TECH SPECIAL..8 Features That Define Windows Phone 8

8 Features That Define Windows Phone 8

With Windows Phone 8, Microsoft has managed to get the same platform running on computers, tablets and phones. highlight some of the hot new features of the newest mobile operating system

Better Hardware
Windows Phone 8 adds support for multicore processors (dual core/quad core) with Qualcomm being the exclusive chipset manufacturer. Initial devices will come with 1.7Ghz dual core processors (Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Plus) with Adreno225/305 graphics. Another significant hardware addition is support for external storage via microSD cards. A major gripe, all current Windows Phone devices are limited to the internal memory and do not have a microSD card slot.
Enhanced Apps Built from the ground up, Windows Phone 8 has a shared architecture with the Windows 8 desktop operating system. This allows apps which are initially developed for Windows 8 desktop to be easily ported for Windows Phone 8. Obviously, this opens up possibilities for exponential growth of the Windows Phone Marketplace. You can expect to see high-end games like Halo and Skyrim for Windows Phone 8 — plus many apps that can work in tandem with their desktop counterpart over the Internet. Microsoft has also categorically stated that all existing Windows Phone 7.5 apps will work with Windows Phone 8 from day 1 — so you don't have to worry about losing your favourite apps or waiting for them to be compatible with the new operating system. New Preloaded Apps
Internet Explorer 10 (IE10), Skype and Nokia Drive (previously limited to Nokia devices only) will be pre-loaded on all Windows Phone 8 devices. Essentially, Microsoft has replaced Bing Maps with Nokia’s more advanced mapping solution that uses Navteq maps and supports offline navigation. This means that with any Windows Phone 8 device, you will get free, turn-by-turn, voice-guided navigation for over 110 countries using Nokia Drive. New Start Screen
On the home screen, each live tile can be individually resized (with a choice of small, medium and double wide sizes). The empty space on the right side of the Start screen on Windows Phone 7.5 can be used to place live tiles in Windows Phone 8. You also get more colour options for the tiles and each tile can be assigned a unique colour. This makes it easy to keep track of new notifications across multiple apps without the need to scroll up/down.
Background Multitasking Improving on the already excellent multitasking aspect of Windows Phone 7.5, Microsoft has added the ability of background running apps. For instance, VOIP (data) and video calls can now run in the background allowing you to do other tasks such as web browsing or checking mails/messages. Location-based apps will also get background support — you can set a route for a particular destination in the maps application — even if you get a call in between, the app will continue to monitor your location in the background and resume with your current route as soon as the call is over.
Enterprise Ready
The new OS has enhanced security with Bitlocker encryption and better protection against hacking/ malware. IT administrators wil have more control over the device — they can push apps without the need to go to the Marketplace. A new 'Company Hub' control panel gives administrators the power to push alerts and list recommended apps on the device. Additionally, Office for Windows Phone is also being beefed-up for enterprises, though no specific details were shared on this aspect.
Better Display Windows Phone 8 adds support for higher resolution displays (1280 x 768 and 1280 x 720 pixels). This will enable devices with larger screen sizes (possibly even larger than 4.3-inches) which you should see soon after launch. Thankfully, all the existing apps will not need to be upgraded for a device with a larger screen — the operating system will automatically scale up any apps for an optimized viewing experience. Focus on NFC
NFC (Near Field Communication) is set to play a major role in Windows Phone 8. With a new feature called 'Tap + Send', any content on the device can be quickly shared with other NFC-enabled Windows 8 devices (phones, tablets or computers). It can also be used to import contact information from an NFC-enabled business card or to create a private network for multiplayer gaming. What happens to existing users of Windows Phone 7.5?
    Windows Phone 8 is new from the ground up. Which means that the operating system is incompatible with all existing hardware. Unfortunately, this means that your existing Windows Phone device will not get the upgrade. It also means that new apps specifically written for Windows Phone 8 will not be backwards compatible with Windows Phone 7/7.5. Microsoft should expect a lot of flak for this, especially from all the early adopters who will now have to change devices. However, Microsoft obviously hopes to pacify a section of existing users, which explains the announcement of Windows Phone 7.8. This way, the biggest immediate upgrade — the new home screen with customizable live tiles — will be available on all existing devices. Like with Windows Phone 8, the home screen of Windows Phone 7.8 will make use of the phone's entire screen, rather than leaving a blank 'gutter' along the side. Plus, you will be able to modify tile sizes (small, medium and double wide) & change colours of individual tiles. Not many other details are known. The good news is that the update will be delivered directly to all devices, bypassing both service providers and phone manufacturers. You will be able to just connect to a Wi-Fi network and download the update directly to your device. No official announcement has been made on the availibility, but you can expect the update to be available before the year is out.

Hitesh Raj Bhagat & Karan Bajaj ET120625