• Michael
• On October 14, 2013

According to The Verge, Microsoft is making the third update of Windows Phone 8 official today. GDR 3 (General Distribution Release 3) brings a handful of new and improved existing features, and is designed primarily for the forthcoming devices with a more powerful hardware. As we revealed in the previous months, the new update is optimized to run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon MSM8974 quad-core processor, as well as 5- and 6-inch displays at 1080p resolution. It is expected to ship with the new devices from Nokia, which announcement is planned for October 22 in Abu Dhabi.

The update has several new features. Microsoft is adding a new column for Live Tiles. Thus, the user will be able to set six small tiles in one row. The built-in apps such as Mail, People, Music / Videos, Photos, and Hub are tailored for 6-inch displays, allowing the full use of the largest display`s capabilities and displaying more content than before.

Besides the hardware improvements, the new update is getting new features in accordance with the users` suggestions. One of those much wanted features are custom notification sounds. Now users will be able to use custom tones for messages, reminders, emails, and voicemails. The update is going to feature a rotation lock and Driving Mode options as well. There is a major improvement in the multitasking. Now the users can quickly close apps directly from the multitasking switcher.

Among the other improvements are better Bluetooth support, improved storage management and Internet Sharing. It will be possible to pare a phone with Windows 8.1 via Bluetooth without a Wi-Fi password. Also, there will be an option of access to Wi-Fi during the phone set up, allowing restoring a backup via Wi-Fi. It is not clear yet when exactly all handsets will get the update, but it is already available for download for developers.

Source: The Verge