Windows Phone 8: Impressive Update, But Not For Everyone

Yesterday evening Microsoft presented Windows Phone 8 Apollo, the next version of its smartphone OS. And it looks like Microsoft has brought itself up to speed in every respect with this latest version.

After unveiling the 'Surface' Windows 8 tablet earlier this week, Microsoft is back with Apollo. It seems that, in the space of a week, Microsoft has got back into the game, even if only for the interest that these recent announcements have provoked. Apollo—otherwise known as Windows Phone 8—isn't just about software either, as the Microsoft presentation also included some exciting new hardware developments.

In fact, the hardware has taken a giant leap forwards, which is first and foremost a question of catching up with Android and iOS. Windows Phone 8 has therefore finally been updated to handle multi-core processors—the first handsets will run on dual-core processors.


Resolution has thankfully been boosted too with two new resolutions unofficially called "720p" and "720p+"—which are actually a 15:9-format 1280 x 768 pixel screen and a 16:9-format 1280 x 720 pixel screen.

New Windows handsets are due to come with a microSD card slot too. After all, 25 GB of free SkyDrive cloud-based storage wasn't really enough of a reason to limit the capacities of Windows Phones.

Finally, NFC will also be supported by the updated OS. This contactless payment technology is accompanied with a Wallet function in the OS (a bit like Google Wallet), which will apparently be managed by Orange for the European launch.

Nokia Maps

Wallet aside, software updates in the new OS include a reworked homescreen. This vertically scrolling screen is effectively the phone's desktop and now offers more possibilities for user customisation—you can even adjust the size and shape of the shortcut buttons. You may also have noticed that the Windows Phone 8 homescreen looks very similar to Metro for Windows 8.

The Maps app has been given a facelift thanks to none other than Nokia. In fact, the excellent, free Nokia Maps turn-by-turn navigation system that even works offline will be now partially available on Windows Phone 8 handsets made by any manufacturer. A Windows Phone 8 processor in another brand's phone won't have 100% access to Nokia Maps, but the technology that will be available should still make a great improvement!

Maps will work as a "semi-widget" as you'll be able to follow a route on part of the homescreen, with Maps covering the width of the screen and allowing you to zoom in on your location. 


Web browsing is still catered for by Internet Explorer, but this time it's version 10. Microsoft was keen to point out that a Windows Phone 8 mobile would be faster for web browsing than an iPhone 4S or a Samsung Galaxy S3, according to the series of benchmark tests they carried out with Sunspider, but we'll see about that. Upgrading to WP8 and IE10 also brings Javascript support that's four times faster than with WP7.5, with performances promised to be on par with those of a home PC.

Microsoft has followed Apple's Siri and Samsung's S-Voice, with its own Speech voice assistant function. When twinned with Audible, which can be downloaded from MarketPlace, voice control can be used in a whole load of applications (skipping tracks or e-book pages/chapters). Note that Microsoft is now boasting 100,000 apps available for download in MarketPlace.



Nokia was on hand to present a new load of software functions for Windows Phone 8 that'll also be coming to its Lumia Windows Phone 7.5 handsets (800/900/710/610). Nokia Maps (partly available in all Windows Phone 8 mobiles) and Nokia Drive have been updated for greater interactivity and day-to-day intelligence. For example, the phone will be able to memorise a regular journey, such as home-to-work, so it can warn you whether you'll need to leave five minutes early due to heavy traffic by flashing up a notification on the homescreen.

On top of that, the Finnish phone-maker has added Play To, for simple multimedia file sharing and Smart Group Shot that analyses photos and lets you select the best facial expression for each person.

From Windows 8 to Windows Phone 8

So how will this new OS integrate with Windows 8? Both platforms share a great deal of data and code, and Microsoft has confirmed that both systems have an identical kernel and drivers. In other words, a game available on Windows Phone 7.5, updated to Windows Phone 8, could then be made compatible with Windows 8 in a matter of 48 hours. To illustrate this interoperability, a demo of the game Marble Maze (a 3D game where you move a marble around using the accelerometer) was shown simultaneously on a Windows 8 tablet and a prototype Windows Phone 8 device.


Plus, you'll be able to port games from a Windows Phone 8 mobile to devices on Windows 8, and vice versa. Apollo is compatible with DirectX and several Havok technologies (the demos were impressive) for boosted gaming.

The homescreens in both OS clearly look very similar, as you can see above.

All the onstage demos were carried out with a prototype Windows Phone 8 mobile made by Nokia, while the Windows 8 tablet prototype was made by Samsung. No sign of the Surface here, then.

Another bit of good news for Microsoft (and for anyone who isn't a fan of Nokia), is that Samsung and HTC still have faith in the Windows Phone system and will be outing Windows Phone 8 handsets for the system's launch, which is due around the same time as Windows 8 (autumn 2012). Huawei has also joined the party and Qualcomm is again announced as exclusive processor provider. For the moment, there's no sign of Acer and there's obviously nothing from LG, which announced its partners in May. An SDK will be available for developers this summer.

No Full Update for Windows Phone 7.5 Handsets!

Current Windows Phone users may be disappointed with Apollo's rather limited compatibility with their mobiles, including the Nokia Lumia range. For starters, only Windows Phone 7.5 applications have been guaranteed compatible with Windows Phone 8. Plus, phones on Windows Phone 7.5 Mango won't get a full OS upgrade but just a few new functions from Windows Phone 8, including the reworked homescreen, in the forthcoming Windows Phone 7.8 update. And it gets worse—apps developed for Windows Phone 8 won't be supported on phones running Windows Phone 7.5.


All in all, Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 pave the way for a future Windows world in which interaction and interoperability are the watchwords. A highly segmented Windows market should reach out to a maximum number of users, while manufacturers should keep shelves stocked with a good choice of devices. In this respect, Windows Phone 8 looks like more of a rival for Apple and its iOS than Android currently is. By the end of the year, we could see the dawn of a real battle of the ecosystems!