With Android and iOs devices dropping into the market like there is no tomorrow, Microsoft’s Windows has come up with a tiny yet huge update Windows 8.1 operating system. Set to launch in the coming months on existing handsets and packed into upcoming models, Windows Phone 8.1 looks and sounds like much more than a “point update.” This could have easily been dubbed “Windows Phone 9.” Here’s what’s new and different in Windows Phone 8.1
Cortana : As Google has its Google Now , the ios has its Siri the windows phone had to come out with something. Their answer to the world comes with Cortana. voice-powered tool, like scheduling reminders, setting up alarms and translating voice to text. But Microsoft has baked in support for third-party apps, too, like Facebook, Hulu and Skype. You can post a status or initiate a call with a voice command and she’ll do it for you.
Action Center : To catch up to its competitors, Windows have finally come up with the action centre to toggle wifi, Bluetooth & flight mode etc. You’ll also see notifications from all of your apps within Action Center, in case you missed them on their Live Tiles.
More personalised tiles : This feature allows users to choose a single image that will appear across and behind all of their Live Tiles, sort of like a sliced up photo. However, this effect only applies to a certain number of tiles
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Additional improvements :
On top of these marquee upgrades, Microsoft fleshed out its Data Sense, Wi-Fi Sense, Storage Sense and Battery Saver tools to grant more control over those aspects of your phone. Of course, they’re all designed to save, whether that be saved battery life, saved storage, or saved data.
Plus, you can now project the contents of your phone’s display to a PC, TV or projector over USB as well as Miracast on some supported devices. Xbox Music has been refreshed as well, separating music, video and podcasts into dedicated apps with additional functionality.
There’s plenty more to see in Windows Phone 8.1, like improvements to Internet Explorer 11 (such as InPrivate browsing), Calendar (like a week view option) and further syncing between your Windows 8 and Windows Phone devices (right down to the color scheme). So, yeah, it will be worth the upgrade.
– By Burhan Fatehi
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