Microsoft celebrates Windows Phone 8 official launch

Erin Lodi | Published: Oct 29, 2012 at 19:08:51 UTC

Nokia's Lumia 920 is one of the first new smartphones to use the new Windows Phone 8 operating system.

Microsoft officially launched its Windows Phone 8 operating system today at a press conference held in San Francisco at which the focus remained on software functionality.

The Windows Phone Store now boasts 120,000 apps, and Microsoft says it expects to have 46 of the top 50 apps available on its platform soon. You can browse available photography-related apps now. The official launch of the OS also means we'll soon actually see what developers can do with the "lenses" option within the built-in camera app. The possibilities seem endless -- we imagine an arsenal of digital lenses and effects all available within the native camera app -- but time will tell.

We already knew about the upcoming Windows Phone 8X by HTC, the Samsung ATIV S and the Nokia Lumia 920, but Microsoft also teased an ATIV Odyssey from Samsung, though few further details were unveiled.

Windows Phone 8 devices become available next month in the U.S. through AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon:

Verizon Wireless will carry the Windows Phone 8X by HTC for $199.99 with a two-year contract, and the Nokia Lumia 822, exclusive to Verizon, for $99.99 with a two-year contract. Both will be available by Thanksgiving. The Samsung ATIV Odyssey, also exclusive to Verizon, will be available in December.
AT&T will carry the Nokia Lumia 920, the Lumia 820 and the Windows Phone 8X by HTC, starting in November. Pricing and contract information is not yet available.
T-Mobile will carry the Windows Phone 8X by HTC starting at $149.996 for the 16GB version and the Nokia Lumia 810 from $99.99, starting Nov. 14.

Is the new mobile OS piquing your interest? Let us know if you're thinking about a Windows Phone 8 device.

Comments

Total comments: 3

But an OS is an OS....if you use Mac OS or Windows - android or Linux.... I mean...

And you are not discussing photographic features (mainly) - you tell us that theree are already 120000 apps and so on...

At the end of the day it is - like I said - an OS.....

Comment edited 4 minutes after posting

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dpreview have not gone downhill just because they are viewing mobile phones. A camera phone is the most likely camera anyone will have with them at any one time.

In the London riots last year it was too dangerous for pro photographers to use a DSLR. What they were doing was using their mobile phone cameras to take photographs that they were then able to sell to the press. Plenty of other professional photographers have used mobile phone cameras to take photos when they are about and about in their normal lives when they suddenly see something that is an event that is happening there and then and won't happen again. They are then selling the photos. They are not being put off by their mobile phone cameras. They don't seem them as a limitation. They don't see them as not being a real camera. They are embracing the technology and using them to make money.

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