Microsoft announces Windows Phone 8.1 update and expands Cortana to more countries

In the end the rumors were true and Microsoft doesn't want to wait too long to publish the first major update of Windows Phone 8.1 The Redmond company has announced that it already has a Windows Phone 8.1 Update ready and intends to make it available to those signed up for the 'Preview for Developers' program next week.

Among the functionalities that the update incorporates into the system are some of the ones that we have already discussed here, such as application folders; but there are also additional ones.In addition, with this update Microsoft will begin the international expansion of Cortana, reaching new countries, among which we already anticipate that there are none that speak Spanish.

Cortana goes on a trip

The most important update, unfortunately, is the one that will have the least effect on our countries. With this new update, Cortana, the personal assistant of Windows Phone 8.1, will leave the borders of the United States to begin expanding internationally. It will do so starting with the United Kingdom and China in a “beta” version, and with Canada, India and Australia in an “alpha” version.

Among the new countries, the arrival of Cortana in China is significant, where she will even have a name change (“Xiao Na”) and an alternative interface with a smiley included. For the rest, Microsoft has made an effort to maintain all of Cortana's functionalities in the Asian market, providing it with the ability to understand Mandarin voice commands and locally specialized skills.

In the United States they continue to improve their experience thanks to the inclusion of new scenarios to give orders in natural language, more reminder options or useful and curious news to give Cortana personality. The assistant continues to improve like this while we hope that Redmond will soon take it to Spanish-speaking countries as well.

Improvements to the home screen and its organization

On the Windows Phone blog, Joe Belfiore begins his review of what's new in Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 by application folders Although there were already alternatives in the form of applications such as Nokia's, these represent the arrival of folders as one of the native functions of the home screen. From now on we can group applications into a single tile that will show their icons and expand to allow us to access them.

Continuing with the splash screen, Microsoft has also finally turned the Windows Phone Store tile into a Live Tile Of this In this way, the applications that periodically arrive at the store will be shown directly to us. Applications can now be organized and executed in a special mode called Apps Corner designed primarily for the business environment, allowing access only to those selected applications.

An additional improvement that also has to do with the way in which we organize the content of our phone are the news in the management of SMS messages. Multiple selection for resubmission or deletion has been added to your application. Multiple selection that, by the way, will be extended more and more by other applications.

Xbox Music is also included in the package

After the criticism received by the Xbox Music application that came with Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft has been trying to correct the situation for some time. The regular updates that it was already receiving will now be joined by a larger one that aims to solve many problems and improve general performance in sections such as application loading or browsing between lists.

Xbox Music will now recover features that it lost with the arrival of the latest version of the system and will add new ones over the coming months. There will be the Live Tile, the support for Kid's Corner, or quick access to the last played tracks; but above all the promise to continue improving the necessary Windows Phone music application.

More improvements we can try next week

But the thing does not end there, and it is that this first major update of Windows Phone 8.1 brings with it many internal improvements and new features in the form of support for more and more things. Among them are interactive covers or new resolutions and screen sizes, which pave the way for the arrival of new devices to the system.

We won't have to wait long to test all this. Those users who are part of the Windows Phone 8.1 'Preview for Developers' program (here we tell you how to join), will begin to receive the update during the next week In the meantime, the general public will have to wait for its final version to arrive in the coming months

Via | Windows Phone Blog