On October 29th Windows Phone 8 was officially launched. But, what is it? Wasn’t Windows Phone already on the market? Are we changing everything again?
It is a combination of everything and I believe it would be better to start with a brief introduction before going into some of its characteristics.
Windows Phone has been on the market since 2010 and its current version is 7.8, although only a few know of the upgrades of 7, 7.5 Mango and 7.5 Tango. Following the launch of its already classic and well-known operating system - Windows 8 -, Microsoft has also launched a new Windows version for mobile devices. So much so, that this new version differs from its predecessor in many aspects and brings up the so-called “fragmentation” problem that are already present in Android. According to its main distinctive features, WP8 is prepared to and designed for dual-core processors, something that users have been demanding for a long time. So far, the newest equipment available launched this year* (e.g. Nokia Lumia 900) are not dual-core. The recently launched Lumia 920, which includes WP8, has a Qualcom dual-core. Generally speaking, fragmentation problems cause almost no impact on users, since they all expect to change their equipment for a better and faster one. However, these problems demand regular applications upgrades and tests in different platforms for developers and companies.
In my opinion, these new version offers original features and I consider it an achievement since Microsoft was a bit "late" in entering the mobile market.
Let’s see now some of its most important characteristics:
Data Sense
As part of its operative system, WP8 includes network consumption control with any server we have, plan setting and alarms. So far so good. But when Data Sense is on, it works on data together with new IE10, which reduces transfer and speed rates significantly. Apart from that, Data Sense automatically checks for nearby Wi-Fi Spots and, if so, reroutes traffic to them. According to Microsoft, Data Sense decreases data plan consumption by as much as 45%.
Kid's Corner
Behind this function lies the idea of kids using mobile devices without parents worrying as regards which applications they use or games they play, the so-called “parental control”. According to local statistics, 66% of parents let their children use mobile devices. Microsoft promotes this feature as easy-to-use, with the possibility of quickly setting the games, applications and pictures that are available and those which block the device, or even select the image for each application. Paid applications and the store remain unavailable, so parents don’t need to worry about the card. Kids can customize the screen, the wallpaper and even include their names. When Kid’s Corner is closed, the device goes back to its usual configuration.
Wallet
Microsoft adds an application where not only can the user safely save their credit card data, but also use them via NFC. This app is linked with others so as to show available offers and shops, as well as providing account summaries and consumption history.
Microsoft shows great progress here and provides a good opportunity for new developments and business with this innovative feature, also giving Microsoft the chance to compete against Apple platform. It’s been at least two years since Android equipments from Samsung included NFC technology, thus launching to fame platforms such as Google Wallet, iPhone 5 and iOS 6. Users still wonder: when will Apple “become friends” with this standard?
“Live” lock screen
It isn’t the most original of functions, but it presents some differences with Android system. Live lockscreens have tiles with information of different data apps such as news or sports, together with a list of unread e-mails and received messages. Apparently, it won’t be just an animated wallpaper which only consumes battery like Android’s, but it will be something useful.
Rooms
This appears to be an innovative concept in the mobile devices world, but in some way it already exists in social networks like Google+. In the contacts hub there is a new access or section called “together”, which allows the user to create different Rooms among available users:
Room Chat: A chat between the members of a room. Everyone can see messages and, with the new “location” service, where each of them is.
Shared Calendar: Each Room has a shared calendar which can be seen and updated by any member of the group. If a member updates anything, this is synchronized in every member’s equipment.
Shared Photo Album: It gives members of a group the possibility of sharing pictures and videos. Users only need to upload a picture and it will be available only for the group members.
Shared Notes: By using the famous Office “Notes”, users can share these with the rest of the group.
There a lot more of interesting innovations and integrated components of Windows Phone 8, but I don’t want to expand on them too much. I hope you like this post and, hopefully, I will continue with this topic in the future.
References:
http://www.wpcentral.com/keep-track-data-usage-data-sense-windows-phone-8
http://www.wpcentral.com/kids-corner-windows-phone-8
http://www.wpcentral.com/introducing-windows-phone-8-wallet
http://www.wpcentral.com/live-wallpapers-revealed-windows-phone-8-facebook-espn-usa-today-and-bing
http://www.wpcentral.com/windows-phone-8-rooms-feature
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