Microsoft unveils Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Update

Microsoft's keynote address at the Build 2014 conference unveiled the Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Update operating systems. Windows Phone 8.1 will be arriving in new smartphones as early as late-April and early-May, and rolling out to compatible phones 'in the coming months'. The Windows 8.1 Update will be available for free for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users on 8 April via Windows Update.

The announcements were made by Joe Belfiore VP Windows Phone program management and design, and Terry Myerson EVP operating systems, and other Microsoft executives.



Belfiore went on to unveil Windows Phone 8.1, a disclosure that unfortunately did not feature too many surprises - with numerous leaks over the past few months already having given us a fair idea of the new features. In fact, we may have seen more credible leaked features over the past few months, than the number of features Microsoft chose to unveil on Wednesday.

The Windows Phone 8.1 Action Center was shown off, the new swipe-down notification and settings pane that can be accessed by nearly anywhere in the OS - very similar of course, to the original implementation Android had pioneered.

Also shown off, was a bevy of lock screen personalisation features, coupled with APIs for developers to create widgets and themes for it, from aesthetic to functional. WP8.1 users will also have the ability to change the background for the Start screen. The additional rows of resizable Live Tiles were also shown off.



The Cortana voice-based virtual assistant follows in Siri's and Google Now's footsteps, and completely replaces search in Windows Phone 8.1. Apart from being summoned by the search function, Cortana also gets her own dedicated Live Tile. It will be released in beta mode.

Said to be powered by Bing, Cortana offers the regular range of voice-activated features - such as making calls and notes, sending messages, setting up alarms and calendar entries, performing searches, and all the regular stuff a voice-based virtual assistant should do. Microsoft stresses the ability of Cortana to understand natural language voice commands, and Belfiore gave a few examples.