Windows Phone 8 Feature Specifics Leaked ?

February 2, 2012 | By Pradeep

Pocketnow claims that a video appearing Joe Belfiore intended for partners at Nokia revealed no.of Windows Phone 8 features.

Here is a summary of them,

Hardware- Windows Phone 8 will support Multicore processors, Four screen resolutions (actual pixel counts weren’t specified), and removable microSD card storage. There will also be support for NFC as well.
Platform- Windows Phone 8 will allow developers “reuse — by far — most of their code” from Windows 8 and vice versa in their apps. Also Microsoft is planning for richer version of ActiveSync as a replacement for Zune client.
App Platform extension- Windows Phone 8 will support app-to-app communication, native Skype integration and allows camera app to be skinned by OEM’s. Windows Phone 8 will also add native code support.
Data Management – Windows Phone 8 will feature DataSmart, which aims to reduce, and simplify the tracking of, data usage. The phone will automatically connect to Wi-Fi hotspots when available and Bing Local scout can display local hotspots in maps.
Internet Explorer – Microsoft is planning for server side compression technique as used in Opera Mini, Kindle Fire Silk ,etc, .
Enterprise Support- Windows Phone 8 will get native BitLocker encryption .

Among the above features few surprises me as we are expecting most of the above. First, I doubt the “Four screen resolutions ” support that will make developers job hard for making applications. Second, the new Internet Explorer 10 featuring server side compression. I want an option to use normal mode and compressed mode! Third, the support for native code in Windows Phone 8. I don’t think Microsoft will support more than allowing C++ code in the platform that will make app porting easier for developers.

Anyway, If we get Apollo in September timeframe, it would be cool! What do you think ?

Read more of the above in detail at Pocketnow.

Update: Post updated with more info.

About Pradeep Viswav

Pradeep was a Microsoft Student Partner when he was pursuing his Computer Science & Engineering degree. He now works for a MNC. He is passionate about technology and loves to share his knowledge with people. People used to mention him as “A Geek who is not Nerd”. He was fascinated by the Metro Design language and Windows Phone which made him to follow and develop applications for it. Follow him at twitter.com/pradeepviswav

Tagged windows phone 8

Anonymous

And Verizon STILL won’t get any new Windows Phone devices. But the Bit Locker thing is cool. As well as SD card support.
rsgx

Impressive!

So, new kernel is confirmed then.

Bitlocker encryption, better client for connecting your phone and microsd support. Hell YES!
Avatar Roku

Do not like replacing Zune with ActiveSync. I still have bad Windows Mobile nightmares of ActiveSync.

rsgx

It is bound to be better than both Zune and ActiveSync ever were.

I do really like Zune, I won’t give it up in favour of anything unless WMP gets a Zune-like makeover in Win8.
Anonymous

Though it needs some improvements, I’m a big fan of the Zune client! It kicks iTunes’s ass!

I also agree that WMP sucks.

Maybe they are doing this just to get rid of the Zune name (which I don’t like) and the new ActiveSync will be pretty much just like Zune…

Anonymous

Zune is amazing as an Itunes competitor, but one should not need a dedicated app to sync content between the phone and computer. I’m guessing that WP8 will work as a “device” against Xbox and Windows 8 where you can simply right-click and “send to”.

But we’ll still need an app to manage things like media.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/CW3SETFCKRB5NRLX5QZK3EMRWY Joe

It says richer I think it will be more robust and carefully crafted. The first versions of AS wree very very buggy and a crapshoot to installl and work right the later iterations were getting better and far more stable., but evenb then there were occasional hiccups. I still will look forward to direct sync again with outlook. Maybe franklin covey will get on board again with plan plus for outlook with WP8 and Windows 8.

http://fxfp.com/ Alex F.

The original article “assumes” it will be reimagined ActiveSync – we have no idea if it will actually be ActiveSync or something brand new and better. I hope for the latter!!
Anonymous

I think Zune the client will be absorbed into native Windows 8 really if you think about it. The Metro interface is already there.

rsgx

I REALLY hope so. WMP has some features that Zune still lacks, but they should mrge the two and do away with one or the other. There is really no point in having multiple media players where you’re trying to create a unified ecosystem.

Zune on xbox, Zune on WP7, Zune on PC.

Anonymous

I’m with you. Save Zune!
http://www.jeffkibuule.com Jeff Kibuule

Dedicated syncing through an app. I think ActiveSync is the wrong word, more like the Windows Phone Connector for Mac.

Zune and Windows Media Player will go away and be combined into a new app.
Anonymous

I think you guys are thinking at it from the wrong perspective. Instead of thinking about ActiveSync from the old Windows Mobile days. Think of “ACTIVE” “SYNC” from the KIN days and that has me excited.

Oscar Mejia

How is this going to compete with Apple’s 10.7.3 OS….or on a tablet running ICS….Windows is in trouble. Again.
Emi Cyberschreiber

wow WP8 sounds amazing!! i like the 2nd point since it will help make apps really fast for Windows 8 and then WP8. which will help grow marketplace faster and better! no more “we cant make it because Windows phone doesn’t have enough marketshare” since Windows has alot of marketshare.
http://fxfp.com/ Alex F.

I’m excited!

Hopefully this means that WinRT will be available on both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. This would make a lot of sense.

http://fxfp.com/ Alex F.

And inter-app communication (assuming it is the same as in Windows will be fantastic things to have. I hope they did not forget about file format handlers API (so that custom file formats can be downloaded in IE or attached to e-mail).

http://twitter.com/danrivhor Daniel Rivero Horie

With this, I’m afraid this is not going to be WP year but when WP8 is released

http://fxfp.com/ Alex F.

I’m 100% sure it will be released in the fall of 2012.

Anonymous

all i want to know wether or not verizon will pick up any WP8 phons so i can get one.

http://www.searingarrow.com AlienSix

Sprint probably wont

http://fxfp.com/ Alex F.

By the way, “four screen resolutions” does not necessary mean 4 sets of graphic assets – some of them might be just a 1/2 version of the others.

Anonymous

Alex, Windows Phone is Vector Based. Everything except the appbar icons and loading splash. Games on the other hand will probably be affected quite a bit.

http://fxfp.com/ Alex F.

Yeah, I know – I’m a WP7 dev. I had games in mind (hence ‘assets’).

Anonymous

“video appearing Joe Belfiore intended for partners at Nokia “.

Eldar Murtazin who leaked the video was probably
Anonymous

All good news. But I am also taking away, MS is killing or replacing the Zune brand?

IE Server side compression, finally, about time.

The news of four screen resolutions is not that surprising, as I remember reading there are plans for HD support and the one with QWERTY keyboard (sort of BB for business users). As much as we all love the OS, MS clearly needs to catch up on the hardware specs as well. Not every first time smartphone buyer is as sophisticated as WP7 users are.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Milad-Bazzaz/100000479683479 Milad Bazzaz

very nice…actually quite the most of that was expected.

I can confirm the SD card support. I know this from Nokia directly. They want to make cheap phones but don’t intend to cripple them by only 2 or 4 GB. So SD support was pushed by Nokia.

Anyway, everything sounds good. The thing that I absolutely consider MUST are

backup tool (local + skydrive)
outlook support
better hardware support

so this activesync thing remains to be seen…I actually was never bothered by lack of external drive on the PC…I thought Zune is an amazing software to sync music and podcasts. The thing that sucks about zune is that it is very very limited in functionality. I wouldn’t have a problem if Zune would support external drive for syncing “folders” on the PC for example.

So I’m very interested to see how that works out. They have to make it easy and it has to work EVERY single time…EVERY single time. I remember ActiveSync being a major pain for a lot of people, not recognizing phones etc.

keeping fingers crossed…come on MS, be amazing
Anonymous

Goodnews
http://profiles.google.com/courtlandre Court Kuehne

Ragerding multiple screen resolutions, it’s not such a big deal for windows phone as it uses hardware scaling. As long as the back buffer is set correctly, the program will look the same at any resolution (obviously there will be some small issues).

http://profiles.google.com/wdmsagefire Robert Potter

More than small issues:
1) Different aspect ratios means either forced borders or stretching. Ick.
2) Non base-2 scaling factors will mean an image-based fonts and a lot of images in general will look terrible

Anonymous

I like everything except for switching Zune client for Activesync.
http://twitter.com/bufbarnaby Joe

This is huge ! Like OMG , they are SERIOUS , HUGE.
http://twitter.com/bronzekid91 Maximilian Hernandez

im still waiting for them to finally buy RIM , i mean common they can use their amazing hardware and take queues from their BBX software

http://fxfp.com/ Alex F.

Amazing hardware? But it is shite!
I work for mobile software company and BB hardware is the most unreliable and faulty out of everything we have.

Anonymous

If Windows Phone 8 doesn’t become a huge success I will lose all faith in the world. If they do all this it’ll be the perfect phone platform.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JFRSB7FFT2UK2MD4VIW7O5IRUQ kim

Glad that Zune is discontinued. It’s a lovely software, but I don’t find logical to be obliged to use a dedicated app to sync my library. Zune means my device is mainly bound to a specific PC, which is not convenient at all.