What Features from Windows 8.1 would you like to see in Windows Phone 8.1?

[Sipho94]

I just watched Microsoft's Computex presentation where they demoed Windows 8.1, they displayed many new features, my favourite being a completely revamped global search function! This allows Bing's 'Decision Engine' to interpret exactly what you are searching for and collect information from the web, your computer and apps in one single collected view which almost looks like a rich application in itself (all from accessing the search charm.) And then. It got me thinking...

Windows 8.1 borrow from the Windows phone operating system in certain regards (new small live tile sizes) so Microsoft could potentially bring certain Windows 8.1 features to Windows Phone in the forthcoming Windows Phone 8.1 update, and I would LOVE to see a the global search function powered by Bing come to Windows Phone! Currently Bing search is very limited if you are in a region other than the US, and so it excites me that it could be scaled up in terms of functionality and usefulness that can be brought to all.

What features from Windows 8.1 would you like Microsoft to try and implement in Windows Phone 8.1? ARE YOU EXCITED FOR THE UPDATE?! :grin:

Here is a link to the Computex Presentation... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gr1rDjcDZU

 

[kokola95]

Quite hours
WinRT 8.1 APIs
Lockscreen
Bing (weather, news, etc)

 

[vish2801]

Quite hours
WinRT 8.1 APIs
Lockscreen
Bing (weather, news, etc)

WindowsRT 8.1 APIs+WindowsRT Sandbox ... that's it....Remained work will be done by our the best devs.....

 

[Sipho94]

Another great application that they showed in the Windows 8.1 demo is Reading List, basically you are now able to use the 'share' charm in a multitude of different apps to save articles from websites, the news app and finance app (I assume others too) to view later in a chronologically ordered view. It would be great if that synched to a mirror app on Windows Phone 8.1. BUT I would also love integration of that into Windows Phone so you can save things you may find in the browser or elsewhere, which could also show up in the same app on my PC

Just a thought :smile:

 

[cybodroid]

I didn't watch that video, but from what I've seen I'm not all that excited about a lot of the upcoming changes. Going off this video from the Microsoft blog...

... it looks like they got rid of the "Desktop" tile. I also know they added a Start Menu back onto the desktop screen. I'm pretty indifferent about personalizing the design with a "rainbow of colors", but the background on the metro screen that moves as you slide across is pretty neat. The bigger and smaller tiles really have no appeal to me as I've already configured my layout to the best of my liking using the current feature set, and I doubt I'll be using them anytime soon unless all the sudden I start using a lot more apps.

Overall it just feels like they're responding to the whining casual users who have a hard time adjusting to advancements in technology. The unified search is nice, but I still prefer using a desktop browser for my searches as things have always felt a little cramped while in the metro interface. Things might change when the actual update releases and I start using it, but I'm fine now with how the interface is currently. Unifying RT with WP will solve a lot of problems, though, mainly with apps but maybe they should hold off on that until both platforms have a respectable selection going.

 

[Sipho94]

The video Microsoft posted on their blog is a very slim summary, the video above shows a lot more detail, the Desktop tile is not gone :smile:

And the Start Button is back, but the actual menu is not. All they have done is put the Start Button back as a permanent visual trigger for the New Start Screen (for us mouse and keyboard users.) As for the bigger and smaller tiles that is a thing of taste...for me some apps that don't have active live tiles take up precious space, so it will help to make my personal Start Screen more functional.

The new multitasking features are a BIG deal though, my father uses a huge 27-inch screen and Windows 8 feels too 'spacey' when he uses his PC, also the fact that he could snap a strip of an app to his gigantic screen was a little stupid, so that feature will help him be more functional and multitask too. For example you cannot effectively browse the internet and watch a video on his PC in the modern video, Either Internet Explorer is too minute when snapped as a strip or the wide-screen video is miniscule and ineffective to watch as a tiny box. It is just inefficient with such a big monitor.

I think it is less about adaption and more about making Windows 8 work the best for every possible hardware configuration you have in terms of form factor, and right now I think it can be better - especially for those utilizing quite large or even smaller screens.

 

[Jupast]

Quiet Hours

 

[cybodroid]

The video Microsoft posted on their blog is a very slim summary, the video above shows a lot more detail, the Desktop tile is not gone :smile:

And the Start Button is back, but the actual menu is not. All they have done is put the Start Button back as a permanent visual trigger for the New Start Screen (for us mouse and keyboard users.) As for the bigger and smaller tiles that is a thing of taste...for me some apps that don't have active live tiles take up precious space, so it will help to make my personal Start Screen more functional.

The new multitasking features are a BIG deal though, my father uses a huge 27-inch screen and Windows 8 feels too 'spacey' when he uses his PC, also the fact that he could snap a strip of an app to his gigantic screen was a little stupid, so that feature will help him be more functional and multitask too. For example you cannot effectively browse the internet and watch a video on his PC in the modern video, Either Internet Explorer is too minute when snapped as a strip or the wide-screen video is miniscule and ineffective to watch as a tiny box. It is just inefficient with such a big monitor.

I think it is less about adaption and more about making Windows 8 work the best for every possible hardware configuration you have in terms of form factor, and right now I think it can be better - especially for those utilizing quite large or even smaller screens.

I've grown accustomed to metro as it does have some nice apps and the start screen serves as a central point in getting to my most used websites, but other than that I haven't been too fond of all it's other features like multitasking which I've yet to use. The desktop is still where it's at for me as I feel having multiple windows and tabs open will always be more functional than dividing the screen up into different sections. The biggest achievement of Windows 8 really is getting the touchscreen to work with the traditional desktop.

 

[klcow]

Would love to see how native miracast support will be implemented in WP8.1, its time they have some form of screen mirroring and display on windows phone.

 

[iamakii]

1. Skydrive to view local files
2. Bing apps (News, Finance, Sports, etc)
3. IE 11
4. Lock orientation
5. Improved search
6. Store app automatically update and force check updates
7. Live tiles grouping
8. Live tiles category

 

[Technoloay]

To be specific: All of them. Windows phone 8 in its current state is still missing some key features as well as superb ones.

 

[hahaha10000]

1. Skydrive to view local files
2. Bing apps (News, Finance, Sports, etc)
3. IE 11
4. Lock orientation
5. Improved search
6. Store app automatically update and force check updates
7. Live tiles grouping
8. Live tiles category

You are on the money that is 100% right. I would just add closer linking with windows 8.1, for example linking reading list

 

[chezm]

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