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Didn't see any recent topics about this and I figured older info would be stale by now.
What would be the ideal phone to get for Windows Phone development? I want something that is about the equivalent of the iPhone 4S, i.e. not the top-of-the-line (too $) but common and a good benchmark.
I'm getting a bit excited about Windows Phone ;D
thanks for suggestions
For the criteria you mentioned, I would recommend Nokia Lumia 820. I assume you want a device that runs Windows Phone 8.
(though currently it's not possible to publish on Windows Phone 8 with MMF2 XNA exporter, because of this bug: http://community.clickteam.com/showthread.php?t=74044 )
Just to add to my previous post, my last point was (probably) incorrect. Apps targetting OS 7.0 should run on WP8 without problems - however, you cannot anymore create new WP8 apps (utilizing WP8 specific features) with XNA, as Microsoft has kind of downgraded the importance of XNA as a framework.
Is the WP8 app store different to the WP7 app store? If we use the exporter and target WP7 does the app still appear on the app store for WP8 phones?
The app store is the same (Marketplace) and WP7 targeted apps should still appear for WP8 phones as well. Note that you can't currently target WP7.1 (this breaks things) so you need to keep it in 7.0, but this shouldn't affect the app's compatibility with WP8.
the nokia lumia 820 looks to be about $600 unlocked. any suggestions with regards to the lowest-end but still-usable phone I could get? I don't want to sink much money into windows phone as I'm not certain I'll see returns.
The problem is that there is no such a thing as mid-end Windows Phone 8 device yet. There probably will be mid-end devices coming to market at some point next year, but now that WP8 platform has just launched, the leading WP OEMs (i.e. Nokia and HTC (and Samsung)) have so far released mainly high-end and "high mid-end" (like Lumia 820) products.
If you are OK with an old WP 7.5 device, which cannot be upgraded to WP8 (but only to upcoming WP7.8 update which brings the same kind of UI than in WP8), then you have much more freedom of choice. I would then recommend Nokia Lumia 710 for a budget phone that can still run WP7 apps nicely.
Buying a WP 7.5 is of course not optimal in the sense that you can't enjoy the latest operating system on your phone, but for purely development purposes, it doesn't actually make that much difference, as Microsoft has deprioritized the importance of XNA framework for WP8 platform, which means that you can't release XNA apps for WP8 which use WP8 specific features. WP7 apps run on WP8, but through XNA you can't target WP8. What I'm saying is that for XNA development purposes, buying an old 7.X device rather than newer phone doesn't actually make that big difference.
thank you very much, that's exactly the response I was looking for. currently bidding on a lumia 710
Thanks for the info MJK!
Just a note for those considering buying WP hardware next year; this was just announced at a very affordable price point with pretty good specs: http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/...okia-lumia-620 . It will be basically the first mid-end WP8 device in the market.
picked up a lumia 710, should be here soon. i'm hype.
also met a nokia developer rep who has lumia 800s on loan for developers, so that's another device to test with
The lumia 800 is a good device, i use it, but the "trap" that hide the usb port is really annoying. You must open it everytime you want to connect your phone to your computer and the speaker is wrong placed for games with horizontal view.