Two New Windows Phone 8.1 GDR2 Features Revealed

Ever so quietly, just as the company likes to do things now, Microsoft has compiled a new update for its mobile OS in the form of Windows Phone 8.1 GDR2. Not an announcement in sight.

But this new version is powering the new devices that were unveiled this week at the MWC 2015.

The rollout will probably begin later this year, but smartphones like the Lumia 640 and the Lumia 640 XL that sport the new firmware provide hints at some of the new options that will be made available in Windows Phone 8.1 GDR2.

One new feature that has been spotted is called Quick Text, and this allows users to easily insert a predefined line of text in their messages or emails.

Quite a handy option when trying to speedily send messages instead of talking on the phone.

You can find the new symbol in Windows Phone 8.1 GDR2 in the suggestion bar that can be used to insert these user defined lines of text. However, there are some doubts whether this feature will be made available for all devices.

Another minor, but useful, addition is the ability to pin settings to Start.

This one is for people that like to customize their devices often, and the process is simply straightforward. Just do a long press on the desired item and get an option to “Pin to start”.

It seems that GDR2 only comes with minor usability improvements for now, as Microsoft clearly wants to reserve major new features for Windows 10 for Phones.

Hopefully we get an official announcement on Windows Phone 8.1 GDR2 soon.