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Windows Phone 8 start screen gets a facelift with free-moving, resizable tiles

By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Jun 20, 2012, 2:49 PM

Windows

While dual-core, HD screens, microSD and NFC support was expected with Windows Phone 8, the actual ace up Microsoft's sleeve might turn out to be a brand new home screen.

Live Tiles are a great concept, but people were complaining that their positioning and size are too rigid, and Redmond listened! Gone are the days when you place a few of the limited choice of tiles, and they take up the whole homescreen.

A new tile size is introduced, that takes a quarter of the screen's width, and tile size to use is now up to the phone owner. By long-pressing a tile you can choose three different sizes - quarter, half and full width.

Now you can add, remove, replace, resize and basically do anything with the new Live Tiles that your heart desires. This is comparable with Android's resizable widgets, and makes Windows Phone the next mobile OS where you can completely customize your user experience on the homescreen, so you get to rarely even visit the app launcher menu.

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.