Microsoft has already sent out invitations for a sneak peek into the next iteration of its Windows Phone operating system and the date has been set to June 20, which is a fortnight from now. Dubbed Apollo, the next version of Windows Phone has already garnered a lot of interest amongst users, developers and competitors alike, as it may truly unleash the potential of Windows Phone devices. Now, a couple of user interface screenshots have leaked showing the upcoming features of Windows 8. First up, Skype will be integrated by default and an image of the caller pops up with the option to answer it with or without video and Skype chat can be started from the user’s profile as well. Secondly, as reported, the camera UI seems to have undergone a slight change. The interface is simplistic with a zoom setting bar on the left and an option to switch between front and back cameras, along with an unidentifiable button. Data usage monitoring is also going to be an integral part of Windows Phone 8 and it can be accessed via live tiles as well.
This will be the next major release by Microsoft and will be dubbed as Windows Phone 8.0. The new release is eagerly anticipated as it has been confirmed that Apollo will include a multi-core CPU, along with backward compatibility with the existing Windows Phone 7.5 applications.
Windows Phone 7 had a couple of limitations from the hardware point of view – display resolutions of 480 x 800, microSD card support, NFC support, TV out and so on, which may not be a big deal individually really, but all accumulated together did give Windows Phone 7 a few negative marks. Even on the software side, recording was limited to 720p and UI customizations weren’t aplenty. We aren’t particularly complaining about the user interface. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the UI, but sometimes users would want that slight amount of customization that might alter the look and feel of your phone. A desktop wallpaper, an alternate launcher, or simply minor tweaks in the layout means that you would never get tired of the tile interface and have one more option to choose from.
At present, the general consensus has been that in terms of user interface and overall look and feel, Windows Phone is second to none, but when it comes to App support, hardcore specs and other nitty gritties, it’s being dwarfed by the competition. Well, Microsoft did arrive late to the smartphone party to be fair to them, but with Windows Phone 8 Apollo, everybody has a lot more expectations. Will Microsoft come out all guns blazing with Windows Phone 8? We’ll know for sure soon.
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