Is Microsoft set to unveil Windows Phone 8?

Microsoft seems to be in full force. After the announcement of Surface tablet to take on Apple's iPad, the company is expected to announce the next version of its mobile operating system - Windows Phone 8 (WP8) - at Microsoft Developer Summit in San Francisco on Wednesday.



While there isn't any official communication about the announcement, there are rumours suggesting something big is coming to the table.

Code named Apollo, the new version is likely to support a multi-core processor for not only a faster performance but also real-time multitasking extended to third party apps as well.

Until now, Windows Phone 7.5 supported WVGA (480 by 800 pixels) but considering the 720p displays becoming common in Android handsets, Microsoft is likely to offer support for up to 720p.

There are strong indications that Skype (acquired by Microsoft last year for $8.5 billion) might be deeply integrated in WP8.

NFC, advance notification bar, a new camera interface, UI tweaks and Internet Explorer 10 should also be on the update list.

Leaked screenshots suggest that Nokia Maps are likely to replace Bing Maps on the WP8 platform. This means, irrespective of any make, Nokia Maps might come pre-installed on every Windows Phone.

Lastly, there are no clear indications whether the WP8 will be backward compatible or not. But there will be many who hope handsets like the Nokia Lumia 800 are eligible for an upgrade.