Windows Phone 8.1: Everything You'll want to know

Windows phones have never been a public favorite because of android phones and iPhones. But these phones are slowly gaining popularity in countries like India, Brazil, Kenya and South Africa. With the release of Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 8.1, this could become the world’s second most popular operating system. Here are some reasons why you might like Window Phone 8.1:

Pull out Calendar View: Windows calendar view allows the user to see one week’s events on a single screen while the monthly calendar is located in the corner of the screen. The main screen shows the calendar with the main details of events but tapping on the calendar entry will show you an expanded view of the important details. By moving the screen left or right, you can see the events that have already taken place and the events that are yet to occur.

Weather and Traffic: The new Windows phone also has the ability to show the weather updates for an entire week in the pull out calendar. The temperature and weather icons are shown in top right corner for each day. Sometimes, it shows both the icon and the temperature and sometimes it just shows the temperature. You also have the ability to choose traffic alerts so that you get notifications about traffic before you leave home.

Support for Apple’s iCloud: Most Windows’ users use either a Mac or an iPad at their homes instead of a desktop, therefore Microsoft now supports Apple’s iCloud accounts for email, contacts, and calendars so that you can incorporate your Apple world with the Windows Phone. All the changes in the iCloud storage get updated on the phone.

Cortana Voice Assistant: The newest feature in the phone is the Cortana voice assistant, which is something similar to Apple's Siri and Google Now. Cortana is the new personal assistant and the knowledge navigator of Windows 8.1. It is voice activated so it any requests by the user with the same accuracy as Siri and Google Now. Starting from simple things like reminders to major news events, Cortana will answer anything.

Fun New Way to Type: Windows' competition for android phones' Swype feature is 'Word Flow' keyboard that allows you to move your finger from letter to letter to quickly create a word. This ’Word Flow’ feature of Microsoft has led it to win the Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest typing.

Notifications Center: If you swipe down from the top of the screen on the windows phone, it brings down the Action Center where all your notifications appear. This notification center gives you quick access to settings like wi-fi, Bluetooth, Airplane mode, and Rotation Lock. It collects notifications from Facebook, Twitter, Email; and from phone it collects notifications like missed calls and text messages.