Windows Phone 8.1 update with Cortana due early next year

[Jump Jet]

New update shared over Twitter social network suggests that the Windows Phone 8.1 Blue update along with the digital assistant Cortana is set to arrive in 2014.

Microsoft is rumored to be working on the Windows Phone 8 GDR3 update and Windows Phone 8.1 update for devices. No confirmed release schedule of these updates has been shared but new information certainly points at the estimated time of arrival. A Twitter user named Qxerro has shared tidbits of information about the Windows Phone 8 GDR3, Windows Phone 8.1 Blue and Cortana over the social network.

As per the shared information, Microsoft is expected to release the Windows Phone 8 GDR3 soon but not all features will be supported in low end devices such as Lumia 520. Certain features will be limited only to the hardware with 1 GB or higher RAM. Windows Phone 8 GDR3 might be packaged as Bittersweet Shimmer on Nokia's Lumia devices.


Cortana, personal digital assistant for Windows Phone devices, is expected to arrive with the Windows Phone 8.1 Blue update. Windows Phone 8.1 Blue update will initially be released for the US region. In the rest of the world, Windows Phone 8.1 Blue might be released in the latter part 2014. Not only that, Nokia Pro Cam app and Glance screen feature will not even be available to all Windows Phone devices.

Nokia is expected to launch a new large screen Lumia 1520 smartphone with full 1080p HD display and Windows Phone 8 on 22 October.

copy from :Windows Phone 8.1 update with Cortana due early next year

 

[Hassan Rashid]

Why (so?) late in the rest of the world?

 

[Moiz Mian]

Why (so?) late in the rest of the world?

They released all of the Bing features like local scout, music search, etc... after the US release right? I definitely think it sucks that the people who are ACTUALLY buying windows phones get shafted with features in the beginning, but I think the reasoning is the english language. Microsoft being a US company, is probably working on perfecting the program for english. And after that, they will begin to add other language support.

That's my guess at least

 

[a5cent]

I think the reasoning is the english language. Microsoft being a US company, is probably working on perfecting the program for english. And after that, they will begin to add other language support.

That's my guess at least

Your guess is correct for just a single feature, TellMe, although that has worked for most languages since WP launched.

For everything else languages have little to do with it.

Local scout is disabled in many countries, simply because MS doesn't have any data that would make it useful, despite allegedly having access to Nokia's POI database.

Things like Xbox music, video and audio search remained unavailable to many for years, and some still don't have access to it. Here the issues are related to distribution rights where MS dragged their feet, at least compared to Apple that had iTunes working world wide (or very close to that) in just a year.

Etc. etc. etc.

Then there are all the little annoyances like not being able to watch a Hollywood film in English, and 'Das Boot' in German, simply because MS can't get their head around the fact that in most countries, people learn to speak more than a single language.

Many say Apple and Google are truly international companies, where's MS is solely a U.S. company that just happens to sell some stuff internationally.

 

[flapadlr_Nok900]

Why does Microsoft think voice recognition is so important? I guess it has to do with bans on texting while driving? It's on my mind since Florida is instituting a ban in October, although I think we lag behind other large states in the US.

I do use voice to text and it works well enough. I have Indigo installed and it's ignored on my phone.

I never see people talking to Siri anymore. NEVER. Was it a fad?

 

[Psyk00]

Cortana? I don't even have Xbox Music and Xbox Video. Hell, here in Poland we didn't have official Xbox LIVE till 2010.

 

[Luiz Eduardo]

Ironically, US is the country with the least Market share...

 

[a5cent]

Ironically, US is the country with the least Market share...

I think it's fine that MS looks out for U.S. citizens first. Primarily because the U.S. is still one of the largest smartphone markets. What isn't fine is how long it takes MS to role out their services world wide. Worse still is their incompetence when it comes to getting their products and services to work well in multi-language environments.

Another entertaining example is trying to write a text message in a language that isn't officially supported. That would be doable if you could disable the keyboard's auto-correct language. Since you can't, auto-correct will wreak havoc on whatever you write, usually making it completely illegible. WP is completely unusable in such cases, and it would be such an easy fix... in the keyboard settings just add a language option "none".

 

[jojapath]

I think it's fine that MS looks out for U.S. citizens first. Primarily because the U.S. is still one of the largest smartphone markets. What isn't fine is how long it takes MS to role out their services world wide. Worse still is their incompetence when it comes to getting their products and services to work well in multi-language environments.

Another entertaining example is trying to write a text message in a language that isn't officially supported. That would be doable if you could disable the keyboard's auto-correct language. Since you can't, auto-correct will wreak havoc on whatever you write, usually making it completely illegible. WP is completely unusable in such cases, and it would be such an easy fix... in the keyboard settings just add a language option "none".

Actually, you can disable the keyboard auto-correct.

Just go in the keyboard settings, tap on the installed language and disable it from there ....

 

[KKRLessey]

Cortana could be released closer to the US launch in English speaking countries such as Canada, Australia and the UK. This is due to the similarity in English between the countries.

 

[a5cent]

Cortana could be released closer to the US launch in English speaking countries such as Canada, Australia and the UK. This is due to the similarity in English between the countries.

That always works fine. Usually same day release.
The bigger question is how it will work for people who speak English, but don't live in countries where English is the predominant language. For example, I know quite a few people from the U.S. that now live in Switzerland. That's another one of those typical MS screw up scenarios.

 

[lpforthewin]

Microsoft's track record for supporting countries outside the us is abysmal
Why does the uk still have such a rudimentary and functionally starved version of bing when the country is so similar to the us?
And why do local deals and wallet integration not work with the uk region but with the us region I'm offered uk deals in dollars - they have the data just don't provide it

 

[chandra mohan]

nxt year, Omg so long we hav to wait huh...

 

[Shawn Magm]

I hope it'll get released for the AT&T Lumia 520.

 

[a5cent]

Actually, you can disable the keyboard auto-correct.

Just go in the keyboard settings, tap on the installed language and disable it from there ....

Yes, but you must go into settings. To fire off a 7 word text message and then change back to English is so cumbersome, that it's often faster to have autocorrect jumble up each word and then correct it manually.

The language key needs to include the option "none", so we can turn auto correct on and off from there.