Microsoft has officially announced Windows Phone 8, in San Francisco today. The new Windows Phone 8 experience will offer re-sizable tiles, customizable colors, & live updates, and more.
This release of Windows Phone will have the Windows Core. It will be based on the rock-solid core of Windows 8 operating system. This would mean that both would share common networking, security, media and web browser technology, and a common file system, translating in better performance, more features, and new opportunities for app developers and hardware makers to innovate faster.
Windows Phone 8 will support encryption, secure boot, device management, as well as enterprise app deployment. This will especially interest the business user. It will also support NFC and offer the most complete wallet experience on any smartphone.
The new Start Screen offers a new palette of theme colors and three sizes of Live Tiles, all of which can be customized.
Other Features:
- Multi-core processor support
- Bigger, sharper screens. It will support two new screen resolutions – 1280×768 and 1280×720.
- It supports removable MicroSD cards
- NFC wireless sharing. This emerging wireless technology lets phones share things over short distances.
- Internet Explorer 10
- Windows Phone 8’s new Digital Wallet feature does two great things. It can keep debit and credit cards, coupons, boarding passes, and other important info right at your fingertips. And when paired with a secure SIM from your carrier, you can also pay for things with a tap of your phone at compatible checkout counters.
- Better maps and directions with built-in Nokia mapping.
- Windows Phone Marketplace already has 100,000 apps and games now. Expect to see cooler apps and games.
Check out these cool screenshots of Windows Phone 8.
Windows Phone 8 is expected to be available some time in 2012 Q4 – probably just after Windows 8 is released.
Will Windows Phone 7 users get Windows Phone 8 as an update?” The answer is – No. But Windows Phone 7.8 looks neat too!
