Windows Phone 7
New details on Windows Phone 8 – code named Apollo – have been leaked, which include Windows 8 integration, NFC capabilities for mobile payments and improved control of data usage.
Pocket Now reports new details were revealed by Microsoft’s Windows Phone manager Joe Belfiore in a video intended for partners at Nokia.
Windows Phone 8 will support multicore processors, new screen resolutions and removable microSD card storage. Previous devices had to rely on internal memory and single-core processors.
It will support NFC, which will see Microsoft begin to embrace contactless payments through mobile phones. Mobile payments on Windows Phone 8 can be carrier branded and controlled by a secure element on the SIM card or through the phone’s hardware. Along with mobile payments, Windows Phone 8’s NFC capabilities will support tap-to-share data transfers between desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
Windows Phone 8 will use many of the same components as Windows 8, letting developers “reuse … most of their code” when porting an app from the desktop to the smartphone.
The Xbox app on Windows Phones will have a partner client on Windows 8 and the Skydrive app will offer seamless sharing between devices through the cloud without needing to sync the PC.
The new version of the mobile OS will allow for more powerful apps and an easier means of porting code from apps developed for iOS or Android. There will be support for app-to-app communication.
The OS will include ‘DataSmart,’ a feature which aims to reduce and help track data usage. It will give details on how much data is used and will prioritise Wi-Fi connections, locating nearby hotspots. There will also be native BitLocker encryption, aimed at enterprise users.
Windows Phone 8 is expected to arrive towards the end of the year.
