The recently concluded Worldwide Partner Conference was the perfect opportunity for Microsoft to share deep details about its upcoming products and services, and as expect Windows 8.1 remained the prime focus of the event.
Redmond revealed a ton of news about the upcoming OS both via keynotes and press releases.
At the same time, the technology titan promised that Windows 8.1 would initiate a new wave of devices that make the most of the enhancements to the platform.
To ensure that all new units are capable of providing a unique experience, Microsoft is working on a new set of hardware certification requirements for the upcoming operating system. The company revealed some very interesting information to the attendees of the WPC 2013.
ZDNet is reporting that at a panel called “How To Talk To Customers About Windows Devices”, Microsoft confirmed that all certified Windows devices will need to be equipped with Bluetooth in case they already have WiFi capabilities.
Front facing 720p cameras, meanwhile, will be a must for devices with integrated displays like tablets, notebooks and ultrabooks.
Higher-fidelity speakers and microphones are also essential for certified Windows devices.
The report also details several other requirements that Redmond has put in place — from the requirements for all GPUs to have the WDDM 1.3 driver installed to run Windows 8.1 to support for SATA Hybrid hard drives to be built into the operating system.
These requirements are set for January 2014, but Microsoft has even talked about updated Windows requirements for January 2015, hinting that by that time we may have more information on either Windows 8.1 or even Windows 9.
