Watch some of Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1 update in action, Cortana China and Live Folders

posted by Maxwell R.

Aug 02, 2014, 7:08 PM

Watch some of Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1 update in action, Cortana China and Live Folders

Fresh out of China, we are treated to some of the features that are coming with the first major update to Windows Phone 8.1 as well as Cortana in China, which also has a distinctively different look than Cortana in other parts of the world.

Most of the time on the video is spent showing off Cortana, which many of us are familiar with, but the different animations is an interesting twist. Cortana in China has some significant feature distinctions in China in addition to Mandarin language support. There are built-in notebooks to track air quality reports and driving restriction advisories.

Near the beginning of the low-res video we can see part of the Live Folders feature in use, and how it looks when one is expanded to show its content. After that it is all about Cortana in Chinese (Xiao Na is the nickname).

Functionality is otherwise the same as what he have seen thus far with Cortana in the United States. The Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1 update will be coming to Developer Preview users sometime in the coming week. True to form for testing and whatever else the carriers do, expect to see the update make its way to the masses later this summer.

via: WMPoweruser

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42 Comments

38. javy108

Posts: 1004; Member since: Jul 27, 2014

USB Tether is what Windows Phone needs.

posted on Aug 03, 2014, 7:47 PM 0

39. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

USBOTG is what WP needs!!!

posted on Aug 04, 2014, 4:10 AM 0

37. rsiders

Posts: 2054; Member since: Nov 17, 2011

Live folders FTW! Forget all the WP haters. We support our own and continue an uphill battle for relevancy. Windows Phone is freakin awesome.

posted on Aug 03, 2014, 4:37 PM 0

42. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

Man, seriously!!!.. To tell the truth... Those live folders are seriously awesome, and takes the whole WP start screen to another level higher of functionality, and style... This is one of the best new features of WP8.1.. My start screen is half the size without loosing any "liveliness" like we did with "Nokia app folder".... Extremely good job on MS's part.... I'm just amazed at how fluid the performance is,, similar to how smooth WP7.xx was... I'm just extremely satisfied with WP8.1-1...

posted on Aug 04, 2014, 6:31 PM 0

17. AfterShock

Posts: 4147; Member since: Nov 02, 2012

Slow transition animations.

posted on Aug 03, 2014, 1:16 AM 0

33. NokiaFTW

Posts: 2072; Member since: Oct 24, 2012

Still faster than anything Android does!

posted on Aug 03, 2014, 10:55 AM 0

34. AfterShock

Posts: 4147; Member since: Nov 02, 2012

That's a bit slower then my old N5. So, no it's not faster then anything. Transition animations only fool fans.

posted on Aug 03, 2014, 11:08 AM 0

36. gazmatic

Posts: 822; Member since: Sep 06, 2012

please... spec for spec android loses

posted on Aug 03, 2014, 4:21 PM 0

2. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

Wow..... I'll be using WP8.1-1 next week.... ......... Anyways, MS still sux at marketing, and until they seriously do something about marketing they will continue to take the long, hard, road to double digit market share.... Marketing, Marketing, Marketing.. Always has been WP's biggest, and seriously to the core, only issue as far as the average consumer is concerned... Like I said before..... MS makes some really good products, but they just don't understand how to build MAJOR hype around them... Maybe they think too hard.... IDK..

posted on Aug 02, 2014, 7:16 PM 5

7. Arte-8800

Posts: 4562; Member since: Mar 13, 2014

I agree +1

posted on Aug 02, 2014, 8:12 PM 1

11. Doakie

Posts: 2478; Member since: May 06, 2009

I've met a couple of their marketing guys from a couple of their departments being that I live near Redmond Wa. I wonder what their focus groups and marketing analysis says about their marketing efforts. I'm tempted to ask them next time I see them. Except that'd be me snubbing their hard work. But in my opinion you're right. They never build hype around their products. You think with pockets deep as theirs they could go on a multi billion dollar per year marketing blitz like Samsung to get some traction.

posted on Aug 02, 2014, 10:37 PM 2

14. elitewolverine

Posts: 5192; Member since: Oct 28, 2013

I would love to see that, their marketing is very awkward at the moment. It is like they went full derp, with weird ads here and there.

posted on Aug 02, 2014, 11:35 PM 0

20. ManusImperceptus

Posts: 724; Member since: Jun 10, 2014

It's refreshing to see someone "admit" that Android and iOS is all about hype; it's just sad that this conclusion doesn't lead to the realization that falling for the hype might also mean being suckered. A world where hype is necessary in order to launch a successful device is a sad place indeed!

posted on Aug 03, 2014, 2:59 AM 0

27. Damo579

Posts: 268; Member since: May 18, 2013

Microsoft doesn't need even need to try so hard. Take the videos from Nokia's Youtube channel and put them on TV

posted on Aug 03, 2014, 9:23 AM 0

41. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

Some of that might work... But it's not so much what they are displaying as the amount they are displaying it... Those wedding commercials were great, bit they never keep it up!... It has to be year round, 24/7 marketing, that never lets up... Not just for a few months when a new device comes out, then nothing for months... Pathetic MS, and there marketing!!! Lol!... They make me mad with this $hit because I know they have the resources to do better... Or maybe they don't... IDK..

posted on Aug 04, 2014, 6:24 PM 0

1. NationGuettaTR

Posts: 38; Member since: Dec 28, 2013

What's the point? Phone is Chinese, reviewer is Chinese how do you expect that we can understand this? also any Chinese person here for translate?

posted on Aug 02, 2014, 7:15 PM 1

3. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

This site is worldwide, dude.. I think...

posted on Aug 02, 2014, 7:17 PM 8

4. cc3493

Posts: 158; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

I dont think its the matter of fact that you are suppossed to understand what he is saying but to see the chinese version of WP 8.1 and the new features that might be coming with the GDR1 update.

posted on Aug 02, 2014, 7:51 PM 3

5. dickwyn

Posts: 621; Member since: May 07, 2012

i understand chinese, basically he's just talking all about windows phone

posted on Aug 02, 2014, 7:57 PM 1

9. NationGuettaTR

Posts: 38; Member since: Dec 28, 2013

Oh thanks! Now have 8.1 DP on my dads L520. This phone is not so good. 15 sec. delay to enter mixradio. however i have to use it till i got my new G3. In a couple weeks.

posted on Aug 02, 2014, 8:23 PM 1

18. xadilx

Posts: 5; Member since: Nov 22, 2012

My Dad's Lumia 920 did'nt get the 8.1 update :(

posted on Aug 03, 2014, 1:44 AM 0

6. Duketytz

Posts: 534; Member since: Nov 28, 2013

He's basically talking about the new features of the Chinese version of the phone. Chinese and English are my main language but I doubt you will need either to understand the video

posted on Aug 02, 2014, 7:59 PM 0

8. Arte-8800

Posts: 4562; Member since: Mar 13, 2014

The Bad Spotify – it’s there finally on WP8…but try fast forwarding a song or skipping to a certain part of the song…you can’t do it. Again shows the lack of features in WP8 version as an example. Facebook – one of the slowest apps on the device…whoever fixed the twitter app needs to get to this one ASAP Foursquare – this app was originally dead slow…had some tweaks but still no where near as good as 4th & Mayor, which still isn’t as good as other OS’s OneNote – was good for text entry but wish I could have drawn on my screen like I can with Note 2 in S-Notes etc. LinkedIn – a lot of features missing from other OS’s The Ugly Skype – I never did get background skype working well Xbox Music – I’m hearing a lot of people giving up on Xbox Music not just in WP8 but also in Windows 8 due to things like Playlists not syncing across and the metro interface simply not being usable. WordPress – good start but again more of a “me too” than a functional app Yammer – this app is so slow it’s not even funny compared to other OS’s Yelp – a major amount of features missing in this Missing APPS In general there are quite a few apps missing, I got sick of seeing TV ads and NYC subway ads about “Available now on Apple and Android devices” with no mention of Windows Phone…in some cases already companies are hedging bets on Blackberry over Windows Phone which seems a little bold. Just a small sample of those that I was looking for: Feedly – especially now Google Reader is going away! FlipBoard – AWESOME app! FitBit – for syncing my FitBit One GTalk GrubHub – for ordering take out Instagram – pictures…still don’t understand why that isn’t there!!! NHL Live Center – all my hockey needs Optimum – my cable company allows me to watch TV on the go and schedule my DVR…no sign of Windows Phone 8 app… Pinterest – major trending and have interesting on how its being used Pulse – love this newsreader SnapChat – yep it’s the new trend SmugMug – an official one as the one in the store is very poor . No major bank apps. No Vpn.

posted on Aug 02, 2014, 8:21 PM 1

10. Doakie

Posts: 2478; Member since: May 06, 2009

For me the biggest missing apps are the Google ones(mainly Keep), Dropbox, Safeway, BECU(bank app), Xfinity TV Go, HBO Go, NWMLS(local mls app, I'm a real estate agent), the Acer Cloud Suite, and no Chromecast ability...

posted on Aug 02, 2014, 10:16 PM 2

13. elitewolverine

Posts: 5192; Member since: Oct 28, 2013

Dropbox is there;http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/search?q=dropbox NWMLS:http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/nwmls/ff0e9bcd-0eaf-44e2-9dde-a382b0286013 Safeway; got me BECU - my bank has no app, but nothing that other apps provide that my website doesn't allow me. Is there something specific an app would provide over pinning the app to the start screen? Xfinity - would like one too, but I rather watch it on my tablet HBO - would love to watch my GoT, but again my tablet works better As for google only services, well if MS can port office 365 and onedrive to google and Skype, I think google is being little...

posted on Aug 02, 2014, 11:33 PM 0

16. AfterShock

Posts: 4147; Member since: Nov 02, 2012

Who wants office, one drive or Skype lol. We don't need them honestly, just for a few. In retro, you do enjoy Google's goodies, even if MS has to skirt the fair play system to get them.