The New Windows Phone 8.1 Review

The New Windows Phone 8.1 Review: Windows Phone Operating system has been around for about three years now and still struggling to get market share from other major mobile platforms like Android and ios.

Sadly the platform is yet to catch peoples attention perhaps due to the limitations in apps and some other ease of use features which platforms provide. Well, we expect that things will soon change with the free update coming to the operating system called Windows Phone 8.1, which adds several improved features that will increase its competition in the OS ecosystem.

Windows Phone 8.1 will feature the Cortana which is an upcoming Windows Phone intelligent personal assistant that will have features that iPhone and Android users already enjoy, It will feature a new Action Center that will manage notifications and settings. This is simply designed to rival Siri and Google Now.

Here are some cool features of the new mobile OS:

Action Center

Action center is Microsoft’s notification center for windows phone. It provides quick settings to Windows Phone by pulling down from the top of the screen to display notifications and provide access to four settings, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane Mode, and Rotation Lock by default. The quick settings will be customizable and users can swap out any of those four options and replace with other functions.

Cortana Voice Assistant

This is the most significant update to Windows Phone 8.1 OS. The Cortana is Microsoft’s voice command/virtual assistant and it could likely become one of the most impressive pieces of technology that we’ve seen on any platform. As said earlier, Cortana will offer similar functionality to Siri and Google Now, allowing users to search the web, answering questions, retrieving search results or control your phone in various ways.

According to Microsoft expert Mary Jo Foley, Cortana will go beyond current voice assistant offerings by completely integrating with “the core services and experience — of the future versions of Windows Phone, Windows and the Xbox One operating systems”. You can type a query or a command if you choose not to speak out and in turn, cortana will respond through text instead of a loud speech.

Cortana has its own notebook for keeping track of interests and preferences, just like a real-life personal assistant. This notebook includes categories such as Interests, Quiet Hours, Reminders, Inner Circle, and Places. Cortana’s notebook allows for a bit more control than you would get with Google Now and Siri. The Quiet Hours feature, for example, lets you completely shut out notifications during certain periods. You can also choose who you want to receive notifications from during Quiet Hours by adding them to your Inner Circle.

Cortana will apparently also be available while on a call, because there is a warning phrase for “I can’t do this while on a call”, and an option to turn on the speakerphone with a voice command.

Camera Upgrade

Windows Phone 8.1 also comes with a few camera upgrades, including a new Burst Mode which allows you can take multiple shots at once by holding the shutter button down and choose the ones you’d like to keep.

Other features

There are other new settings options and front-facing system changes such as Double-tap to unlock phone, Double-tap to sleep, Audio/video editing and effects, Slow motion video, Grid view for apps among others.

The new settings options include Battery Sense that monitors apps for how much power they use, Battery Saver mode which will allow exclusions for certain apps to run in the background, Wi-Fi Sense – allows you to share secured Wi-Fi networks with other Wi-Fi Sense users without sharing the password. ‘Project My Screen’ will mirror mobile device display on compatible TV or PC display, Phone Storage renamed Storage Sense, NFC support and also a support for iCloud account.

The Windows Phone 8.1 upgrade is huge and we expect that the features packed into it will enable it to favorably compete with its counterpart.