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Windows Phone 8 ‘Apollo’ comes with Windows 8, Skype and SkyDrive integration

New details emerged about Windows Phone 8, next generation mobile operating system from Microsoft. Pocketnow got hands on with a video supposed to be for Nokia executives, according to Pocketnow senior vice president and Windows Phone Manager Joe Belfiore of Microsoft revealed a number of WP8 features in that video.

Windows Phone 8 code named Apollo will come after the Tango iteration of the mobile OS. This will bring lot of new features along with hardware changes, integration with the desktop version of Windows 8 and 100,000 applications at the launch time.

Hardware

WP8 or Apollo will add support for multicore processors like the desktop OS, four screen resolutions, details of the four are not known yet, and removable microSD card storage. NFC support allowing users to make mobile payments by simply tapping their phone, a mobile wallet experience.

Windows 8 integration

Integration with the Windows 8 is not just the UI but uses the same code as Windows 8 in PC and tablet. Developers can reuse the code while developing apps for both desktop and smartphone. In addition Zune desktop client is scrapped in favor of a syncing companion application and the Xbox companion app currently found on Windows phone 8 will have a client on Windows phone 8.

SkyDrive support for Windows Phone 8 provide a cloud storage solution for the phone and seamless syncing between the devices. SkyDrive already provides 25GB of free data storage online, which is ideal for storing documents, music as well as other files.

Apps

Microsoft will add native code support, which enables more powerful applications. porting of apps from iOS and Android will be much easier. Support for app-to-app communication. The camera is now based on lens apps, OEMs can skin the lens or overlaid with viewfinders.

Skype integration

Skype is integrating into the OS making it to behave almost identical to the regular non-VoIP telephony.

Data Management

A feature called DataSmart reduces and simplifies the tracking of data usage by offering a breakdown of data consumption. Local Scout feature of Bing Maps will enable the real-time location of nearby hotspots. WP8 uses proxy to feed pages to IE10 that will reduce the data consumption by whooping 30%.

Business Support

For business customers Microsoft will add native BitLocker encryption, 128 bit full disk encryption found on desktop versions. WP8 will also come with a ‘line of business applications’, businesses can deploy these applications behind their company firewalls.

These are pretty long list of changes to get Windows Phone 8 comparable to other phone OS. Perhaps more details might emerge from the Mobile World congress later this month.

Comments

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Trackbacks

  1. […] There is a confusion about whether Windows Phone 7 devices that are sold now will be upgraded to the next generation OS Windows Phone 8 codenamed “Apollo”. The confusion came from two different reports surfaced on a single day one from a Microsoft developer evangelist and another from unnamed sources. The first report published says that Microsoft developer evangelist Nuno Silva told that every Windows phone sold to date will get the update, not only the recent Windows Phones like Lumia series but older Windows Phones also will be upgraded to the next major release. The next major release of the WP is Windows Phone 8  Apollo. […]