Windows Phone Leak Shows One Kernel to Rule Them All

The next major update to Windows Phone will use the Windows 8 kernel, unifying all clients.

A significant leak of details on Windows Phone 8 reveals that Microsoft is planning on unifying its client behind one kernel, providing one platform for developers to target; phones, tablets and desktops.

The leak comes via a video obtained by Pocketnow.com that was intended for Nokia partners. Once Pocketnow.com let the cat out of the bag, Paul Thurrott, a well-connected Windows watcher in his own right, added some details he had as well. 

Windows Phone 8, codenamed "Apollo," is expected some time late this year, although Microsoft has not confirmed that. In the video, Joe Belfiore, senior vice president and Windows Phone manager, said the overarching theme for that update will be scale and choice. 

Apollo will add support for multicore processors, four new screen resolutions and removable microSD card storage. Thurrott says Apollo will be based on the Windows 8 kernel and not on Windows CE like the current version. However, this won't break existing apps because they will share integrated ecosystems and UIs.

Because of the shared components with Windows 8, developers will be able to reuse "most of their code" when porting an app from desktop to phone, according to Belfiore. He specifically said the kernel, networking stacks, security, and multimedia support will all have heavy overlap between desktop, tablet and phone. 

Apollo will also support Near Field Communication (NFC) radios for contactless payments. Apollo will also have full Skydrive integration for seamless sharing of data between devices. There will also be app-to-app communication and a revamped Skype client that hooks directly into the OS, letting Skype calls behave almost like regular, non-VoIP telephony. 

All told, this is extremely ambitious. This is something Apple either couldn't, wouldn't or had the good sense not to do. It could simply be a matter of timing, since iOS came along in 2007 and smartphone technology has advanced quite a bit since. There have been rumors of iOS laptops but for now they remain just rumors. 

Microsoft's timing is quite good, in that we're seeing the advent of quad-core SoCs, 4G wireless and high resolution screens. Yes, 4G needs work badly. I experimented with a 4G phone and the battery dropped like a stone. But it's better than being too far ahead of the curve like Apple was

Once again it all comes down to execution. We'll see how it all transpires and how well Microsoft actually pulls this off.

• 3G & 4G
• Microsoft
• mobile
• Tablet
• Windows 8
• windows phone