Windows Phone 8 (codename Apollo)

Odaise Gaelach

I think this deserves a thread of its own, instead of posting about it in our beloved 2981-post Windows Phone 7 Launch Thread. So it looks like we're going to find out all about it tomorrow at 9am Pacific Time (that's 6pm here).

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57456171-94/microsoft-expected-to-announce-windows-phone-8-tomorrow/

And it's going to be broadcast on Channel 9 via http://aka.ms/wpsummit

So does anyone have any predictions for Windows Phone 8? It's rumoured to use bits of the Windows 8 kernel and support different resolutions, so I don't think our current phones will get Apollo, but we'll still be able to run all the current Windows Phone 7 apps on it. I doubt there'll be many new development APIs either, but we'll just have to wait and see. I'm looking forward to finding out though!

rolion

Thanks.

I love my HTC Windows Mobile phone,but as with all the Microsoft OSes...i'll wait for Windows Phone 8.1 !

evolutionqy7

Well I hope we will see some beta release

AntiVirus

Skype integration and skydrive music streaming and I'll be happy.

Oh and I'm pretty confindent we'll get our upgrades.

AntiVirus

Oh and also we might get to see whats going to replace our Zune music in the update with its built in Skydrive streaming.

Odaise Gaelach

AntiVirus wrote: »

Oh and also we might get to see whats going to replace our Zune music in the update with its built in Skydrive streaming.

Apparently it's being replaced with something codenamed Daphne, that's meant to be similar to ActiveSync. Apparently. Allegedly.

AngryLips

This is a minor detail but apparently you will be able to customise the size of the live tiles for each app, so instead of being stuck with only the pictures tile and the calendar tile taking up two squares you will be able to choose the size for each tile.

Also, you will be able to customise which live tile info you want displayed on the lock screen instead of just the calendar at the moment.

stevenmu

One rumour I saw was that existing phones wouldn't get WP8, but would get an update that would bring some of the features and possibly include WP8 app compatibility.

stevenmu

The Verge are doing a Live Blog for anyone who can't stream. They were pretty good for the Surface announcement, plenty of updates and pictures, so I'm hoping they'll be as good again.


(btw, the above link is working pretty well on WP7, it updates smoothly and quickly, even if you put the phone into standby and then go back)

Odaise Gaelach

Bugger, I got the times wrong. Instead of starting at 6 here, it's starting at 5. As in, one minute from now.

Still, no one noticed, eh?

stevenmu

I've seen a load of different times, I saw 5:30 somewhere else, at least you can claim DST through you off

Odaise Gaelach

To quote the great Homer Simpson: "Lousy farmers".

stevenmu

Seriously cool looking mixing board, what are the chances that'll be a built in WP8 app ?

Odaise Gaelach

It would be really nice!

AlmightyCushion

Multi-core support, micro sd support, 720p resolution support and a quicker web browser. Very nice, I may be moving from android.

Odaise Gaelach

Offline maps. Very nice.

AntiVirus

I like the new start screen tile size options

Oafley Jones

AntiVirus wrote: »

I like the new start screen tile size options

It definitely makes sense, but to my eye it's just ruined the look of the OS. I liked that WP7 had that negative space.

AlmightyCushion

LIGHTNING wrote: »

My current win phone is far quicker than any Android phone I have used. Unless the win 8 phones do something really awesome I`ll be sticking with my Win 7.5 phone.

I've no doubt a 7.5 device would be quicker than my android is now but I was considering an upgrade to an S2 which whenever I've played with one (which is quite a bit) was smooth as butter. I do prefer the look and feel of WP to android but there were a few things I was waiting on before making the leap. Do we have any idea of a release date for this?

Odaise Gaelach

Oafley Jones wrote: »

It definitely makes sense, but to my eye it's just ruined the look of the OS. I liked that WP7 had that negative space.

In all fairness their Start screens also look a bit disorganised and messy to me. I don't think it'll look so bad if the Start screen it a bit more organised.

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I've no doubt a 7.5 device would be quicker than my android is now but I was considering an upgrade to an S2 which whenever I've played with one (which is quite a bit) was smooth as butter. I do prefer the look and feel of WP to android but there were a few things I was waiting on before making the leap. Do we have any idea of a release date for this?

Sometime between Autumn and the end of the year. I don't think we'll get anything more concrete before the end of the summit.

Oafley Jones

I'm wondering if i'm reading this correctly. With the ability for native development and ease of porting etc. does this leave current WP7 7.8 owners potentially ****ered with access to new apps?

AntiVirus

Oafley Jones wrote: »

It definitely makes sense, but to my eye it's just ruined the look of the OS. I liked that WP7 had that negative space.

It's up to you how you set it up. You can keep it exactly your current phone's home screen is. It's the choice that I like

Oafley Jones

AntiVirus wrote: »

It's up to you how you set it up. You can keep it exactly your current phone's home screen is. It's the choice that I like

I think the asymmetrical nature of it is gone - the black bar on the right - it really was a bold choice first day i.e. **** you we're not using this space in a conventional manner. It's weird to me how much an impact it makes in those pics.

Oafley Jones

I hope this news about upgradability drives the price of the Lumia 800 into the ground. I really want a cyan one.

Odaise Gaelach

Integrated VoIP and video chat.

(Replace "VoIP and video chat" with "Skype" or "Tango" or your own custom-made VoIP software.)

_Kaiser_

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I've no doubt a 7.5 device would be quicker than my android is now but I was considering an upgrade to an S2 which whenever I've played with one (which is quite a bit) was smooth as butter. I do prefer the look and feel of WP to android but there were a few things I was waiting on before making the leap. Do we have any idea of a release date for this?

Launcher 7 (donate version also available as well as a replacement taskbar app)

Same look at WP7 but with the benefit of having a much more mature marketplace and apps behind it that don't cost a fortune either.

Works for me - and I have a WP7 for work as well that yes I like the front-end on but ultimately it's the apps and functionality that make or break an OS and WP7 still isn't there yet IMO.

AlmightyCushion

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Launcher 7 (donate version also available as well as a replacement taskbar app)

Same look at WP7 but with the benefit of having a much more mature marketplace and apps behind it that don't cost a fortune either.

Works for me - and I have a WP7 for work as well that yes I like the front-end on but ultimately it's the apps and functionality that make or break an OS and WP7 still isn't there yet IMO.

Used it before but it's a poor substitute. Sure the launcher looks metro but that's it. I don't really use many apps. Internet, email, music and videos, cabbage (or something similar) for webtexts and that is me more or less sorted.

Oafley Jones

Horrible. Again, it makes it more practical, but it just ruins what was an elegant UI with tons of clutter.

shuyin1

Oafley Jones wrote: »

I hope this news about upgradability drives the price of the Lumia 800 into the ground. I really want a cyan one.

I like this idea, i'd bite for a cyan one if the price was right

Oafley Jones

shuyin1 wrote: »

I like this idea, i'd bite for a cyan one if the price was right

They're already cheap enough, but for 250 unlocked I'd buy one immediately and never upgrade past Tango.

gman2k

While Microsoft was keen to announce that 7.x apps will run on Windows Phone 8, ZDNet has just confirmed, via a statement from Redmond, that apps built for the new platform won't be backwards compatible:

"New applications compiled specifically for Windows Phone 8 will not be made available for Windows Phone 7.x devices."

From here