Having already seen rumors that Instagram could be coming to Windows Phone because the icon was seen on a Nokia Lumia 620 banner, this led to speculation that this was just a clever piece of Photoshop work. However, more fuel has been added to this rumor since there are now reports that the social photo-sharing app is in testing for WP devices.

If we are to believe this latest piece of news then Instagram for Windows Phone might very well exist and if it does, then it is a kick in the teeth for BlackBerry 10.

It has already been reported that Instagram will not be made available for BB10 devices, and although this will not be enough to put people off purchasing the Z10, it will make them stop and think what else they will miss out on in the future.

Knowing that Windows Phone handsets could soon get Instagram because we are told that the app is in testing, this will surely be a boost for the platform, which as we know is still struggling to hold onto the coat tails of Android and iOS.

Let’s say that this news is the real deal, then we can also tell you that Instagram for Windows Phone 8 (not 7.8) could offer a special edition filter, although we have no idea what this filter would be.

Update: Thanks to our readers who informed us that there is in fact Instagram for BlackBerry 10 devices, but as yet this is not an official version and only a port for now.

The 2012 Mobile World Congress is now under way over in Spain and consumers are being treated to a number of highly desirable new handsets making their debut. Currently the biggest rival to the iPhone is the Android platform, which has seen an explosion in regards to the number of available handsets in recent times.

Some analysts believe quantity doesn’t always beat quality and certain smartphones have been hit with issues, which is often battery life on 4G LTE devices. There have been some great Android handsets though, and they continue to improve. We are now seeing devices that will feature quad-core processors such as the HTC One X and LG Optimus 4X, but again some may be concerned with all that power coming at the expense of battery life.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform is also gaining momentum with some predicting it will eventually overtake the iPhone with regards to market share. Finnish cell phone maker Nokia is pinning its hopes on the operating system to cement its future, and early indications seem favorable with the tie-up.

Recently new smartphones have featured much larger screens that are above 4-inches in size, while the current iPhone measures in at only 3.5-inches. Many iPhone fans have a bigger screen size on their wish lists for the next version of the device, and there have been plenty of rumors suggesting the iPhone 5 will release with a larger screen.

Other features wanted include 4G LTE connectivity that has been left out so far because of the size of the radios, and the effect they have on battery life. But this year new chipsets are incoming that are not only smaller, but less demanding on the battery.

It was reported recently that Apple may redesign some of the internal components of the next iPhone to allow for larger batteries. As usual speculation has begun about when Apple will launch the iPhone 5, with the most recent reports suggesting a fall release.

The news comes today after Nokia posted its third recording of heavy quarterly losses in a row.in the fourth quarter last year the company posted a €745 million profit; however the totals seemed to have completely reversed as the fourth quarter this time around shows losses of €1.07 billion, despite an encouraging start from its Windows Phone selection.

As reported by Cnet the company also recorded a 29% decrease in the amount of handsets sold compared to the previous year, where they managed to shift 123.7 million devices in the fourth quarter of 2010. Even the average cost of their handsets has fallen over the course of the year, a figure that you would normally expect to see rise regardless of the success a company was having, from €69 last year to €53 now.

Meanwhile things could still change for the better as their new Lumia range seems to be taking off. Nokia CEO, Stephen Elop claims the company has already sold over a million of them since they were introduced back in October last year. He also said the company plans to roll out the devices to other markets in the world including Latin America and China throughout this year, while also pointing out that while the market already has some strong competitors they still have a chance of success adding ‘with Lumia, we have demonstrated that we belong in the field.’

Do you think Nokia can turn their profits around with Windows Phone?

The Nokia Lumia 900 was officially unveiled at CES 2012 before its exclusive launch in the US where it is believed AT&T is the only carrier to offer the device so far. News that the smartphone would be making an appearance in the UK was quickly followed although nothing official from Nokia was ever announced. While the news was welcomed by many it appears now it is false or at least premature after today’s news.

A spokesperson for Nokia told T3 that they had ‘no knowledge’ of plans to for a UK release of the Nokia Lumia 900, which for now remains a US exclusive despite growing interest from British consumers. Carphone Warehouse should feel a little guilty for whetting the appetite of some of their customers who seem eager to snap up the 4G LTE smartphone, unless they actually intend to offer it at some point.

Here is a reminder of some of the other features the UK consumers look set to miss out on with the Nokia Lumia 900. It will of course be running Windows Phone OS and is packing a 1.4GHz processor, a front-facing camera, a rear-facing 8 megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording capabilities and a 4.3” ClearBlack AMOLED display. Unfortunately we will have to wait and see what happens in the near future before we will know if this impressive smartphone will be heading to the UK at, in the meantime we shall just have to make do with the Nokia Lumia 800.

Would you like to see the Nokia Lumia 900 heading to the UK?

According to a report on TechEye, IHS analysts believe that in three years the operating system from Microsoft will have beaten iOS in popularity. Some think that Apple will never regain its position from the Android platform, let alone lose its number two position to Windows Phone.

But Wayne Lam from the company thinks that Nokia’s efforts to push the Windows Phone platform forward are something worth keeping an eye on. He claims that the likes of the Lumia 900 and handsets after it will help the platform to claim the number two spot by 2015.

Currently estimates put the Windows Phone market share at only two percent of all smartphones shipped last year. Lam thinks this will increase to 16.7 percent within only three years. This will put the platform just ahead of iOS, but still trailing behind Android.

Lam feels the Microsoft and Nokia tie up will prove to be successful, and other handset manufacturers will also push the platform more. The analyst likes the way Nokia are trying to force their way back into the US market with the Lumia 900, but doesn’t say how Microsoft and Nokia will topple the opposition.

It is thought that Nokia will be looking at the business sector of the mobile market, which was once a stronghold of the RIM BlackBerry platform. It would be surprising if the Windows Phone platform can actually overtake the iPhone, only time will tell.

Do you think Windows Phone can overtake iOS?

The company has just launched its first handset of 2012 for consumers in the UK, and according to a report on TechRadar it has many similar features as other smartphones on the platform. The handset is being aimed at the budget market and will be available via contracts that cost between £10 and £20.

For your hard earned cash you get a large 4.3-inch WVGA screen with an 800 x 480 resolution, along with a five megapixel camera that has a flash. It has a 1GHz single core processor with 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of internal storage. It you fancy getting the handset SIM free online retailer Clove will sell the Tania to you for £249.99.

The handset will even turn into a Wi-Fi hotspot, which is something the much more expensive Nokia Lumia 800 can’t even do. The Tania is set to be only available on carriers such as Virgin Mobile and Go Mobile.

This news comes as Nokia is gearing up to release it cheaper Lumia 710, which if recent rumors are true could be priced at a similar level to the device from ZTE. It remains to be seen whether either device gains enough attention from the paying public.

Yesterday we brought you news about the possibility that the smartphone may be released in the UK as it is not yet available there. The article by Gary Johnson suggests that February will be the month that this will happen. Those in the US that are interested in picking up this Windows Phone device will find the contract deal available at Walmart.

It is thought that the reason for this early discount to try and attract as many buyers as they can before AT&T start to offer their Lumia 900, which after its official unveiling last week is looking to be the best Windows Phone Nokia smartphone yet. According to Slashgear, this advanced device is expected to be released around mid-March, which gives retailers and carriers trying to compete, a couple of months to make an impact.

The Nokia Lumia 710 is T-Mobile US’s first Windows Phone from the manufacturer and is 4G capable. It main features include a 5 megapixel camera o the rear, a Qualcomm 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor, a 3.7” ClearBlack WVGA scratch-proof display and Xbox Live and Microsoft Office integration. The Lumia 900 meanwhile is packing an 8 megapixel camera on the rear, a single-core 1.4GHz processor and a 4.3” ClearBlack AMOLED WVGA display. Official pricing for the device is yet to be confirmed but the technology it is packing suggests it is likely to feature amongst the high-end prices.

What do you think of the Nokia Lumia 710? Will you be snapping it up now it’s free with a contract?

Rick Osterloh, Microsoft’s vice-president of the Skype division is the source behind this news after the comments he made during CES last week. He is reported to have admitted that the company is ‘working on a Windows Phone product that will be coming out soon.’ As the Telegraph reports this is a controversial move as Windows Phone is the only OS that lacks a Skype device, despite being owned by Microsoft.

Reports are also suggesting that the first Skype compatible Windows Phone device will not have a deep integration of the service on the platform; instead it will be made available as a downloadable app from the MarketPlace. It is thought that the feature will be integrated more heavily in the updated version of the OS, although it is believed an initial version will be unveiled at next month’s Mobile World Congress.

The Window Phone OS is currently on the version called Mango and according to reports Microsoft are currently working on updates that will bring the OS up to Tango and then Apollo versions, both of which could be the version which Skype could feature more heavily in, although nothing official has been announced as of yet. Head on over to the Telegraph for to see a video of the interview in which it was revealed that Skype would be coming to Windows Phone soon.

Are you looking forward to using Skype on Windows Phone devices?

The lower spec handset will join the more expensive Lumia 800 as the company attempts to claim back some of the market share it has lost to Android and the iPhone. Now Nokia UK have said the cheaper of the two devices will launch in the UK during February according to a report on SlashGear.

As a recap the Lumia 710 features a 3.7-inch WVGA screen and is available in a choice of six different colors, and comes running the Windows 7.5 Mango operating system. It also has a five mega pixel camera with HD video capture and 8GB of on board storage.

It is powered by a 1.4 GHz Qualcomm processor with 512 MB of RAM, and also features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a USB port amongst its features. The tile based interface of the handset allows user’s access to Facebook and Twitter, and users can personalize apps that are downloaded from the Windows Phone Marketplace by switching the back plate.

The manufacturer has also said that before the UK launch the device will be hitting markets in Russia and Hong Kong. The Nokia Lumia 710 is most likely to offer competition to the cheaper end of the Android platform, and older versions of the iPhone that are still available.

Will you be getting the Nokia Lumia 710?

There will be many of you who have your favorite between the big two, and would maybe never consider trying anything away from Android and iOS. There have been rumors recently of the iPhone 5 seeing a fall release date next year, and according to The Telegraph a roadmap has been leaked for the Windows Phone platform.

These are rumored to include new devices that will feature HD displays and powered by multi-core processors, which will be based on the upcoming A15 from ARM. These so called superphones are believed to be coming during the fourth quarter of 2012, which is around the same time as the proposed iPhone 5 will become available.

Microsoft’s new smartphones will also be released alongside a new version of its Window’s Phone operating system and called, Apollo. When the company released Mango it was mainly well received by users and reviewers alike. Sales on the platform have been a bit disappointing so far with the market share believed to only be around 1.3 percent.

Before Apollo is released there is another update planned called Tango, and according to the roadmap during the second quarter of 2012 will help the platform reach cheaper handsets. Nokia has already stated that it would only begin to fully exploit the partnership with Microsoft once Apollo is launched.

Trouble is the longer Microsoft waits before getting an even better operating system to the market they could fall further behind the big two. It’s all well and good having smartphones with the highest specifications, but how any such device integrates with consumers other gadgets and content is also as important.

Microsoft has to try and get consumers to give their devices a try and somehow convince them to ditch either Android or the iPhone. Currently the company doesn’t seem to be doing this even though those who have switched platforms have mainly been positive about the change.

Would you ever switch to the Windows Phone platform?