Microsoft’s plan is to have Windows
8 running on mobile laptops, tablets, and phones. Laptops and certain
tablets are based on the Intel IA x86 processors, and are feature for
feature the same as Windows 8 on a desktop PC. You will be able to
upgrade these devices from Windows 7 with few concessions.
Other tablets run the ARM processor and a stripped-down version of the operating system called Windows RT.
When you buy a Windows Phone 8, chances are
that it will also run RT. Windows RT is new and contains features that
aren’t immediately compatible with the Windows Phone 7, which ran the
Windows CE core. So an upgrade of a Windows Phone 7 will include a
Start screen as an interim version of the Windows 8 operating system and may be given the version number 7.8.
On Windows Phone 8, the Start screen has three sizes of Live Tiles that can be scrolled.
The Windows Phone 8 moves to something that
Microsoft is calling the “common core.” In the common core that is
shared by these new Windows 8 phones and tablets are the operating
system kernel, file system, networking, and common graphics and
multimedia functions, including DirectX. Most importantly, the Windows
Phone 8 contains the same driver model, meaning that devices that work
on one hardware platform will work on another. Developers just love
this stuff because it means that hardware is easily portable and their
apps will run across platforms with few modifications.
Windows Phone 7 was
limited to single core CPUs and a display resolution of 800 x 480
pixels. Windows Phone 8 supports dual- and quad-core processors and
720p (1280 x 720) and WXGA (1280 x 768) hi-def screen resolutions. The
next generation of phones will also have microSD card slots for memory
expansion. This means that Windows Phone 8 will be competitive with the
most powerful Androids and iPhones on the market today.
The Windows Phone 8 also supports the new
Internet Explorer 10 browser with HTML5 and JavaScript, as well as a
new rendering engine that will improve gaming. Many security features
found on the desktop platform—such as the disk encryption BitLocker
feature, secure boot, device and software security signing,
SmartScreen, and Microsoft’s anti-phishing features—are on the phone
browser. With the inclusion of a touch-oriented version of Microsoft
Office and SharePoint integration into these phones, Windows Phone 8
may become a corporate favorite.
NFC technology allows Windows Phone 8 to
participate in secure payment systems that use tap-to-pay. NFC
technology also allows in-proximity data transfers. That is, you can
put two NFC-enabled phones near each other and press a software button
to transfer data wirelessly in a peer-to-peer connection. NFC is
incorporated into devices through an NFC transceiver, and you transfer
data through a tap-to-send action. In one example of a tap-to-send
application, you can put your phone next to a kiosk with an NFC
transceiver to initiate a data transfer.
Wallet, the most prominent software addition, uses NFC .
It uses Secure SIM cards that are portable between phones. It can be
used with credit cards, coupon programs, and purchase transactions
inside phone apps. In Wallet, you can select a credit card, enter an
amount and a password, and then tap to send your purchase to a payment
station that looks a little like a bar code scanner.
Microsoft Wallet uses NFC to tap-to-pay and tap-to-send data between mobile devices in proximity.
Microsoft’s partnership with Nokia adds that
company’s global mapping technology, NAVTEQ, to Windows mobile devices.
NAVTEQ support GPS-style turn-by-turn directions and can even provide
map support for phones that are disconnected from a network. A feature
called Nokia City Lens lets you sweep a phone’s camera to create a
picture of what you see, and then this feature overlays data on the
picture that highlights local businesses.
Tip
Windows Phone 8 will download apps and games
from the Windows Store. Companies can also create their own Windows
Phone 8 Hub with custom apps and business information.
