Windows Phone is on a nice upward curve this year, overtaking Blackberry to sit pretty at the number three spot in the smartphone market. This year, many were expecting an update to Windows Phone 8 to include support for Virtual Private Networks (VPN), but Microsoft has again failed to live up to expectations. General Distribution Releases (GDRs), which is fancy terminology for major software updates amongst Microsoft folk, will be the primary mode for delivery of new features to Windows Phone handsets in the coming year. There are two GDR’s that are expected to roll out by the end of this year.
GDR1 was the Windows Phone 9 update that has already been distributed to handsets under the name ‘Portico’. GDR2 is expected to release in the next couple of months alongside the HTC Tiara. This release is expected to be done so that the updated software can be incorporated into new Windows Phone devices that are set to launch during spring or summer. GDR3 has so far been a speculation and is most likely to remain at that. And in all these updates, there has been no sign of including the VPN support that most customers had been eagerly looking forward to. By ignoring VPN, Microsoft is potentially ceding territory in the corporate segment, where high security and VPN, in particular, is often a requirement.
The next update after GDR3 is expected to be the much awaited Windows Phone Blue. This new update is mainly looking towards bringing a connected experience with devices running Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Phone 8 and other developer platforms in sync with each other. Moreover, the update is said to include a new programming interface and also a slightly tweaked UI. The solace for Windows Phone users here lies in the fact that all the updates, including Windows Phone Blue will be directly updated over the air and are expected to run seamlessly on all existing Windows Phone devices.
This has been confirmed by the Senior Marketing Manager, Greg Sullivan. A new Twitter client and another voice-activated assistant called Maluuba is said to be out in the application store and is ready for use. The availability of Windows Phone Blue, however, is a matter of concern. With speculated release dates in 2014, the update may be too late to help Windows Phone propel its way towards sizable market share.
