Screenshots of internal Windows Phone OS build leaked – shows early notification center and more

Windows Phone BlueWe all know that Microsoft is currently preparing the rollout of the GDR2 update for their Windows Phone 8 OS, and future updates are also in development – including a GDR3 update as well as Windows Phone “Blue” upgrade. However, we have heard very little about what’s to come, until now. Reddit user ChinaMan28 managed to get his hands on a Nokia Lumia 920 off eBay with an pre-release build of the Windows Phone OS loaded, withe the version number 12084.WPMAIN(wpbldlab).20130509-1407, indicating it was compiled on May 9th. Based on the screenshots revealed, the OS build contained quite a few new features currently in development, including:

  • Notifications center
  • Ability to close apps in the App switcher
  • App list can be sorted alphabetically or by frequency of usage
  • Calendar gets week view

You can check out some of the screenshots below:

Start Screen App List App List - Sort Applications
Start Screen with Notifications app tile App List with new sort by frequency and Notifications app listed App List sorting options
Calendar - Week View Task Manager - Close Notifications
New week view in Calendar app Ability to close apps in App switcher Notifications app

According to WPCentral, the screenshots comes from an early development build of the OS, and that the look and feel of the notification center is expected to change as development goes on (and might not exist as an “app” but rather integrated in the OS).

Whilst we’re unsure whether this is the GDR3 update or Windows Phone “Blue”, some test apps bundled with the phone had the title “BLUE” in it (e.g. HERE Drive+ Beta BLUE), suggesting we may be looking at an early version of Windows Phone “Blue”. Of course, features and UI are definitely subject to change in the final build, but this is a good opportunity for us to see what Microsoft have planned for the future of the OS. What do you think of the new additions? Are there anything else you’d like to see added? Let us know in the comments below!


LiveSide.net