14 DAY TRIAL // Windows Phone 8.1, the next major flavor of Microsoft’s mobile operating system, is expected to arrive on devices with a Notifications Center, and new leaked photos with it are now available online.
Apparently, the upcoming version will also include actionable notifications, at least this is what screenshots of an alleged build 8.10.12166.0 show. The authenticity of these images cannot be verified, so take them with a grain of salt.
Said leaked photos come from the Windows Phone Central forums, and show a feature that was already known to arrive on the platform.
Expected to land on devices only next year, Windows Phone 8.1 should sport sortable items in the App list, as well as a new battery display option.
One of the available screenshots with the upcoming platform release shows the aforementioned app list with sortable items, which should enable users to organize apps based on name, frequency of use, and other criteria.
In Windows Phone 8.1, users will be able to tap on the double-arrow button in the upper right corner of the screen to access these options.
As far as actionable notifications are concerned, they should prove an enhancement for the current Toast notifications, WPCentral explains. Devs will receive access to them in Windows Phone 8.1 SDK.
Through them, users will be able to respond to a message straight from the notification, dismiss a Skype call, and perform other actions as well.
Furthermore, there will also be ghost notifications included in the platform, but they will go straight to the Notifications Center, without requiring user interaction.
One other enhancement that Windows Phone 8.1 will arrive with is a Show Battery percentage option in the Battery settings. This will show the percentage of battery in the task bar, it seems.
Apparently, Microsoft is set to make the new OS flavor official in January, and should release the accompanying SDK in February, most probably at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.