Microsoft hasn’t given us all the information about Windows Phone 8 so far, but some of the biggest news has already been shared.
Among other things, you will be able to change the size of individual tiles on the home screen. For example, if you want to see more information from Facebook or your e-mail, the tiles for these programs can be made larger than the others.
Another big news is expanded functionality for business users and IT administrators. It will now be easier for administrators at companies to manage a large number of employee phones. All information on the phone will also be encrypted.
The software for the camera has also received an update for the better. Windows Phone 8 lets you take panoramic photos, and there’s even a timer so you can take selfies without having to use the inferior front-facing camera.
Another fun function is “Smart group shot”, which means that the camera can take a series of pictures in a group picture. Windows Phone 8 can then merge the best of the different photos into a perfect group photo.
NFC is also a big new feature in Windows Phone 8. A feature you can use to send information between two Windows Phone 8 phones just by holding them close to each other. There is also an electronic wallet so you can store your credit cards and discount cards on the phone.
The maps have also been replaced with Nokia’s map service, which offers turn-by-turn navigation and support for maps even if you don’t have internet coverage.
Windows Phone 8 also has support for Microsoft’s new music service, Xbox Music Service, which competes with services such as Spotify and Apple’s iTunes store.
At the same time as Microsoft launches Windows Phone 8, several new phones and prices are also expected to be announced.
The phones that are released first
Nokia
Nokia’s new flagship, the Lumia 920, was already launched at the beginning of September, but the company has neither stated the price nor the availability of the new model. Nokia will also release a simpler model with Windows Phone 8 called the Lumia 820 at the same time.
HTC
HTC announced in September that the company will release the two models Windows Phone 8X and Windows Phone 8S. Here, too, there is no information about price and availability.
Samsung
Samsung has also confirmed that the company is releasing a phone with Windows Phone 8 called Altiv S. The new model will be released in Sweden sometime in November with an approximate price of SEK 5,000.