Windows Phone 8, codenamed Apollo, will be based on the Windows 8 kernel and not on Windows CE as are current versions. This will not impact app compatibility: Microsoft expects to have over 100,000 Windows Phone 7.5-compatible apps available by the time WP8 launches, and they will all work fine on this new OS.
Windows Phone 8, as its name suggests, will also be tied closely to the desktop version of Windows 8 in other ways. They'll be launched closely to each other, and will share integrated ecosystems, thanks to the shared underlying code, components, and user experiences. Windows Phone 8 is part of the "Windows Reimagined" campaign that Microsoft announced for Windows 8. This makes sense as they're companion products in every sense of the word.
Windows Phone 8 will offer far more hardware choices than are available today, which will come in more form factors and offer more screen resolutions.
Key new features of Windows Phone 8 include:
- Data Smart: A way to actively save cellular data when possible and avoid "bill shock".
- App-to-App communication: Windows Phone 8 apps, like Windows 8 apps, are sandboxed from each other.
- Internet Explorer 10 Mobile: Highly tuned version of IE which utilizes the latest web technologies.
- Shared components with Windows 8: The kernel, multi-core processor support, sensor fusion, security model, network, and video and graphics technologies are coming to Phone from Windows 8.
- Companion experiences with Windows 8: Microsoft is offering a very similar user experience across phone (Windows Phone 8), PC (Windows 8), and TV (Xbox vNext).
- Companion experiences with Windows 8: A new sync client and a set of common cloud services that will work across all Microsoft devices to sync content.
- SkyDrive integration: Microsoft will make your content available on all of its platforms via SkyDrive.
- Skype app: Still a separate but better app and not integrated into OS. Still optional.
- NFC and Wallet: Windows Phone 8 will allow users to securely pay and share via NFC and manage an integrated Wallet experience.
- Local Scout: Now with personal recommendations.
- Camera improvements: New "lens apps" and a far more powerful camera experience.
- Business features: Hardware accelerated encryption with BitLocker and always-on Secure Boot capabilities. Also, it will support additional Exchange ActiveSync policies and System Center configuration settings and inventory capabilities.
Source: Pocketnow