Skype, Office, and Bing on Windows Phone 8

At last, the wraps are off Windows Phone 8.

If you read Terry Myerson’s blog post this morning or watched our San Francisco launch event (here’s the replay), you saw some of the amazing new features, phones, and apps on the way. You also saw how Windows Phone 8 seamlessly connects with so many great Microsoft products and services—from Bing to Xbox.

Now several Microsoft product blogs have published more details about their role in Windows Phone 8 and the new and improved features you’ll find in our new release. Check them out—and keep your eye on this blog in the weeks ahead for much more on the Windows Phone 8 story.

Skype

Skype’s Big Blog today provides a nice preview of the very cool-looking Skype for Windows Phone 8 app. Among the highlights: For the first time, incoming Skype calls look just like any other arriving call on Windows Phone. The app also now offers call waiting, so switching between a Skype call and a regular call is fast and easy.  Read the post for the full rundown of features and check out this video to see some of them in action.

Bing

Bing’s Search blog has a highlights reel of new and improved search features on Windows Phone 8—including the new For You feature and (my favorite) the new Lock screen with its gorgeous Bing picture-of-the-day. Take a look.

Office

Did you know that Windows Phone 8 comes with its own version of Office pre-installed? Yep—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote are all there and better than ever in our new release. The Office Next blog today published an in-depth overview of the Windows Phone 8 Office Hub and the thinking behind its design. Read on.