Windows Phone 8 Update 3 Preview
Microsoft
today will detail the features coming in its third major update to
Windows Phone 8, now called Update 3 but previously known by the
internal moniker GDR3. Update 3 will be made available for free to
existing handsets over the next several months, as you might expect. But
the good news is that the firm will also allow developers early access
to Update 3 starting tomorrow.
Update Your Handset Today!
Following
this morning's announcement about Windows Phone 8 Update 3, Microsoft
has made the RTM version of the update available publically through its
developer programs. But Update 3 can be installed by anyone who wants it
now. So here's a guide to the update process.
App Shutdown
In
Windows Phone 8 Update 3, Microsoft has finally addressed one of its
users' key complaints, and you can now very easily shut down any app.
This functionality occurs as it does on other mobile platforms, in what
Microsoft calls the App Switcher experience.
Driving Mode
Driving
Mode is one of the best new features in Windows Phone 8 Update 3. It
lets you configure your handset to limit distractions while you're
driving in a Bluetooth-equipped car and optionally respond to those who
try to text or call you. A glimpse at the future of automobile/
smart phone interaction, Driving Mode is a key reason to consider getting Update 3 immediately.
Screen Rotation Lock
Windows Phone Update 3 finally adds a feature that users of other
mobile devices have long enjoyed:
Screen rotation
lock. This toggle enables you to "lock" the screen orientation in
either portrait or landscape mode so that inadvertent shifts in the
position of the device don't trigger screen redraws.
Phone Storage Management
One of the strange issues with the original shipping version of Windows Phone 8 is that you can't effectively
manage storage
on the device, and a special kind of storage, previously known as
"other storage," would grow over time, consuming the free space on the
phone. Microsoft offered a fix for the "other storage" bug in GDR2, but
with Update 3, we now see a much more complete
storage management solution.
Ringtone Improvements
Until Update 3, Windows Phone 8 only allowed you to assign
custom ringtones to individual contacts'
phone numbers.
But with this new release, you can now assign custom ringtones a
contact's text messages. And you can use custom ringtones for many more
things, including instant messages, emails, voicemails and reminders.
The result is a far more personalized experience.
Nokia Lumia "Black"
Nokia "Black" Update for Windows Phone 8
Users
with select Nokia Lumia handsets now have access to a new firmware
update called "Black" that updates your device with new capabilities.
But what is this mysterious "Black" update, and which phones can already
access it?
Nokia Begins Rolling Out "Black" Update to Lumia Users
Nokia
announced today that it has begun to rollout the "Black" software
update to Lumia smart phones. Black is essentially a firmware update
designed to ship alongside Windows Phone Update 3, but it also comes
with additional features and some updated apps.
Nokia Camera Beta
If
you're wondering about the future of the camera software in Windows
Phone, look no further: Nokia today issued a beta version of its stellar
Nokia Camera app, which like the non-beta version combines
functionality from the previously separate Nokia Pro Camera and Smart
Camera apps. But the beta version will be updated more frequently going
forward.
App Folder
With
Nokia pushing its Lumia "Black" software update to all Windows Phone
8-based Lumia handset, it's time to start looking at some of the unique
new features and apps this update provides. And the first is a surprise,
a new app called App Folder that lets you collect multiple apps into a
single group that can be accessed from a tile on your Start screen.
Glance 2.0
It's
been interesting watching Nokia quickly push innovative new features
into Windows Phone from the outside, and with the firm's smart phone
business being purchased by Microsoft, we'll have to collectively cross
our fingers and hope for the best. In Lumia "Black," an update tied to
Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 Update 3, Nokia provides a number of
excellent examples of this innovation. And Glance 2.0 is one great
example
Beamer 1.1
Available
to Lumia users who upgrade to "Black," Nokia Beamer 1.1 lets you "beam"
the display of your smart phone to any screen with an HTML 5-equipped
web browser. This lets you do things like share photos, give a
presentation, or even view maps on the big screen, all from your phone.
More soon!
