Microsoft (MSFT) Shows Off Windows Phone 8; Will Be Better for Business, Easier for Developments


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June 20, 2012 1:21 PM EDT Send to a Friend
Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) shares are trading higher as the company, hot on the heels of its Surface tablet debut, is now previewing Windows Phone 8 (WP8).

The following will simply highlight some of the key points made today:
  • WP8 will have a shared core with Windows 8.
  • WP8 will support dual-core CPUs at the start, moving to quad-core in the future.
  • There will be three different screen resolutions, maxing out at 1280 X 768.
  • Multiple displays (WVGA, WXGA, 720p) will also be supported.
  • Internet Explorer 10 will be built in to WP8.
  • IE 10 will have anti-phishing software, faster JavaScript performance, and HTML5 support.
  • Porting from the desktop to WP8-equipped phone should be easier with native code development and DirectX.
  • WP8 will have a new wallet feature, which Microsoft hopes is more than just a payment system. It wants to allow users to handle payments, loyalty and membership cards, saved deals, and NFC 'tap to pay.'
  • Microsoft's wallet will launch on Orange in the U.K. first. The company is also working with ISIS to bring the feature to Verizon (Nasdaq: VZ), AT&T (NYSE: T), and T-Mobile in 2013.
  • Business features on WP8 are enhanced with new encryption and secure boot features.
  • Bitlocker will be the backbone.
  • Home screen tiles will be re-sizable into large, medium, and small;
  • The home screen tiles will update in real time (carriers will love that!).
  • Nokia's (NYSE: NOK) mapping feature will be built in (moving away from Google (Nasdaq: GOOG)).
The event is ongoing, having started a bit late on the West Coast.

Microsoft is up 1 percent on the session.

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Comments

Minor correction
David on Jul 21, 2012 06:23 AM
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FYI Windows Phones never used Google Maps, they used Bing Maps. I believe you are confusing Windows Phone with the iPhone, which in its newest OS is shifting to in-house maps, instead of Google's.


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