14 DAY TRIAL // Yesterday, info on a leaked Windows Phone 8 SDK made it online ahead of an official announcement, providing enthusiasts with the possibility to learn some info on what the upcoming platform would have to offer.
Microsoft has already unveiled some details on its plans for the Windows Phone 8 OS, but it also said that many of the enhancements the platform will have to offer haven’t been yet unveiled.
The Windows Phone 8 Emulator included in the leaked SDK, however, provided some more info on the matter, MobileTechWorld reports.
There will be various changes brought to the user interface in the next platform release, as well as brand new features for users to take advantage of.
For example, we all knew that Windows Phone 8 would arrive with Internet Explorer 10 inside, which enables people to set the address bar button to open the tabs menu, favorites list or stop/refresh.
In Windows Phone 8, owners of such devices will be able to easily backup their personal files, including SMS messages, applications list, photos, music, videos, IE bookmarks and more.
There will also be Nokia’s Maps integrated in the platform, with 3D maps and all the features that are currently available for the company’s Lumia users, including map downloads for offline use.
The imaging capabilities of the operating system were improved as well, with a new camera app with Lens feature, and with an enhanced Photos Hub, now with the possibility to rotate and crop photos, or to select more images at the same time.
The Word, PowerPoint, and Excel Office applications were also improved in Windows Phone 8. There is also a new OneNote app included in the package, resembling the OneNote MX Metro-style app for Windows 8. All these apps will most probably come in line with the new Office 2013 suite.
The upcoming platform will also sport a new lock screen, along with Wallet and NFC capabilities, new options on the Storage screen and Ease of access settings, along with Company apps and Bing / Facebook suggestions.
Moreover, the Bing search screen suffered a series of modifications as well, enabling people to easily swipe it left or right, to reveal top headlines, local events, currently playing movies and top videos, the news site reports.
Chances are that Windows Phone 8 will arrive on shelves with some more new features and enhancements when compared to what the emulator had to unveil, so stay tuned for more on this.