The platform upgrade to be released for developers very soon

Jul 27, 2014 21:04 GMT  ·  By

Soon, owners of Windows Phone 8.1 devices out there will receive the first major operating system update, long said to be released either as WP8.1 GDR1 or Update 1, and the software appears to have been already detailed on Microsoft’s Dev Center website.

As reported yesterday, Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1 was spotted on said portal in OEM documentation, which suggested that device makers might have already received access to it, but details on what it would have to offer were not available at the time.

However, it seems that the list of changes that this platform upgrade will have to offer has already emerged online, confirming some of the previous rumors on the matter.

A recent post on nokiapoweruser notes that Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1 will indeed be deployed on smartphones with support for Native Folder creation on the Start Screen, all through simply dragging and dropping Live Tiles over one another.

Moreover, support for VoLTE (Voice over LTE) will also be included in the update, along with support for 1280 x 800 pixels displays, as well as for native qHD (960 x 540 pixels) resolutions, it seems.

On top of that, the new software refresh will allow for the platform to be loaded on devices with screens of up to 7 inches that can deliver a 1280 x 768 WXGA resolution.

Support for Network Time protocol and for dual-SIM GSM + CDMA network capabilities will also be included in the update, along with the option to create a phonebook entry for Cortana to enable integration with a car’s navigation system.

Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1 will also add a medium Live Tile for the Store, and will provide manufacturers with the possibility to change the Start Tile layout in some cases.

On devices with SD cards, OEMs will be able to block or disable the use of the card for OS updates. Moreover, manufacturers will have the option to show or hide the “auto scan for updates” setting on the phone.

The new platform iteration will also arrive with support for entity extraction in the Messaging app (shared with the Email app), and allows manufacturers to add phone cover apps, similar to those present on other platforms.

What this means is that phone makers such as HTC and LG, which have released such covers for their Android-based smartphones, might bring them to future Windows Phone devices too.

One other change in Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1 is related to the Voicemail app. When calling a voicemail number, users will see the number displayed beneath the Voicemail, but the feature can be disabled in the upcoming update.

Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 is expected to start rolling out to users in August-September, but it might be released as part of the Preview for Developers program first, which means that we could see it landing very soon, maybe before the end of this week.