Even though the Windows Phone 8.1 update launch is still several months away, many of the mobile operating system's new features have already leaked. Recently, a developer started listing the new features on Reddit for all to see.
One of the features that almost all users are looking forward to is the Action Center. Much like the notification center on iOS and Android, Windows Phone's Action Center puts all of your notifications in one place. You can even categorize the notifications by app, so that it's easier to navigate through them all. Clear all and settings options are also included in this new section. To uncover the Action Center, all you have to do is pull far down from the top of your screen. If you only pull a short distance, the quick settings will pop up instead.
The second most talked about new feature in Windows Phone 8.1 is the Cortana virtual assistant. Just like Siri and S-Voice, Cortana will help you with everything you need. Of course, Cortana will use Bing search to answer your queries instead of Google. Little is know about Cortana, but the company did tell Bloomberg that it was "building some contextually aware experiences to power some upcoming products in Windows Phone." Cortana will also have something to do with Foursquare, according to reports.
The Windows Phone 8.1 update will also allegedly include more Sense apps so that you can monitor your battery and storage use. The Data Sense feature on Windows Phone 8, which kept track of data usage for you, was quite popular. Hence Microsoft's decision to make at least two new Sense apps.
Windows Phone 8.1 should come with improved navigation and multitasking functions, too. Windows 8 can be a bit confusing at first, especially for those coming from iOS. Microsoft acknowledged that fact and is making a real effort to make the interface more user friendly. The ability to swipe away applications to close them when you're in multitasking mode is one of the coolest improvements seen in leaks so far. Previously, users had to tap a tiny little "x" to close the apps, which was not only annoying, but somewhat difficult.
A better camera app will also arrive with Windows Phone 8.1. It looks a bit like the Nokia photo application and has a bar at the top where you can choose different lenses, cameras and flash options. The bottom bar lets users choose between camera, video or burst shot options. Many of the Windows smartphones on the market from Nokia feature impressive cameras, so having a good, functional camera app is very important.
Additionally, the Windows Phone 8.1 update will have VPN support, better YouTube playback with a full screen option and the ability to change the default messaging app to one of your choosing.
All in all, the Windows Phone 8.1 update looks quite promising so far. Microsoft is certainly hoping that these key improvements to its mobile OS will go over well with existing Windows Phone customers and perhaps draw a few new recruits in.
