Microsoft launches Windows 8 for smartphones

San Francisco - Microsoft have unveiled its new Windows 8 operating system for smartphones. The code for the software will be similar to that used on PCs, allowing better integration between mobile and desktop devices.

The US computer giant Microsoft has outlined its new software for Microsoft enabled mobile devices - Windows 8 for mobiles. The unveiling took place at the Windows Phone Summit event in San Francisco. According to the BBC, the Windows 8 application is designed to stream seamlessly with desktop computers, and both will carry the new Metro interface. At present, most Windows smartphones are manufactured by Nokia, although Microsoft plans, in addition, to work more closely with Samsung, HTC and Huawei. With the launch Microsoft have promised new and faster computer games which can be played on computers and on phones interchangeably, as CNN reveals. Other features include a revamped Internet Explorer 10 and a "wallet" app, which will allow the phone to act as both an electronic repository for credit and membership cards. The devices will also carry Nokia's Navteq mapping software instead of Bing maps. Bloomberg notes that Windows 8 for mobiles will also carry an alternative to Skype. The new VoIP (voice over internet protocol) and video chat technologies are intended to be more efficient than the current bundled on Skype software. The new software looks similar to the Windows 8 configuration for Microsoft's own range of tablet computers, which will be available later during the year.