Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Want a cup of Joe? The Starbucks app is finally coming to Windows Phone

starbucks-coffee
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Android and iOS users have the luxury of a wealth of apps at their fingertips, but if you’re a Windows Phone user, you’re often out of luck. Luckily, that’s started changing with Windows 10 and its scheme to make universal apps for everything from a desktop PC to a smartphone. The next big addition to the Windows app store will be the Starbucks app.

“[Our] team has been working in partnership with Microsoft and we are within 30 to 45 days of releasing a Windows Phone app,” said Kevin Johnson, President of Starbucks at a shareholder meeting, according to GeekWire.

The Starbucks app offers a number of great features, including the ability to pay for drinks, track customer rewards, and even order drinks on the go to be picked up at your convenience. The Android and iOS versions of the app have both been very popular, but the app has been strangely absent from Windows Phone. Not too much was said about that app during the call, but it will most likely offer the same features as the Android and iOS versions.

The decision to bring Starbucks to Windows Phone may have something to do with the fact that Johnson, who only joined Starbucks last year, is a former Microsoft executive and division president.

It’s likely we’ll see more apps compatible with Windows Phone as Microsoft rolls out Windows 10 Mobile, which offers support for universal apps. Basically, developers only need to make one app, and it will work on any screen size. Twitter recently rolled out its Windows 10 app in support of the Universal Windows Platform. It appears that Starbucks is following in Twitter’s footsteps to please Windows Phone users who’ve been waiting for the app to arrive on their devices.

We’ll let you know when the app becomes available to download on the Windows app store.

Christian de Looper
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
Your Phone in Windows 11 now shows recent apps
A laptop sits on a desk with a Windows 11 wallpaper.

Microsoft's latest feature aims to create better integration between Samsung and Windows devices by allowing users to access their recent Android apps through the System Tray on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

The feature displays a "Your Phone" icon in the System Tray on the Windows desktop, allowing users to see the last applications recently accessed through their phone. Selecting any of the recent icons will then project the application on the desktop while it is running natively on the smartphone. There is also an option for users to pull up all of their mobile applications to view on their Windows device.

Read more
Want the Google Pixel’s astrophotography on your iPhone? There’s an app now
Nocturne brings a sort of Google Pixel astrophotography to the iPhone.

One of the premiere features offered on Google Pixel phones starting with the Pixel 4 has been astrophotography. The Google Pixel 4 and above are capable of creating great shots of the stars in the sky by taking a series of exposures over a long period of time and then stitching them together for one long exposure. It's really incredible how much detail in the night sky can be captured using the phone in your hand. Until recently, that has been a Pixel-exclusive feature.

So naturally, when I came across an app that claimed to do the same thing on the iPhone, I was intrigued. Nocturne is a free app available now that can accomplish much of what astrophotography can but on an iPhone. Nocturne is developed by Unistellar, whose primary business is in telescopes. Its latest product, the eVscope 2, is a digital motorized telescope that has some neat features. That's a conversation for another time. What's interesting for me is that Nocturne is able to bring astrophotography to non-Pixel devices.
Here's how it works
Getting back to Nocturne, the app accomplishes much of what you'll see on the Pixel's astrophotography mode but on the iPhone. It works by taking a series of exposures and stitching them together, similar to what Google does with the Pixel and the results are pretty slick.

Read more
AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone
AT&T Storefront with logo.

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Read more