Top new features of Windows Phone 8.1

The eye-catching feature of the Windows Phone 8.1 update is the introduction of the Cortana personal assistant for smartphones. However, this is exclusive to the US for now but there are still a number of important back-end and interface enhancements to the mobile OS for UK users.The forthcoming Lumia 630 will be the first launched device to be shipped with Windows Phone 8.1, followed by the 930 in late-June/July. There is no definitive date as to when existing Lumia devices will be updated to the Windows Phone 8.1 OS.Microsoft has also announced that Windows Phone 8.1 will start rolling out to Windows Phone 8 users in the next coming months. The Redmond giant also confirmed that the entire Nokia Lumia range will get OTA (over-the-air) update called Lumia Cyan, which will include Windows Phone 8.1 features and the new Lumia features into one update.We have broken down the eight biggest new features in the Windows Phone 8.1 including the ones that made it into the highlights - Cortana, Word Flow, Action Center and more personalised Start Screen.

Upgraded imaging experience

Microsoft takes the Windows Phone photography experience to the next level with the revamped Camera Roll, which gives quick access to clicked images, image tweaking tools and sharing capabilities.

The Smart Shots, Cinemagraphs, and Refocus photos options are directly accessible now from Camera Roll. Microsoft has also added the burst mode features to its Windows Phone 8.1 for clicking continuous images.

Creative Studio has been also added to the Camera Roll, which can use five new filters. The Nokia Storyteller has also received a slight addition with new video slideshow option that allows sharing via Facebook and Twitter.

Notifications ”Action Center  

Microsoft has finally introduced a drop down list displaying the latest notifications and allows users to quickly toggle features like screen rotation, WI-Fi, , flight mode and Bluetooth icon. It is possible to customise these quick settings and choose exactly which noticiations  you want to show up in the Action Center. Windows Phone 8.1 also allows users to set a different alert, depending on the incoming notification.

Greater Start Screen personalization
Microsoft in an attempt to offer more customizable options to Windows Phone users, has added 'Start background' feature that allows users to add an image to the tiles on the Start screen of the device.

The feature will add an image of the user's choice to multiple tiles on the Start screen. Earlier, the Live Tiles on the Start screen on Windows Phone 8 were limited to solid colors. In 2013, Microsoft added the third Live Tile column on the Start screen of the Nokia Lumia 1520, and then left it to manufacturer adoption. Moreover, with the Windows Phone 8.1, the company has now added an extra column of Live Tiles on all screen sizes, with users able to choose whether to turn this feature on or off.

Universal search

When you search for anything on your phone, it will not only scour the Bing search engine but also look through your messages/emails for the relevant keywords.

Word Flow Keyboard 

A big addition to the Windows Phone 8.1 has been the introduction of the Word Flow Keyboard, which is a Swype keyboard-like feature for Windows Phone users. The Word Flow Keyboard allows users to glide over the display and type words. Microsoft said 'indeed its the most intuitive smartphone keyboards' and learns from users writing style. Belfiore noted that the Word Flow Keyboard supports 16 languages, though has not named the languages supported. Belfiore even said that, thanks to Word Flow Keyboard, a kid was able break the Guinness World Record for fastest writing on a smartphone earlier held by Swype keyboard on a Samsung Galaxy S4.

Revamped Calendar The latest in-built Calendar app has undergone a redesign to look more like the desktop version. It now has a “week view” and weather is integrated at the top, and you can also tap on individual days to bring up more information about meetings.

Skype Integration
Microsoft has also added an upgraded Skype integration in Windows Phone devices with its latest Windows Phone 8.1. Now, the new Skype app for Windows Phone 8.1 comes with dialer integration that allows a user to switch a regular call to a Skype video call with a click of a button. Further, Skype has also been designed to work with Cortana, as users can setup Skype calls via the new voice-based virtual assistant.

Lock Screen themes

Microsoft has also introduced the new Lock Screen, which now comes with multiple Lock Screen themes. The onscreen keys for Search, Start and Back will now appear at the bottom of the display and this will mean that future Windows Phone 8.1-based devices will not feature the three capacitive buttons at the bottom of the front panel.

 

 

Other Updates  

The 8.1 upgrade includes a host of other tweaks. The Calendar has been updated with a day view that lets you swipe horizontally to toggle between days( as stated above), as well as an improved week view. The keyboard, which already featured great predictive text, now includes a Swipe-like keyboard that predicts what your typing based on general swiping gestures on the touchscreen rather than just individual key taps. Microsoft also enhanced enterprise security features of the platform, making Windows Phone even more enticing for companies looking to abandon legacy Blackberry handsets (or just have a secure phone for business applications).