Today, Microsoft officially announced some of the new features available on new Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system. Microsoft believes that today’s smartphones have become static with the same look and feel to them. To counter this stagnation, Windows Phone 8 was uniquely designed to be “the smartphone reinvented around you“. Here are some of the new features available in Windows Phone 8:
- New lock screen: Allows you to customize what you see such as the latest photos from Facebook.
- Data Sense: Helps prevent users from accidentally going over their data allowances by performing such things as compressing web pages as they download. Initially available on Verizon this Fall.
- Kids Corner: A new built in environment for kids to play games without the risk of accessing other applications.
- Rooms: Allows you communicate with a specific set of contacts. Includes chat, calendar, and private notes. You can also “invite” others to join your room and others can see your calendar.
- Skype: The updated version of Skype is always running, ensuring you do not miss any calls.
- Lenses: Allows you to create different photo effects all while remaining on the viewfinder window.
The tight integration between Windows Phone 8, Windows 8 PC, and XBOX 360 devices allows you to create a “virtual office” through the use of Microsoft Sky Drive. You can use One Note’s voice recognition to create a note which will be transcribed and be made available on and Windows 8 device. The photo application is now improved. You can now take a photo on your phone and it will be available to view in full resolution on an Windows 8 PC. There is no longer the need to manually transfer your pictures to your PC.
The recently XBOX Music now lets you seamlessly stream your music between your phone, XBOX and Windows 8 PC. Any updates you make to XBOX Music such as created playlists, will automatically be synced and available on all devices.
What do you think of the new features announced today? Are you more or less likely to purchase a new Windows Phone after reading about these features? As always, tell us your thoughts below.
Now my contracts have finished . I definitely will be looking to invest in a new phone gprs work with the 8 series especially the office cloud usage. Keep up the android gadgets….. john from Port Adelaide South Australia.
With attributes like this. The idea that MS has been around and all enterprise basically use MS, it’s time to go back to MS. Android is very nice, unfortunately Google does nothing to to enforce manufacturers to make the ui on another plane so that versions can be immediately downloaded as they arrive, like in Apple’s case and soon to be MS’s case.