If you’re a fan of the simple look and feel of PCs, you’ll be pleased to know that Windows Phone 8, the latest update to the Windows operating system, has just been released – and the first phones it’s coming to on Three are the Windows Phone 8X and 8S by HTC.
Microsoft has clearly been hard at work putting together a fantastic package of features in Windows Phone 8 that we couldn’t wait to get our hands on. We loved how everything’s geared towards you – and the huge range of built-in apps makes this OS feel as powerful as a computer. Here are eight exciting things about Windows Phone 8:
1. A home screen designed by you.
In a world where we’re only just getting used to changing our phone’s background, Windows Phone 8 has just blown the competition away. Not only can you change your background image; you can also customise, organise and resize the tiles on your home screen. Pin people, music, games, apps, websites…whatever you use most. With 20 different colours and three different sizes, you can make it as unique as you are.
2. Apps that give you instant updates.
Just wait until you try Live Apps – they bring updates from your favourite apps right to your home screen, making it so much faster to know what’s going on in your world. We love getting our daily news fix through the Metro app, all the latest Facebook photos and Groupon’s daily deals without needing to lift a finger.
3. Children can play safely with Kid’s Corner.
Ever found your kids tapping away at your phone, only to realise later what they’d been doing? With Kid’s Corner in Windows Phone 8, they won’t be able to call Mexico, wipe your voicemails, or send holiday snaps to your boss. You can set it up so calling and texting are off-limits, or only allow access to certain apps and games. So you can let your kids play with your phone as much as you like, knowing they won’t run up any scary bills – or land you in hot water.
4. Enjoy built in apps like Bing Search.
We love apps that come as standard. With Windows Phone 8, Bing Search is just one tap away, and you’ve also got all the benefits of built-in Maps, Music, Videos, Office, People Hub, Photos Hub and Xbox. Plus, Bing Vision lets you search for anything using a picture: just snap a mystery fruit for example, then hit search, and Bing will recognise it and tell you all about it.
5. Back up your memories with 7GB of free SkyDrive storage.
Have you ever thought what would happen if you lost your phone – and all the priceless photos on it? This is where Windows Phone 8’s SkyDrive comes into its own. Your phone can automatically store photos, videos and documents to your SkyDrive account, so you can access them anywhere. You get a massive 7GB of free cloud storage: ideal for backing up and making sure your memories are always with you.
6. Use Word, Excel and PowerPoint with Office Mobile.
Whether you’re working on a brainstorm or a shopping list, with Office Mobile you can access and edit the same document from any Windows phone, tablet or computer. So you’ll be able to remind yourself of the job description while you’re sitting waiting for the interview. Or make some final adjustments to your PowerPoint pitch before you go into the Dragons’ Den.
7. Want to share with a small group? Make a Room.
If you want to share what’s going on in your life, but don’t want to update all your Facebook friends, the ‘Rooms’ feature in Windows Phone 8 is perfect. It works like a miniature social network, where you can share photos, lists, calendars and messages with a small group of people, like close friends or family.
8. Express yourself faster with Word Flow intelligent keyboard.
Frustrated by touchscreen keyboards? Word Flow makes typing a breeze – not least because you’ll often only need to type part of a word or sentence in order to say what you want. Word Flow learns your unique writing style and predicts which words you are most likely to type next, making writing emails and texts even faster.
