Windows Phone 8 facts for kids
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The start screen for Windows Phone 8
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| Developer | Microsoft Corporation |
|---|---|
| OS family | Windows Phone |
| Released to manufacturing |
October 29, 2012 |
| Latest release | Update 3 (8.0.10532.166) / April 14, 2014; 6 years ago |
| Repository |
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| Official website | https://microsoft.com/windowsphone |
| Support status | |
| Unsupported as for January 12, 2016 | |
Windows Phone 8 was a mobile operating system made by Microsoft. It was the second main version of Windows Phone. Microsoft officially launched it on October 29, 2012. This system was a lot like Windows 8, which was for computers.
Windows Phone 8 is no longer supported by Microsoft as of January 12, 2016. This means it does not get new updates or security fixes. Users could upgrade their phones to Windows Phone 8.1. This helped them get more updates and better security.
Contents
How Windows Phone 8 Was Made
Microsoft first talked about Windows Phone 8 on June 20, 2010. At that time, it was called "Apollo." This was a big step for Microsoft's phone systems. Windows Phone 8 was different from Windows Phone 7 because it used a new base system. It was also designed to work with more types of phones.
The name "Apollo" was later changed to Windows Phone 8. It was officially released to the public in October 2012. Windows Phone 8.1 came out later as its next version in 2014.
First Update: What Changed?
The first big update for Windows Phone 8 came out on October 29, 2012. This update brought some new things to the phones. The Microsoft Store got updates, making it easier to find apps. The main screen could have green themes and white backgrounds. The music and video apps were also made public for everyone to use. The "People" app, which stores contacts, could now show photos for your friends.
Second Update: More Features
The second update for Windows Phone 8 was released on November 12, 2012. This update added more improvements. It made it easier to get to the Action Center from the start menu. The battery settings also looked more like the Action Center. Microsoft released a test version of this update on November 3, 2012.
Third Update: Final Changes
The third update for Windows Phone 8 came out on April 14, 2014. This update was also made by Microsoft. It added support for more advanced web browsing. The start screen also got updates for the OneNote app. This was the last major update for Windows Phone 8.
When Support Ended
Microsoft stopped giving updates for Windows Phone 8 on January 12, 2016. This means that phones running Windows Phone 8 no longer received security updates or new features. Microsoft encouraged users to upgrade their devices to Windows Phone 8.1.
Features That Were Removed
Some features that were in earlier versions of Windows Phone were not in Windows Phone 8. For example, the voice assistant called Cortana was not in Windows Phone 8. Cortana was added later in Windows Phone 8.1.
Also, the cloud storage service called SkyDrive was changed. It was still available through the Internet Explorer app, but its direct link was removed. Some settings updates and file history features were also taken out. However, the Xbox Games app continued to work on Windows Phone 8.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Windows Phone 8 para niños
