Windows Phone 8.1

Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8.1 mobile operating system will soon offer support for even better hardware, NokiaPowerUser suggests, as evidence in Windows Phone 8.1 GDR 2 apparently indicates that 2K displays and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 805 chip may be found inside future high-end handsets. Thus, future Lumia handsets and other Windows Phones may offer the same set of specs expected from upcoming Android flagship handsets. More →

Among the many other cool things that Microsoft showed off at its Build conference this week, one that really caught our eye was a new Windows Phone 8.1 feature called WordFlow that the company says enables faster touchscreen typing than any other smartphone platform in the world. On Friday Microsoft published a video showing its research team successfully using WordFlow to break the Guinness Book of World Records’ official mark for fastest typing on a touchscreen display by typing a 126-letter sentence on a WordFlow-equipped Nokia phone in just 18.44 seconds, breaking the old record of 20.53 seconds. Even if Microsoft’s team hadn’t broken the record, you can clearly see from the video that the new keyboard tech lets you type at an insanely fast rate, which by itself is a major feather in Windows Phone 8.1’s cap. The full video follows below. More →

Microsoft’s extensive presentation at the Build Developer Conference on Wednesday was packed with information, but the company was unwilling to share many firm release dates. Although the launch of Windows Phone 8.1 is expected within the next few weeks, an engineering email published on Neowin reveals that Microsoft plans to have the final software ready to roll out to developers on April 14th. More →

Microsoft on Wednesday took the wraps off Windows Phone 8.1, the latest version of its mobile operating system that it hopes will help spark more demand for its mobile products. Among other things Microsoft announced that Indian vendor Micromax would be making low-cost Windows Phones, which should help Windows Phone gain some traction in emerging markets versus Android. Among other things, Windows Phone 8.1 ads a pull-down Action Center that gives Windows Phone users quick access to key settings and mobile apps. More →

In addition to Windows 8.1 and Windows 9 news, Windows Phone 8.1 will be one of Microsoft’s major announcements at Build 2014 this week, with the company expected to unveil the new features of the upcoming smartphone operating system update and launch plans. ZDNet says that Windows Phone 8.1 may have been already released to manufacturing, with Nokia expected to unveil this week a new Lumia handset running the new OS. More →

Microsoft definitely plans on releasing Windows Phone 8.1 because the company has already listed the next version of its mobile operating system on its Windows Phone website. WPCentral first spotted a Windows Phone 8.1 section under the Features menu, however, the company must have published the section by mistake because it’s not available anymore. More →