Windows Phone 8.1 Review: Here's What We Learned About It [VIDEO]

| Updated: Wednesday, May 7, 2014, 17:48 [IST]

The Microsoft-based Windows Phone 8.1 operating system is the company's newest introduction in a world that's predominantly ruled by the likes of the Google-based Android platform and the Apple-made iOS operating system. However, hopes are high that the new Windows Phone-based OS will do good in the long run.

The Windows Phone 8.1 operating system, codenamed 'Blue,' is basically the latest update to the Microsoft Windows Phone operating system. It was announced at Microsoft's Build 2014 conference in April, with new devices like the Lumia 930 arriving later that month running the platform.

GizBot recently got the oppertunity to try out the new operating system after its arrival in India, and from what we gather from the time we have spent with the new platform, it seems like if given enough time and popularity, the platform can really rise to an extent.

Talking about the features involved in the new operating system, there are a host of features to choose from like the new Start Screen layout or the other personalization options that have arrived with the new platform.

We have noted down a few of those features below, although you can get a more detailed overview if you check our video for the same below.

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Start Screen Layout and Personalization

While the fluidity that's involved with the Windows Phone platform has been a great hit with users, but the lack of wider options to customize the layout has been a major bummer for all. However, all those problems have now been put to rest with the release of the WP8.1.

With the Windows Phone 8.1, users can now place an image or a wallpaper on the background of the Start screen that will be visible through the tiles. Users also have the option to add an extra column of tiles on the Start screen, providing the option to place more favorite apps on the initial screen of the device.

Action Center
Here is Microsoft's answer to all those who blamed the company for not introducing an Android or iOS-like notification center with the mobile-based platform in the past.

With the Windows Phone 8.1 platform now in place, users can pull down the Action Center from the top of the display, view notifications, and even play around with other similar settings like brightness, Bluetooth and others.

Word Flow
Remember how users used to swipe on the built-in keyboard of an Android phone to type faster and compose faster mails? Well, the feature is now available with Windows Phone 8.1, called Word Flow. And with the text predictability feature remaining the same, it will be quite a welcoming experience once users get used to it.

Cortana Voice Assistant
While the likes of Apple-based Siri and the Google Now have claimed honors in introducing helpful voice assistants, it seems like Microsoft has also joined the bandwagon for the same.

Named after the AI character from the iconic game series Halo, Cortana makes sure that all the user queries are dealt with anytime of the day. So now you can ask Cortana for the traffic route, the weather, the latest football and cricket score updates, social network updates, and more.