Windows Phone 8 - Review

Windows Phone 8 is the successor to Windows Phone 7 and the second generation of Microsoft’s modern mobile operating system. Released on October 29, 2012, it kept the familiar Metro-style interface while making major changes underneath.

The biggest shift was architectural. Microsoft moved from the older Windows CE foundation used by Windows Phone 7 to the Windows NT kernel shared with Windows 8. That gave Windows Phone 8 better hardware support and a stronger long-term foundation, but it also meant existing Windows Phone 7.x devices could not be upgraded to Windows Phone 8.

Setup and first impressions

Our review experience was based on the Nokia Lumia 920 for AT&T, though Windows Phone 8 was designed to feel consistent across devices from Nokia, HTC, Samsung, and other partners.

The setup process is simple. Users select a region, accept Microsoft’s terms, choose between recommended or custom settings, and sign into a Microsoft account. That account connects the phone to services like Outlook, Xbox, SkyDrive, chat, app downloads, and cloud sync.

Start Screen and Live Tiles

The Start Screen remains the heart of Windows Phone 8. Instead of static icons, Microsoft uses Live Tiles that display glanceable information such as missed calls, unread messages, calendar appointments, photos, and app updates.

Tiles can now be resized into three different sizes and arranged freely, making the Start Screen feel more personal than before. You can also pin contacts, apps, webpages, and groups for faster access.

Windows Phone still lacked a traditional notification center at launch, but Live Tiles acted as a useful alternative. They were not always as detailed as Android or iOS notifications, but they gave the platform a unique identity.

Lock screen, multitasking, and Kids Corner

Microsoft also improved the lock screen. Apps can display detailed or limited status updates, and some apps can even control the lock screen background. Bing wallpapers and Facebook integration are good examples of how this made the phone feel more alive.

Multitasking is accessed by holding the back button. It shows recently opened apps in a card-style view, letting users jump between apps quickly. It works well enough, but it is not as flexible as Android or iOS multitasking, and closing apps still requires repeated back-button presses.

Kids Corner is one of the smartest new additions. It lets users create a separate child-friendly space with selected apps and games, keeping personal data protected while still allowing someone else to use the phone safely.

People Hub and social integration

The People Hub is one of Windows Phone’s strongest features. It brings contacts, social updates, groups, rooms, messages, and recent activity into one central location.

Contacts are organized alphabetically and can be filtered by service. Once social accounts are connected, users can view status updates, photos, recent interactions, and contact information without jumping through separate apps.

Groups make it easier to organize people and send messages or emails quickly. Rooms go further by offering private group chat, shared calendars, notes, photos, and videos. Windows Phone users get the best experience, while iPhone users can access shared calendars. Android support was notably absent.

Calling, messaging, and email

Call quality on the Lumia 920 was strong over AT&T’s LTE network, with reliable signal performance and no major call issues during testing.

The Messaging Hub combines SMS, MMS, and chat conversations into a single threaded experience. Users can switch between SMS and Facebook chat inside the same conversation, which was a clever and convenient feature for the time.

The Windows Phone keyboard remains clean and accurate. It lacks haptic feedback, but typing feels responsive, and copy-and-paste support is simple enough for everyday use.

Email support is also solid. Users can add Microsoft, Nokia, Google, Yahoo, and other accounts, with the option to keep inboxes separate or link them together into a unified inbox.

Bing Search, Music, Vision, and voice

The dedicated search button opens Bing Search, which includes web search, Music, Vision, and voice features.

Bing Music works like a built-in Shazam alternative, identifying songs by listening to nearby audio. Bing Vision uses the camera to scan QR codes, barcodes, Microsoft Tags, and text. Having these features integrated directly into the system is convenient.

Voice recognition can search the web, send messages, send emails, and perform simple tasks. It is useful, but not as advanced as competing assistants from Apple and Google at the time.

Internet Explorer 10

Internet Explorer 10 is the default browser in Windows Phone 8. It is fast, smooth, and works well on the Lumia 920’s higher-resolution display.

The browser keeps the URL bar at the bottom of the screen, making it easy to reach with one hand. It supports tabs, favorites, page sharing, pinning pages to the Start Screen, find-on-page, mobile or desktop view options, and advanced privacy settings.

Tabbed browsing is improved compared with Windows Phone 7, and users can choose between Bing and Google as the default search provider.

Office, calendar, and productivity

Office Mobile remains a major advantage for Windows Phone. Word and Excel files can be viewed and edited directly from the phone, with document sync through SkyDrive.

Editing is straightforward, with formatting options like bold, italic, underline, font size, highlight, and font color. PowerPoint support is more limited, allowing users to view presentations but not create or fully edit them.

OneNote is also included and works well for lists, photos, voice notes, and cloud-synced notes. The Calendar app supports multiple accounts, color-coded calendars, agenda views, daily views, and to-dos synced through a Microsoft account.

Wallet, NFC, and business features

The Wallet app lets users store coupons, memberships, loyalty cards, payment methods, and other related information in one place. On supported Windows Phone 8 hardware, NFC enables tap-based sharing and contactless payment features in select markets.

Windows Phone 8 also has stronger business support, including company app access through workplace accounts. Combined with Office and Exchange support, this made the platform appealing for enterprise users.

Xbox and entertainment

Xbox integration is one of the most enjoyable parts of Windows Phone 8. Users can bring their Xbox avatar to the phone, track achievements, receive game requests, and access Xbox Live-enabled games through the Games hub.

Xbox Music adds music streaming, purchasing, cloud syncing, and subscription support. A paid Xbox Music Pass allowed users to access their music across Windows Phone, Windows devices, and Xbox 360.

Windows Phone Store and app ecosystem

The Windows Phone Store had grown past 100,000 apps by this point, and Microsoft was pushing quality over sheer numbers. Popular apps like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Angry Birds were available, and game pricing was beginning to improve.

Still, app availability remained one of the platform’s biggest weaknesses. Google’s limited support hurt the platform, and Windows Phone versions of popular apps often arrived later than their Android and iOS counterparts.

Nokia devices had a major advantage thanks to exclusive apps, HERE navigation, camera lenses, and additional software enhancements. HTC and Samsung also added their own apps, but Nokia clearly offered the strongest Windows Phone package.

Final thoughts

Windows Phone 8 was a major step forward for Microsoft. It kept the clean, bold identity of Windows Phone 7 while adding a stronger core, better hardware support, a more flexible Start Screen, improved lock screen features, Kids Corner, Wallet, NFC, and stronger Microsoft service integration.

The platform still had clear weaknesses. App availability lagged behind Android and iOS, multitasking felt limited, and the lack of an upgrade path for older Windows Phone users was frustrating. But as a mobile operating system, Windows Phone 8 felt polished, confident, and refreshingly different.

For users already invested in Microsoft services, or anyone buying a Nokia Lumia device, Windows Phone 8 offered one of the most distinctive smartphone experiences of its generation.