone 8-powered device, you can register at this page. Additional details like availability and pricing will be unveiled at a later date, though.

Unfortunately, the Xenon-based flash found in Verizon’s Nokia Lumia 928 isn’t here, but you get a whole new camera software that includes Nokia Smart Camera mode. The mentioned feature(s) allows you to capture ten images at once and edit the pictures with options like Best Shot, Action Shot, and Motion Focus for “creating the perfect high quality image.”

There’s one caveat though – while aluminum body is cool, it seems to stand in the way of wireless charging. And since Nokia wants you to get power to the Lumia 925 sans any wires, you can get a dedicated cover to keep using your Qi-based wireless charger. These covers, sold separately, are in Nokia’s usual fashion available in few colors, including white, black, yellow and red.

Finally, the availability and pricing information – the Nokia Lumia 925 will start selling in UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and China in June, followed by the US and a number of other markets. The price is set at around 469 EUR ($608) before taxes and subsidies, though country-specific pricing and availability will be announced locally.

It also sports the new Nokia Smart Camera Mode software, which will land on all Lumia Windows Phone. Smart Camera Mode lets Lumia owners capture ten images at once and then edit them using a variety of presets like Motion Focus and Best Shot to grab the best pictures of the bunch. You can find out more about the Lumia 925 camera by browsing through the Nokia-supplied images below. Nokia also produced a series of promotional videos that show the Smart Camera Mode software in action. Check out those assets below or head over to the source for the high quality versions. Once you’ve gotten an eyeful, let us know what you think of the Lumia 925 in the comments below.

[Via Nokia and Nokia YouTube]

Here’s how the full notes breakdown:

• increased chat reliability
• increased call notification reliability
• improvements in call reliability to phone numbers

There’s also some problems in the earlier version software that was addressed such as known issues like calls keep ringing when answered on a different device, or ended by the caller, video stops when the call is in the background, reading a message on Windows Phone doesn’t mark it as read on other devices, etc.

[via wmpoweruser]