Windows Mobile Weekly Digest: WhatsApp goes free, the HERE suite returns, and the Lumia 650 gets delayed

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There's a lot going on in the world of Windows Phone. So much, in fact, that it is sometimes tough to catch every important story.

Device rumors come and go. New apps join the Windows Phone Store, and your favorite app can get a big update with a new look or new features.

Therefore, every week we will compile a list of the Windows Phone news that you just shouldn't miss. Welcome to the "Windows Phone Weekly Digest."

Windows Mobile

Windows Mobile

Two new lesser-known smartphones running Windows 10 Mobile went on sale this week. The unlocked 5.5-inch Coship Moly X1 hit Amazon for $300. In addition, the budget-friendly Bush Eluma landed on Argos for U.K. for £79.95.

Microsoft added Continuum support for Windows 10 Mobile phones running Snapdragon 617. Any phone hoping to run Continuum must have a display with at least a 720p resolution, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.

It looks like people with older phones hoping to get the update to Windows 10 Mobile may have to wait until the end of February. A tweet sent to Bouygues Telecom asking for the status of the update was answered with a simple "It would not be before late February!"

It also appears that the official Lumia 650 announcement has been delayed. Initially set for February 1, the low-key blog launch has been pushed back to sometime in mid-February, due to some last minute software/firmware bugs that were found.

Other notable items:

Apps

Apps

Third-party Twitter client Fenice picked up a significant updateadding in-app YouTube playback, UI improvements, and a whole bunch of new features.

After failing to fully monetize in emerging markets, Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp retired their annual subscription fee for everyone. Initially, there were fears that the decision would lead to the implementation of third-party advertisements, but WhatsApp assured users in a statement that that would not be the case.

Another popular messaging app, Telegram is planning to develop a universal Windows 10 app. When asked about the possibility on Twitter, CEO Pavel Durov told a fan that they "definitely" have plans for one. Unfortunately, that's all we know, as no timetable was given.

Dropbox and Microsoft announced a new universal Windows 10 app, complete with drag-and-drop controls, interactive notifications, and even Windows Hello integration.

Fitness company Lose It! said that their Windows Phone app has been delayed, with no ETA in sight. LoseIt! Reports that the suspension of Microsoft's "Project Astoria," the Android-to-Windows 10 converter, is to blame:

"Per MS's direction we used Astoria. That's where we've invested resources & what we committed to. Nothing planned for Islandwood"

And after being pulled from the Windows Store back in October, the HERE suite of apps made their triumphant return. The disappearance was blamed on an undisclosed technical issue, which has yet to be elaborated on.

Other notable items:

Games

Games

In gaming news, Age of Empires: Castle Siege added player leagues in its latest update. The leagues break alliances into smaller groups to compete in tournaments against for in-game prizes. The game also picked up some other tweaks and bug fixes.

We took a look at Panzer Geeks, Game Troopers' crazy combat game for Windows Phone. The game has you racing a toy tank downhill to ram through hordes of enemies.

And there's still a possibility that Age of Empires: World Domination will be released for Windows Phone. Windows Central received an email from the game's developer, Klab, who said that "support for Windows Phone/Windows OS is being considered."

Other notable items:

Be sure to weigh in on this week's news in the comments section. See you next week!

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