REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 29, 2012 —
Windows Phone 8 devices go on sale starting in November, and Microsoft
is betting that a smartphone designed with people in mind can connect
with the masses.
At an event in San Francisco, Microsoft fully took the wraps off
of Windows Phone 8 after a brief peek back in June to showcase some of
the new platform enhancements.
“Microsoft is excited for the world to meet the new Windows
Phone,” said Terry Myerson, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s
Windows Phone Division.
“We set out to create the most personal smartphone there is,
focused on keeping you closer to the people and things that matter
most,” he said. “It’s also the best phone for Windows, helping you stay
connected across devices. And finally, of course, there’s the hardware.
We have a killer lineup of new phones featuring big bright screens,
awesome audio capabilities and great cameras from HTC, Nokia and
Samsung.”
Meet Windows Phone 8
From the first time you pick up a Windows Phone you can see how
personal it can be with the highly customizable Start screen and Live
Tiles, said Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president of Windows Phone
Program Management. People can pin their favorite people, apps, games
and music right to the Start screen, and colorful Live Tiles will light
up with real-time information and updates.
The new features in Windows Phone 8 offer something for everyone,
Belfiore said. For people with children, Kid’s Corner offers a
worry-free way for parents to share their smartphone when the kids start
clamoring to play Angry Birds. A simple swipe activates a protected
place on the phone where kids can play on specific apps and features
selected by a parent.
Families and friends will also enjoy the new Rooms feature, which
lets people create a private network to chat and share photos, notes,
calendars and other content with a close group of people, not your
entire social network.
As a self-proclaimed shutterbug, Belfiore is a big fan of the new
camera and photo features in Windows Phone 8. “I love using my phone to
capture memories,” he said. “The Lumia 920 and Windows Phone 8X both
take gorgeous photos and videos, even in low light.”
In addition to the new software features, the Windows Phone Store
has 120,000 apps to choose from, with hundreds added every day and hits
coming this holiday season, such as “Angry Birds Star Wars,” “Cut the
Rope Experiments,” “Disney’s Where’s My Water,” “LivingSocial,” “Temple
Run,” “Urbanspoon” and many more. Today, Microsoft announced that
Pandora, the leading Internet radio service, is coming to Windows Phone
in early Q1 2013 with one year of ad-free music.
Pandora Chief Executive Officer and President Joe Kennedy said,
"Pandora now has more than 175 million registered users and over
three-quarters of our listener hours now come from mobile and other
connected devices. We are pleased to join other app leaders who are
developing for Windows Phone and we are delighted Microsoft is
sponsoring a year of ad-free Pandora for Windows Phone users. Our
listeners expect Pandora to be wherever they are—in the home, in the
automobile, and on the go. Offering Pandora on Windows Phone gives them
yet another option and we think they will be delighted with the
experience."
Best Companion for Windows
Windows Phone 8 was designed to be the best companion with Windows
8, Myerson said. Windows and Windows Phone now share common underlying
technology, which allows for shared tools, increased hardware support
for multicore processors and a wide range of other platform
capabilities. It also features a common look and feel with Windows 8,
which makes shifting from phone to PC seamless and natural.
That underlying technology between Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8
now allows developers to create native C++ code – a shared development
model that makes porting Windows apps and games relatively easy.
“We expect the hundreds of millions of Windows 8-based tablets and
PCs sold next year to raise consumer awareness of the new Windows UI
pioneered by phone,” Myerson said. “We believe more developers will
target the Windows family now that we’ve made it easier to target a
range of exciting new devices – from phones to tablets to PCs – running
software that people ask for by name.”
Another big advantage of the Windows family is Microsoft’s
personal cloud based service, SkyDrive. Now photos, Office documents and
music are always in sync and available across all Windows devices.
The new Xbox Music service offers anytime, anywhere access to
albums, songs and playlists whether you’re on your Xbox console, your
Windows Phone or a Windows 8 PC or tablet. And entertainment gets even
more interactive with Xbox SmartGlass, which turns your mobile phone or
tablet into a second screen that intelligently interacts with your Xbox
360 to elevate your entertainment experience.
Stunning Phones
HTC, Nokia and Samsung have all introduced new Windows Phones that will start hitting the streets in November.
The Samsung ATIV S is wrapped in brushed aluminum with the largest
Windows Phone screen to date at 4.8", yet it’s unbelievably thin and
light.
The designers behind HTC’s Windows Phone 8X and 8S saw Windows
Phone 8’s Live Tiles and were inspired to build the phones from the
ground up with the same elegant, modern lines and radiant colors.
Nokia’s Lumia 920 packs a state-of-the-art camera into a phone.
It’s the first phone to have Optical Image Stabilization along with
Nokia’s trademark Carl Zeiss optics. The Lumia 820 is a great phone for
people who want to show color in their lives with swappable back plates
in bold, vibrant colors. Both Lumia phones are the first modern
smartphones with wireless charging.
Myerson expressed confidence that Windows Phone 8 was primed to make headway against competitors such as iPhone and Android.
“The best thing we can do is build a compelling product that
people fall in love with,” he said. “We think we have done that with
Windows Phone 8.”
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