Microsoft has updated the Windows Phone blog to clear up any confusion regarding the Windows Phone 8 GDR2 update that it has started rolling out.
In case you've been wondering what the Windows Phone 8 GDR2 update entails, Microsoft has taken to its Windows Phone blog to offer a detailed description of what is included with the GDR2 update. The company recently posted a brief description of the update but some posts on Twitter and various online forums indicated that users were a bit confused, so Microsoft decided to post more in depth details on its blog.
Data Sense
Data Sense was previously only available for Verizon Wireless customers and is now available on more Windows Phone devices and carriers with GDR2. This feature lets users keep track of how much data they have used and presents it in an easy to understand interface. It also has the ability to compress web page data, which allows you to get up to 45 percent more data out of your current plan.
FM Radio
Microsoft added the ability to listen to FM radio in Windows Phone 7, but removed the feature when it released Windows Phone 8. The feature has been brought back in GDR2 and allows you to listen to FM radio on your Windows Phone device. Microsoft notes that not all Windows Phones support the FM radio feature.
Camera
Microsoft has included several tweaks to the camera application that it says will please photographers. It has improved what you see when zooming in on high-resolution photos using the viewfinder. It also allows you to choose a default photo application to open when you press the Camera button.
Voicemail, Group messaging
The GDR2 update adds additional support for more audio codecs, so messages sent as .wav files now play correctly.
Google Support
Windows Phone 8 now supports connecting to Google services using the CalDAV and CardDAV protocols.
Xbox Music
Microsoft says that a big part of the GDR2 update has been devoted to making music better on your Windows Phone. It has made several improvements to how your Windows Phone works with your Xbox Music cloud collection.
- Fixed a bug that caused duplicate songs to appear on phones when users copied over a song from their PC that also exists in their cloud collection.
- You can now sync cloud collection to the Music+Videos Hub more frequently, so tweaks you make on the PC are reflected more quickly on the phone.
- It's now easier to select multiple or all songs from cloud-based playlists and download them to your phone.
After installing the update, you'll also notice fewer instances of the wrong album art showing up and albums accidentally getting split into two on your phone.
There are also multiple Bluetooth bug fixes and GDR2 has added support for new hardware. The update allowed Sprint to launch its first Windows Phone 8 smartphone, the HTC 8XT. It has also made it possible to allow support for groundbreaking features such as the Nokia Lumia 1020 and its 41-megapixel camera.
