Windows 8 mobile OS: Microsoft's challenge to Apple iOS, Android

Zeebiz Bureau

Seattle: Microsoft Corp announced its new phone software, called Windows Phone 8 at an event in San Francisco on Wednesday.

Windows Phone OS will support multicore processors, a hardware consideration that requires software on their end to function efficiently as per reports.

Customers will have a greater choice of phones and applications, and be able to switch between multiple machines more easily, said the company which aims to take on Apple Inc's iOS Google Inc's Android devices.

WP8 device will be launched by the later half of this year. Microsoft says that Nokia, Huawei, Samung and HTC will make new WP8 devices using Qualcomm processors will feature voice commands, Skype calling, near-field communication for wireless transactions and built-in maps for GPS directions.

The move follows the launch of the Surface tablet on Monday, Microsoft's effort to join the fast-growing mobile computing market and to tackle Apple's iPad head on.

With Agency Inputs