Windows Phone 8 / Apollo OS Feature
Fresh from a Surface tablet introduction, Microsoft just released the details for its upcoming Windows Phone 8 / Apollo OS for mobile phones. It will be available this last quarter together with Windows 8 OS and Surface tablet.This phone OS update will complete the shared ecosystem with Windows 8 for PCs / tablets. Developers will only do minimal coding for their apps to be compatible with the two systems. It is interesting how can they show PC gaming on mobile phones with WP8. Perhaps, what I'm eagerly waiting is how I can use Windows 8 tablet / laptop with WP8 phone.
The features include:
1. A new start screen
2. Support for muti-core processors, new screen resolutions, removable micro SD
3. DirectX and Direct3D support
4. Shared core and API with Windows 8
5. Skype calls
6. Wallet thru NFC on the sim
7. Nokia maps with offline support
8. Enterprise features for business
9. IE 10 buit-in
10. Encryption
11. SQLite
12. Background location (new multi-tasking feature)
13. Voice / speech enhancement.
1. The new start screen
2. Nokia maps added features.
3. Nokia drive
4. Nokia Music 3
5. Camera added features.
It is not clear yet if Windows Phone 7.8 will include the new APIs and native code, VOIP, wallet, new multi-tasking features, but the new apps made specifically for Windows Phone 8 will not run on Windows Phone 7.x phones. Bummer! Obviously, Microsoft failed to impress current Mango users as they will not be able to fully enjoy new software features of WP8. It is fully understandable that on the hardware side. I will just sell my HTC Radar and buy that cool Surface table and WP8 phone combo later this year :)
