The Windows Phone 8.1 update is now being shared with developers, and despite non-disclosure agreements, details and screenshots of the update have started to emerge.
Some of the new features are more interesting to developers (JavaScript support!), but there are also things that will affect all Windows Phone users. The original (now deleted) post on Reddit began “So I may or may not be part of the dev preview program and I might have seen that WP8.1 will support JavaScript for programming.”
The Camera app is getting three modes; Camera, Burst and Video. The panoramic ‘Pivot’ interface is now called Hub, and has smaller title text, giving you more screen real-estate underneath. There are new transitions (hopefully not nausea-inducing like iOS 7), and a Storage Sense area has been added to Settings, where you can choose where to store various file types and apps (including storing apps on your SD).
The Battery Sense app will show you what’s using your battery’s charge; this seems like something iOS users would appreciate too! There is also a new YouTube player, following last year’s (resolved) dispute with Google over advertisements. There is a new podcast app, and Xbox Music and Video apps are installed by default.
Despite being a distant second or third in most markets, Windows Phone 8 is growing steadily, and some of these developments are sure to entice more people to try the mobile OS.
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[Source: reddit/r/windowsphone]
