Microsoft teases new Start Screen Innovation plans for Windows Phone in 2022

FY14 Biggest Innovation Year

Windows Phone 8 came out last fall. Oct 29^th to exist exact. It came with some killer hardware between the Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC 8X. It also had a slew of handy new features within the Bone itself. Its major change, something most consumers will never know or appreciate, was the change to the Windows NT kernel. The same kernel powering Windows eight. It's been over 8 months since and then, what does Microsoft take in shop for Windows Telephone going forwards?

Microsoft's Chief Operating Officer, B. Kevin Turner, took the phase at the Worldwide Partner Conference in Houston today. He revealed some interesting tidbits throughout his time on stage, but the one you lot're going to exist most stoked about pertains to a specific slide he showed. Speaking about the company as a whole, he stated that while financial year 2022 was large for Microsoft, 2022 volition be even bigger. Quick side note, Microsoft's fiscal yr starts on July one^st. So nosotros're now in FY14 for them.

The slide he shared showed off little hints and teases for the plans for the majority of Microsoft's services and products for FY14. Windows viii, Skype, Windows Phone, Surface and more than take some big plans coming.

Windows Phone

Depression Toll
Killer Hardware
Skype Experience
Outset Screen Innovation
Mutual App Platform With Windows

While depression cost and killer hardware are fairly ambiguous and slightly obvious, it's the other three bullet points that are interesting. Microsoft owns Skype, so you'd wait to have the best mobile Skype experience with Windows Phone right? That hasn't exactly been the case, but it looks like nosotros might be closer to that OS integration we've all been wanting. On competing platforms like Android and iOS you accept a new ability to send video messages through Skype. You can't do that on Windows Telephone yet, some folks on the interwebs think that could exist a future native feel not requiring a split up Skype app for Windows Phone. Integration into the Windows Phone Os similar Apple's iMessage could be a killer feature as Skype becomes the de facto messaging organisation across Microsoft's platforms and products.

While the homepage on iOS has remained fundamentally the aforementioned since 2007, Microsoft might take a unlike approach with our Start screen on Windows Phone. Start Screen Innovation could propose that Microsoft isn't content staying complacent with the current (while still innovative) Start screen feel on Windows Phone. Windows Phone eight.1 could bring some fresh ideas to the live tiles we already know and dear.

It was inevitable, Windows Phone and Windows accept been on a collision path for quite some fourth dimension. Consumers want larger phones and smaller tablets, but betwixt Windows and Windows Phone what Bone would power those devices that straddle the line betwixt telephone and mini tablet? It could exist both. Windows Phone eight.ane looks to bring bridge the gap by introducing a common app platform with Windows. What this means could be open to many theories. Windows Phone apps could run on Windows without much work by developers or maybe we'll accept one unified shop to rule them all like Android and iOS. What do y'all think Microsoft means by that?

We don't look Windows Telephone 'Blueish' until early 2022. You should be getting the GDR2 update inside the side by side month or so, followed past GDR3 later this fall.

Bulletin betoken time. Beneath are some other interesting highlights you might intendance nearly. Products like the Surface, Xbox 1, and Skype all complement owning a Windows Phone. Figured you might exist interested in changes coming to them within the twelvemonth.

Surface

Update to Surface RT
New Accessories
New Accessory colors
Update to Surface Pro

Skype

Large meetings
Skype on Xbox
Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone
Enterprise Void in Cloud
Cloud Calling
Outlook.com/Part 365 Integration

Xbox

Xbox I
Kinect for Xbox One
Hardware & Accessories
Entertainment Studios
1^st &3^rd party games
Music Service Updates

Xbox One

For the Surface family of devices, an update to both the RT and Pro versions was obvious. But could Microsoft be doing more than just throwing in new processors for both variants? Remember how the Surface Pro has those connectors on the bottom? Information technology's possible nosotros might see a bombardment dock of some sort.

What are you most stoked about higher up? Gives us your theories and thoughts on what some of these vague teases mean for the future of products yous employ on a daily bias.

Via: Reddit, Mary Jo Foley

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