Windows 8 Phone

Windows Phone 8 shared core

At the Windows Phone Developer Summit 2012, Microsoft is laying out details about Windows Phone 8 codenamed Apollo.
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Some of the details:

• Windows Phone 8 “this holiday” will ship with a “shared core” with Windows 8 (no surprise).
• That means a bunch of stuff: kernel, networking, multimedia, driver support will be shared between the two platforms.
• Hardware wise, this should mean a wider ranges of form factors, price points, and capabilities.
• Manufacturers will be able to re-use the same hardware drivers they build for Windows 8 on Windows Phone 8.
• Windows Phone 8 will support multi-core chipsets – Dual core and many more.
• New Windows Phone 8 resolutions - 800 x 480 15:9, 1280×768 15:9, and 1280×720 16:9

New Windows Phone 8 resolutions

• All existing Windows Phone 7.5 apps will run on all of the resolutions without any changes – backward compatibility with apps.
• Removable microSD supported.
• IE 10 will be built in.

IE 10 Windows Phone 8

• This will have a common platform with Windows 8: DirectX and graphics drivers.
• Developers should be able to port games between Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 with minimal rewriting.
• Windows Phone 8 will have a mobile wallet and support NFC.

Windows Phone 8 Wallet

• Microsoft working closer with mobile operators are putting the secure NFC element on the SIM itself instead of the phone. This is a different approach from Google who put NFC in the device directly.
• Every Windows Phone will include the wallet hub.
• Orange France will be first with secure SIMs, but Microsoft is working with other carriers. AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are working with ISIS. Microsoft has been working with ISIS
• Windows Phone 8 will include Nokia’s mapping technology.
• It will use NAVTEQ data, offline map support, map control for developers, and turn-by-turn directions.
• Windows Phone 8 will support encryption (he mentions BitLocker), secure boot, LOB App deployment, Device Management, and Office.

Windows Phone 8 for business

•  Enterprise IT managers can use the same tools they use to manage PCs to manage phones.
• The Start Screen has changed. More information can fit on the screen.
• Three sizes of tile - Large “double-wide,” standard medium, and small.

Windows Phone 8 home screen

• For graphics, it uses hardware-accelerated Direct3D.
• For networking, WP8 will support IPV6, NFC, and “Improved Bluetooth” support.
• “Developers can now share more code,” including native code and .NET code.
• Windows Phone 8 will have shared components.

Windows Phone 8 shared components

• Shared APIs between Windows 8 and Windows PHone 8: graphics, audio, media, file system, networking, input, commerce, base types, and sensors.
• A new SQL engine is now in play – SQLite

Windows Phone 8 SQLite

• Skype calls feel just like a regular cell calls — Skype can be fully integrated and feel like a phone call.
• Background Location is the next multitasking feature. Apps that use location can run in the background.

Windows Phone 8 Multitasking background location

• Visual Studio 7.5 will support developing for Windows Phone 7.5 and Windows Phone 8 apps.
• Developers can use XAML with C#/VB code, native C++/C, and HTML5 code — and they can mix and match any and all of the above however they wish.
• Advice for developers who want to write for both Windows 8 and WP8: use XAML for apps, Direct3D with C++/C code for games.
• Microsoft announces the Company Hub, which is a custom app each company can build for various stuff they want to distribute to employees.

Windows Phone 8 Company Hub

Six major things to remember:

1. Faster hardware
2. Games
3. Improved multitasking
4. Talking with apps
5. In-app purchasing
6. Enterprise Integration

More..

• All WP8 software updates will be over the air.
• Every WP8 will get at least 18 months of software support after launch.
• Microsoft will let “registered enthusiasts” get the updates early.

Windows Phone 8 will not run on existing devices.

Current Windows Phone users will get some updates.

• They will get a refreshed home screen with Windows Phone 7.8
• They will get Nokia Music 3.0 – adds “gig enhancements, mix radio enhancements, and offline playback enhancements.”
• They will get Counters, Play To, Camera Extension, Vcard
• Camera Extras include new extensions with self-timer, action shot for burst mode, panorama, and group-shot.
• Nokia Maps will get photo uploading, place reviews, and favorite sync. Nokia Transit will get location pinning on the start menu.
• Nokia Drive will get “My Commute,”which starts with a Live Tile on the Start Screen showing your estimated time.

That’s all folks.