The Windows Phone continues its evolution and new reports reveal that come 2014, Microsoft will introduce "Cortana," its own voice assistant that can rival the likes of Apple's Siri and Google Now. The Windows 8.1 update is now being tested and is expected to be rolled out during the company's Build Developer Conference in April.
The virtual assistant's name might sound familiar as it was named after the artificial intelligence that guides players around Microsoft's Halo game. The name of the software also hints of what it can do. Cortana will be able to learn the preferences and behavior of Windows Phone users and aptly adjust in the future.
"Microsoft has been testing Cortana for a number of months, and we understand it will replace the existing Bing search on Windows Phone to allow users to interact using voice or text input. We're told it's similar to Google Now and Apple's Siri technology, with conversational interaction and the ability to learn location context and data from the phone," Tom Warren of The Verge wrote.
Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer's statement in July also signaled how the company envisions the future of its Windows Phone: "We will keep evolving our new modern look, expanding the shell so that it allows people and their devices to capture, store and organize their "stuff" in new ways. Our UI will be deeply personalized, based on the advanced, almost magical, intelligence in our cloud that learns more and more over time about people and the world. Our shell will natively support all of our essential services, and will be great at responding seamlessly to what people ask for, and even anticipating what they need before they ask for it."
The sources of The Verge also disclosed that the Windows Phone 8.1 will also come with a notification center that can be opened in the same manner how it is done in Android and iOS devices - by swiping a finger from the top of the device's screen.
The Windows 8.1 is also expected to have independent volume controls for media playback and ringtone. The update will also introduce Smart Search that will tap the search capabilities of Bing, VPN support, and tweaks to its music and video features.
While Microsoft may be pouring in additional features for the Windows Phone 8.1, it is undeniably just catching up with what Android or the iOS can offer.
