<s>
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
is	O
the	O
third	O
generation	O
of	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
mobile	O
operating	O
system	O
,	O
succeeding	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rolled	O
out	O
at	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
Build	O
Conference	O
in	O
San	O
Francisco	O
,	O
California	O
,	O
on	O
April	O
2	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
final	O
form	O
to	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
developers	B-Application
on	O
April	O
14	O
,	O
2014	O
and	O
reached	O
general	O
availability	O
on	O
August	O
4	O
,	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phones	I-Protocol
running	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8	O
can	O
be	O
upgraded	O
to	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
,	O
with	O
release	O
dependent	O
on	O
carrier	O
rollout	O
dates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
is	O
also	O
the	O
last	O
version	O
that	O
uses	O
the	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
brand	O
name	O
as	O
it	O
was	O
succeeded	O
by	O
Windows	B-Operating_System
10	I-Operating_System
Mobile	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
devices	O
are	O
capable	O
of	O
being	O
upgraded	O
to	O
Windows	B-Operating_System
10	I-Operating_System
Mobile	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Support	O
has	O
ended	O
for	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
on	O
July	O
11	O
,	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
was	O
first	O
rumored	O
to	O
be	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
Blue	O
,	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
updates	O
to	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
mobile	O
operating	O
system	O
that	O
would	O
coincide	O
with	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Windows	B-Device
8.1	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Microsoft	O
had	O
originally	O
planned	O
to	O
release	O
WP8.1	B-Protocol
in	O
late	O
2013	O
,	O
shortly	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
its	O
PC	O
counterpart	O
,	O
general	O
distribution	O
of	O
the	O
new	O
operating	O
system	O
was	O
pushed	O
back	O
until	O
early	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
of	O
waiting	O
over	O
a	O
year	O
to	O
add	O
new	O
features	O
to	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
opted	O
to	O
release	O
three	O
incremental	O
updates	O
to	O
its	O
existing	O
mobile	O
OS	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
updates	O
included	O
GDR2	O
(	O
Lumia	O
Amber	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
introduced	O
features	O
such	O
as	O
"	O
Data	O
Sense	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
GDR3	O
(	O
Lumia	O
Black	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
brought	O
support	O
for	O
quad-core	B-Architecture
processors	I-Architecture
,	O
1080p	O
high-definition	O
screens	O
of	O
up	O
to	O
six	O
inches	O
,	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
a	O
"	O
Driving	O
Mode	O
,	O
"	O
and	O
extra	O
rows	O
of	O
live	O
tiles	O
for	O
larger	O
"	O
phablet	B-Application
"	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
updated	O
operating	O
system	O
's	O
final	O
name	O
was	O
leaked	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
when	O
Microsoft	O
released	O
the	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
SDK	O
to	O
developers	B-Application
on	O
February	O
10	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
was	O
n't	O
until	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
Build	O
conference	O
keynote	O
on	O
April	O
2	O
,	O
2014	O
when	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
was	O
officially	O
announced	O
,	O
alongside	O
the	O
Windows	B-Device
8.1	I-Device
Update	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
final	O
shipping	O
code	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
registered	O
users	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Preview	O
for	O
Developers	B-Application
"	O
program	O
on	O
April	O
14	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
the	O
general	O
public	O
in	O
subsequent	O
months	O
,	O
the	O
actual	O
release	O
date	O
being	O
determined	O
by	O
the	O
devices	O
 '	O
wireless	O
carriers	O
and	O
accompanied	O
with	O
firmware	O
updates	O
,	O
including	O
Lumia	O
Cyan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
Preview	O
for	O
Developers	B-Application
"	O
program	O
was	O
initiated	O
in	O
October	O
2013	O
with	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8	O
Update	O
3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
program	O
was	O
intended	O
for	O
developers	B-Application
and	O
enthusiasts	O
to	O
gain	O
immediate	O
access	O
to	O
OS	O
updates	O
as	O
they	O
become	O
available	O
from	O
Microsoft	O
,	O
bypassing	O
wireless	O
carriers	O
and	O
OEMs	O
who	O
test	O
changes	O
before	O
including	O
device-specific	O
firmware	O
updates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Preview	O
for	O
Developers	B-Application
"	O
program	O
do	O
not	O
void	O
their	O
warranty	O
in	O
most	O
cases	O
and	O
can	O
install	O
any	O
future	O
firmware	O
that	O
is	O
included	O
with	O
their	O
carrier	O
's	O
official	O
rollout	O
of	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
software	O
updates	O
delivered	O
through	O
"	O
Preview	O
for	O
Developers	B-Application
"	O
are	O
complete	O
,	O
finished	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
OS	O
,	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
the	O
Windows	B-Operating_System
10	I-Operating_System
Mobile	I-Operating_System
builds	O
in	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
Insider	I-Application
program	I-Application
,	O
which	O
are	O
preview	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
software	O
that	O
are	O
intended	O
for	O
users	O
to	O
try	O
out	O
new	O
features	O
before	O
the	O
final	O
release	O
and	O
may	O
contain	O
bugs	B-Error_Name
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
introduces	O
a	O
host	O
of	O
notable	O
new	O
features	O
,	O
most	O
of	O
which	O
were	O
unveiled	O
in	O
a	O
preview	O
released	O
to	O
developers	B-Application
on	O
February	O
10	O
,	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cortana	O
is	O
a	O
personal	O
virtual	O
assistant	O
that	O
was	O
added	O
in	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
is	O
similar	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
Now	I-Application
and	O
Apple	O
's	O
Siri	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Cortana	O
name	O
derives	O
from	O
the	O
Halo	O
video	O
game	O
series	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
Microsoft	O
franchise	O
exclusive	O
to	O
Xbox	B-Protocol
and	O
Windows	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cortana	O
's	O
features	O
include	O
being	O
able	O
to	O
set	O
reminders	O
,	O
recognize	O
natural	O
voice	O
without	O
the	O
user	O
having	O
to	O
input	O
a	O
predefined	O
series	O
of	O
commands	O
and	O
answer	O
questions	O
using	O
information	O
from	O
Bing	B-Application
(	O
like	O
current	O
weather	O
and	O
traffic	O
conditions	O
,	O
sports	O
scores	O
,	O
and	O
biographies	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	B-Device
8.1	I-Device
'	O
s	O
universal	O
Bing	B-Application
SmartSearch	O
features	O
are	O
incorporated	O
into	O
Cortana	O
,	O
which	O
replaces	O
the	O
previous	O
Bing	B-Application
Search	I-Application
app	O
which	O
is	O
activated	O
when	O
a	O
user	O
presses	O
the	O
"	O
Search	O
"	O
button	O
on	O
their	O
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
uses	O
a	O
mobile	O
version	O
of	O
Internet	B-Application
Explorer	I-Application
11	I-Application
as	O
the	O
default	O
web	O
browser	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IE11	B-Application
carries	O
over	O
many	O
of	O
its	O
desktop	O
counterpart	O
's	O
improvements	O
,	O
which	O
include	O
support	O
for	O
WebGL	B-Library
,	O
normal	O
mapping	O
,	O
InPrivate	O
mode	O
,	O
Reading	O
mode	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
swipe	O
left	O
or	O
right	O
to	O
navigate	O
to	O
a	O
previous	O
webpage	O
and	O
back	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
updated	O
browser	O
also	O
includes	O
a	O
new	O
HTML5	B-Application
video	O
web	O
player	O
with	O
support	O
for	O
inline	O
playback	O
and	O
closed	O
captions	O
,	O
Windows	O
8-style	O
website	O
live	O
tiles	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
save	O
passwords	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
a	O
user	O
is	O
logged	O
in	O
with	O
their	O
Microsoft	O
account	O
on	O
both	O
their	O
Windows	B-Device
8.1	I-Device
device	O
and	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
,	O
their	O
tabs	O
on	O
IE11	B-Application
will	O
now	O
sync	O
automatically	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apps	O
for	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
can	O
now	O
be	O
created	O
using	O
the	O
same	O
application	B-Application
model	I-Application
as	O
Windows	B-Application
Store	O
apps	O
for	O
Windows	B-Device
8.1	I-Device
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
Runtime	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
file	O
extension	O
for	O
WP	O
apps	O
is	O
now	O
"	O
.appx	O
"	O
(	O
which	O
is	O
used	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
Store	O
apps	O
)	O
,	O
instead	O
of	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
's	O
traditional	O
"	O
.xap	B-Application
"	O
file	O
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Applications	O
built	O
for	O
WP8.1	B-Protocol
can	O
invoke	O
semantic	O
zoom	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
access	O
to	O
single	O
sign-on	O
with	O
a	O
Microsoft	O
account	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Windows	B-Application
Phone	I-Application
Store	I-Application
now	O
also	O
updates	O
apps	O
automatically	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
App	O
developers	B-Application
will	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
develop	O
apps	O
using	O
C#	B-Application
/	O
Visual	B-Language
Basic.NET	I-Language
(	O
.NET	B-Application
)	O
,	O
C++	O
(	O
CX	O
)	O
or	O
HTML5/JavaScript	O
,	O
like	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
8	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developers	B-Application
will	O
also	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
build	O
"	O
universal	O
apps	O
"	O
for	O
both	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
and	O
Windows	B-Application
8	I-Application
that	O
share	O
almost	O
all	O
code	O
,	O
except	O
for	O
that	O
specific	O
to	O
the	O
platform	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
user	B-Application
interface	I-Application
and	O
phone	O
APIs	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Any	O
universal	O
apps	O
that	O
have	O
been	O
installed	O
on	O
Windows	B-Device
8.1	I-Device
will	O
automatically	O
appear	O
in	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
"	O
My	O
Apps	O
"	O
section	O
on	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apps	O
built	O
for	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8	O
and	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
7	O
automatically	O
run	O
on	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
,	O
but	O
apps	O
built	O
for	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
will	O
not	O
run	O
on	O
any	O
previous	O
version	O
of	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Windows	B-Application
Phone	I-Application
Store	I-Application
was	O
redesigned	O
in	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
to	O
become	O
more	O
information-dense	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
App	O
ratings	O
have	O
been	O
designed	O
to	O
match	O
those	O
of	O
Windows	B-Device
8.1	I-Device
,	O
with	O
horizontal	O
bars	O
added	O
to	O
indicate	O
how	O
many	O
5-star	O
,	O
4-star	O
,	O
or	O
3-star	O
reviews	O
an	O
app	O
has	O
received	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Furthermore	O
,	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
Phone	I-Application
Store	I-Application
now	O
includes	O
a	O
"	O
My	O
Apps	O
"	O
section	O
under	O
the	O
three-dot	O
menu	O
which	O
allows	O
users	O
to	O
re-install	O
any	O
app	O
they	O
have	O
purchased	O
previously	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
support	O
ended	O
on	O
July	O
11	O
,	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Windows	B-Application
Phone	I-Application
Store	I-Application
on	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
was	O
shut	O
down	O
on	O
December	O
16	O
,	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wi-Fi	O
Sense	O
automatically	O
signs	O
in	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phones	I-Protocol
to	O
trusted	O
available	O
Wi-Fi	O
hotspots	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Calendar	O
app	O
now	O
has	O
a	O
week	O
view	O
with	O
current	O
weather	O
,	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
features	O
in	O
the	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Outlook	I-Application
calendar	O
available	O
to	O
desktop	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
calendar	O
further	O
adds	O
support	O
for	O
syncing	O
Google	O
Calendars	O
with	O
your	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Maps	B-Application
has	O
been	O
overhauled	O
with	O
support	O
for	O
aerial-view	O
,	O
3D	O
mapping	O
and	O
a	O
dynamic	O
compass	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Local	O
Scout	O
,	O
which	O
has	O
been	O
removed	O
from	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
implementation	O
of	O
Cortana	O
,	O
has	O
been	O
moved	O
to	O
Maps	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
can	O
now	O
automatically	O
upgrade	O
existing	O
phone	O
calls	O
to	O
Skype	B-Application
video	I-Application
calls	O
from	O
within	O
the	O
phone	O
call	O
UI	O
,	O
which	O
has	O
also	O
been	O
revamped	O
with	O
larger	O
buttons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Skype	B-Application
calls	O
can	O
also	O
be	O
directly	O
initiated	O
from	O
Cortana	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Xbox	B-Application
Music	I-Application
and	O
Xbox	B-Application
Video	I-Application
provide	O
streaming	O
services	O
for	O
movies	O
,	O
music	O
,	O
and	O
TV	O
shows	O
,	O
and	O
are	O
separated	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
being	O
joined	O
together	O
in	O
previous	O
versions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Notably	O
,	O
Xbox	B-Application
Video	I-Application
now	O
has	O
built-in	O
support	O
for	O
video	O
streaming	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
separating	O
its	O
music	O
and	O
video	O
streaming	O
services	O
,	O
8.1	B-Device
also	O
adds	O
support	O
for	O
separate	O
volume	O
controls	O
,	O
audio	O
and	O
video	O
transcoding	O
,	O
hardware	O
acceleration	O
,	O
stereoscopic	O
3D	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
ability	O
for	O
apps	O
to	O
capture	O
and	O
record	O
video	O
independently	O
of	O
the	O
operating	O
system	O
's	O
built-in	O
video	O
recorder	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
stock	O
camera	O
app	O
has	O
been	O
updated	O
with	O
a	O
more	O
minimalist	O
design	O
similar	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
the	O
camera	O
app	O
on	O
Windows	B-Device
8.1	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
users	O
can	O
now	O
save	O
high-resolution	O
photos	O
directly	O
to	O
OneDrive	B-Application
,	O
instead	O
of	O
only	O
having	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
upload	O
the	O
5MP	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
image	O
to	O
the	O
cloud	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Building	O
on	O
improvements	O
made	O
in	O
the	O
third	O
update	O
to	O
its	O
predecessor	O
,	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
adds	O
support	O
for	O
closing	O
apps	O
by	O
swiping	O
down	O
on	O
them	O
in	O
the	O
multitasking	O
view	O
(	O
invoked	O
by	O
doing	O
a	O
long-press	O
on	O
the	O
"	O
back	O
"	O
button	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
similar	O
to	O
how	O
multitasking	O
operates	O
on	O
Windows	B-Application
8	I-Application
and	O
iOS	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
third	O
column	O
of	O
live	O
tiles	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
previously	O
available	O
only	O
to	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phones	I-Protocol
with	O
1080p	O
and	O
select	O
phones	O
with	O
720p	O
screens	O
,	O
is	O
now	O
an	O
option	O
for	O
all	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
devices	O
regardless	O
of	O
screen	O
size	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
inclusion	O
of	O
Update	O
1	O
,	O
WP8.1	B-Protocol
now	O
lets	O
users	O
drag	O
app	O
tiles	O
on	O
top	O
of	O
each	O
other	O
to	O
create	O
folders	O
of	O
apps	O
on	O
the	O
Start	O
Screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
Me	O
"	O
hub	O
in	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
has	O
been	O
transformed	O
from	O
a	O
single	O
hub	O
to	O
update	O
and	O
maintain	O
all	O
social	O
media	O
accounts	O
to	O
a	O
single	O
hub	O
to	O
a	O
viewer	O
which	O
allows	O
users	O
to	O
view	O
news	O
feeds	O
from	O
social	O
networks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
users	O
click	O
on	O
a	O
Facebook	O
post	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
they	O
are	O
instantly	O
redirected	O
to	O
the	O
Facebook	O
app	O
,	O
instead	O
of	O
being	O
allowed	O
to	O
like	O
or	O
comment	O
on	O
that	O
post	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
Me	O
"	O
hub	O
itself	O
,	O
a	O
feature	O
available	O
in	O
previous	O
versions	O
of	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Me	O
hub	O
's	O
notification	O
center	O
for	O
social	O
networks	O
has	O
also	O
been	O
removed	O
,	O
as	O
this	O
feature	O
is	O
now	O
integrated	O
into	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
'	O
s	O
Action	O
Center	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Supported	O
social	O
networks	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
Me	O
"	O
hub	O
include	O
Facebook	O
,	O
Foursquare	B-Application
,	O
LinkedIn	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Twitter	B-Application
,	O
which	O
has	O
also	O
been	O
fully	O
integrated	O
into	O
the	O
Contacts	O
Hub	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
adds	O
the	O
ability	O
for	O
OEMs	O
and	O
individual	O
apps	O
to	O
customize	O
their	O
custom	O
lock	O
screen	O
themes	O
even	O
further	O
by	O
skinning	O
the	O
font	O
and	O
orientation	O
of	O
time	O
,	O
date	O
,	O
and	O
notification	O
text	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apps	O
can	O
also	O
send	O
users	O
location-specific	O
notifications	O
with	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
a	O
new	O
geofencing	O
API	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
has	O
added	O
a	O
Word	O
Flow	O
keyboard	O
in	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
that	O
,	O
similarly	O
to	O
the	O
Swype	B-Language
keyboard	O
option	O
available	O
on	O
Android	B-Application
devices	O
,	O
allows	O
users	O
to	O
swipe	O
through	O
letters	O
to	O
type	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
keyboard	O
was	O
touted	O
for	O
its	O
speed	O
and	O
accuracy	O
,	O
and	O
brought	O
fame	O
to	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
research	O
division	O
when	O
fifteen-year-old	O
Lakeside	O
School	O
student	O
Gaurav	O
Sharma	O
,	O
using	O
a	O
Nokia	B-Device
Lumia	I-Device
520	I-Device
equipped	O
with	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
and	O
the	O
"	O
Word	O
Flow	O
"	O
keyboard	O
,	O
broke	O
the	O
Guinness	O
World	O
Record	O
for	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
fastest	O
typing	O
on	O
a	O
mobile	O
phone	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
previously	O
held	O
by	O
a	O
Samsung	B-Application
Galaxy	I-Application
S4	I-Application
user	O
,	O
by	O
eight	O
seconds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
record	O
was	O
short-lived	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
subsequently	O
beaten	O
a	O
month	O
later	O
by	O
Marcel	O
Fernandes	O
,	O
who	O
finished	O
a	O
quarter	O
of	O
a	O
second	O
faster	O
using	O
the	O
Fleksy	B-Device
Keyboard	O
,	O
a	O
competing	O
keyboard	O
available	O
on	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
as	O
Flesky	O
relies	O
on	O
predictive	B-General_Concept
text	I-General_Concept
algorithms	O
rather	O
than	O
swiping	O
gestures	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
fair	O
to	O
say	O
that	O
"	O
Word	O
Flow	O
"	O
remains	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
fastest	O
"	O
swipe	O
"	O
keyboard	O
on	O
a	O
mobile	O
phone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
allows	O
apps	O
to	O
view	O
all	O
files	O
stored	O
on	O
a	O
WP	O
device	O
and	O
move	O
,	O
copy	O
,	O
paste	O
and	O
share	O
the	O
contents	O
of	O
a	O
device	O
's	O
internal	O
file	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
this	O
change	O
,	O
multiple	O
file	O
explorer	O
apps	O
have	O
been	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
Phone	I-Application
Store	I-Application
since	O
the	O
operating	O
system	O
's	O
debut	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
these	O
changes	O
,	O
SkyDrive	O
has	O
been	O
completely	O
rebranded	O
to	O
OneDrive	B-Application
across	O
the	O
operating	O
system	O
after	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
settlement	O
of	O
a	O
dispute	O
over	O
the	O
"	O
Sky	O
"	O
trademark	O
with	O
BSkyB	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
are	O
also	O
presented	O
with	O
multiple	O
options	O
when	O
a	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
device	O
is	O
connected	O
to	O
a	O
computer	O
via	O
USB	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
adds	O
support	O
for	O
VPN	B-Application
and	O
Bluetooth	O
4.0	O
LE	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Update	O
1	O
,	O
receiving	O
or	O
sending	O
data	O
through	O
VPN	B-Application
when	O
connecting	O
to	O
a	O
Wi-Fi	O
network	O
and	O
the	O
Bluetooth	O
PAN	O
(	O
Personal	O
Area	O
Network	O
)	O
1.0	O
standard	O
are	O
also	O
supported	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
devices	O
are	O
currently	O
manufactured	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
Mobile	O
(	O
formerly	O
Nokia	O
)	O
and	O
its	O
hardware	O
partners	O
,	O
including	O
HTC	O
,	O
Gionee	O
,	O
JSR	O
,	O
Karbonn	O
,	O
Micromax	O
,	O
Samsung	O
,	O
Alcatel	O
,	O
Lava	O
(	O
under	O
both	O
the	O
Lava	O
and	O
Xolo	O
brands	O
)	O
,	O
Cherry	O
Mobile	O
,	O
and	O
Blu	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
Gionee	O
,	O
JSR	O
,	O
LG	O
,	O
Lenovo	O
,	O
Longcheer	O
,	O
and	O
ZTE	O
have	O
registered	O
as	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
hardware	O
partners	O
,	O
but	O
have	O
yet	O
to	O
release	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
(	O
under	O
the	O
Xperia	O
or	O
Vaio	O
brand	O
)	O
has	O
also	O
stated	O
its	O
intention	O
to	O
produce	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
devices	O
in	O
the	O
near	O
future	O
,	O
but	O
this	O
has	O
not	O
materialized	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starting	O
with	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
8.1	I-Protocol
,	O
several	O
hardware	O
buttons	O
that	O
were	O
previously	O
required	O
on	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
are	O
no	O
longer	O
a	O
requirement	O
for	O
device	O
manufacturers	O
,	O
a	O
move	O
that	O
was	O
made	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
allow	O
OEMs	O
to	O
develop	O
devices	O
that	O
can	O
run	O
both	O
WP	O
and	O
Android	B-Application
;	O
the	O
HTC	B-Application
One	I-Application
(	O
M8	O
)	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
is	O
an	O
example	O
of	O
such	O
a	O
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
WP	O
now	O
supports	O
on-screen	O
buttons	O
that	O
OEMs	O
can	O
use	O
to	O
replace	O
the	O
capacitive	O
"	O
back	O
,	O
"	O
Windows	B-Application
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
search	O
"	O
buttons	O
that	O
have	O
been	O
required	O
for	O
devices	O
running	O
the	O
OS	O
since	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
device	O
manufacturers	O
are	O
also	O
no	O
longer	O
required	O
to	O
include	O
a	O
physical	O
camera	O
button	O
on	O
the	O
side	O
of	O
the	O
phone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tom	O
Warren	O
of	O
The	O
Verge	O
said	O
that	O
it	O
is	O
clear	O
that	O
the	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
OS	I-Protocol
is	O
being	O
left	O
behind	O
by	O
its	O
competitors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
Phone	I-Application
store	I-Application
has	O
many	O
apps	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
still	O
less	O
than	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
iOS	B-Application
stores	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Windows	B-Operating_System
Phone	I-Operating_System
apps	I-Operating_System
equivalents	O
are	O
severely	O
lacking	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
he	O
commends	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Phone	I-Protocol
for	O
its	O
ability	O
to	O
run	O
smoothly	O
across	O
a	O
wide	O
variety	O
of	O
hardware	O
and	O
the	O
thoughtful	O
addition	O
of	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
