Voice typing reconfirmed for Windows Phone 8, which might be sharing a kernel with Windows 8

Some whiteboard scribbles behind Microsoft's Director of Mobile Research back in June revealed that "Voice Typing" is coming in the Windows Phone version after Mango, which is codenamed Apollo, but will most likely be known commercially as Windows Phone 8.

Steven Chapman from ZDNet has been pulling out CVs of Microsoft employees, and scouring job listings to find this gem, which confirms the native speech-to-text and text-to-speech integration in the default email client of Windows Phone 8:

"Design and development of new features for Windows Phone-8. Implemented the ‘Voice-Compose’ (STT) and the ‘Read-Aloud’ (TTS) features for native email-clients."

Not only that, but another CV reads that there will be two updates or versions of the Windows Phone OS for entry level devices, called Tango, and these are codenamed Tango 1 and Tango 2: "Launch readiness for account within region of responsibility (e.g. Mango, Tango1, Tango2, Apollo, etc.)"

The most interesting findings, however, is that Microsoft might be planning to converge Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 at some point, or even build them on the same kernel, and the texts are as follows:

"The responsibilities included program managing software update features to provide device update technology that enables end-users to update Windows Phone OS with a new set of phone features including bug fixes. In this role, I delivered a set of functional requirements specifications for the major update components to enable image updates for the next generation Windows Phone OS (aka Apollo). They are Packaging System, Imaging System, Flashing System, Update OS, Update Validator and Update Application. Also drove and tracked early investigations for the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 OS convergence to create Mobile SKUs", says the CV of a former Program Manager.

This one is from an HTC Senior Product Planner: "Owned the advanced planning relationship with Microsoft; drove Microsoft “Apollo” product planning discussion and led HTC cross-division feedback. Identified high potential partners and technologies; initiated/participated in new partnership discussions; ensured the relevant technology integrations and strategic alignment.Restructured communication channel between the planning and field communication team; greatly increased the sell-in material accuracy and increased the overall update rate by 50+% Spearheaded the 2012 Windows mobile phone product roadmap."

Makes a lot of sense, and we should know much, much more when the BUILD conference in Anaheim starts 9am Pacific - Steven Sinofsky is expected to present Windows 8 on a tablet likely built by Samsung, so we'll be keeping you up to date with the developments.

via WPCentral