14 DAY TRIAL // Windows Phone 8, Microsoft’s latest mobile operating system version, has some limitations when it comes to the hardware it can be loaded on, but it seems that these might soon be lifted and that higher-end devices could start emerging on shelves.
Some of the latest reports on the matter suggested that the company was getting ready for the inclusion of support for full HD screens in Windows Phone 8 before the end of this year, but it seems that more enhancements will be available for users.
According to an article on ZDNet, Microsoft is planning on including these features in the Windows Phone 8 GDR3 (General Distribution Release 3) update, which should arrive on devices in 2013, and will open the road to handsets that pack screens of 5 inches or larger.
Additionally, the support for higher resolution will be accompanied in said update by a series of changes to the home screen, which include the addition of a new column of apps to it.
Apparently, Microsoft decided to allow for more tiles to be added to the Start Screen, so as to ensure that it will continue to offer an appealing graphic experience even when loaded on devices with larger displays.
All these changes should make Windows Phone 8 more competitive on the market, as it will manage to catch up with Android, which is already present on a variety of high-end smartphones with 5-inch or larger 1080p screens.
Said news site also notes that Windows Phone 8 GDR3 will be followed by another major platform upgrade not long after release, one that will land on handsets as Windows Phone Blue.
This OS flavor might be launched in conjunction with an upgrade for Windows 8, it seems. Expected after Windows Blue arrives, the Windows Phone 8 update might be released in early 2014, rumor has it.
For the time being, however, no official confirmation on any of the above has been provided, though Microsoft might announce something in the not too distant future, so stay tuned.