The Back Button To Be Removed In Windows Phone 8.1

Windows Phone 8 users, and there is an ever increasing number of them, have been waiting with abated breath to find out exactly what sorts of goodies the future promises for them.

While we will, in all probability, find out what the GDR3 update brings later this month at the Nokia World event, some new details regarding Windows Phone 8.1 have just made their way to the web.

And it appears that this particular update, codenamed Windows Phone Blue, brings a number of welcome changes to the mobile platform.

First up is the removal of the Back button — it will no longer be included in the hardware specifications of the devices that are to be powered by the operating system. What this means is that users will simply use the home button to exit an app, similar to how things roll in the iOS world.

WinSuperSite has plenty more details on this and other features set to make the cut.

And while the GDR3 update will bring enhanced multitasking capabilities to the platform, Windows Phone 8.1 will take the improvements even further.

Things are also looking up in the hardware side of the picture. While the GDR3 update will bring around support for devices with screens up to 6 inches, Windows Phone 8.1 is set to go beyond that, and offer support for screen sizes larger than 7 inches — all the way up to 10 inches.

Now before you freak out, and ask what you will do with handsets as large as this, hear this out.

This is all part of the plan. Microsoft’s strategy is to slowly merge Windows RT with Windows Phone and create a single operating platform that powers both phones and tablets.

As of right now Windows Phone 8 and Windows RT share around 33 percent API unity, but Microsoft wants to increase this to no less than 77 percent. For developers, this means that they can target multiple devices, and end users will have to buy an app only once.

These are unofficial details for now, even if they come from the most reliable of sources, but expect Redmond to share more information on this leading up to the release of Windows Phone 8.1.