14 DAY TRIAL // Good news for Windows Phone 8.1 early adopters, as Microsoft has just delivered a new version of Xbox Music application in the Store. The latest update that’s been applied should make it much more responsive and faster.
Xbox Music for Windows Phone 8.1 has been a mess since the Developer Preview was released, but the Xbox Music Team promised regular updates that would further improve the application’s functionality.
Unfortunately, there’s so much work to be done that Microsoft has already reached update number six and the application still needs a lot of polishing. Thumbs up, though, for the Xbox Music Team and they will to deliver these regular updates once per week, as previously promised.
The sixth update for Xbox Music for Windows Phone 8.1 that’s been released recently promises to improve the application’s stability and performance, but some bugs have been addressed as well.
Keep in mind that this update will bump Xbox Music to version 2.6.123.0, so make sure you have this iteration on your phone if you want to take advantage of the new improvements.
Speaking of which, the Xbox Music Team confirmed the latest update improves the way the application behaves under poor connectivity conditions. In addition, the download error handling has been enhanced as well so that messages are less frequent and clearer now.
Developers also introduced a new feature that will make it possible for the application to update user’s music collection from the flash or SD card in the background, when the phone is charging.
But there’s more good news, as Microsoft addressed no less than 70 functional bugs. Among them, here are some of the few notable issues confirmed to be fixed in this version:
- Unexpected playlist/playlist item duplications appearing; - Downloads not resuming after a network connection was lost and regained; - Purchased songs appearing twice in the collection; - Showing “looking for music” when nothing had changed.
Obviously, the work will continue and Windows Phone 8.1 users should expect a new update for Xbox Music to arrive next week. Here are some things to look forward to in future releases:
- Performance – we’re continuing to invest in improving the responsiveness of the app; - Live Tile support; - Kid’s Corner support; - General UX improvements.
You can now download Xbox Music for Windows Phone 8.1 2.6.123.0 for free via Windows Phone Store. Keep in mind that the application is only compatible with devices powered by Windows Phone 8.1 and up.