After unleashing Windows 8 last week, Microsoft is now setting its sights on Windows Phone 8—and preparing for the next-gen phone operating system’s launch, which is supposed to take place today. In anticipation, the company has released a "Modern UI"-style Windows 8 app that will let users manage their Windows Phone 8 handsets right from their Win8 PCs and tablets. Take a look:
Among other things, the app allows users to transfer photos and music to and from their phones. Microsoft also says you can "automatically save photos and videos you take with your phone to your PC," which sounds a bit like Apple’s iCloud service. However, the app asks me to plug in a Windows 8 phone when I open it. Hmm.
The screenshot above also suggests some level of synchronization between Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 apps, but the product description doesn’t go into much detail. Given that the two operating systems share a common foundation, though, I’m assuming there’s going to be plenty of room for interoperability in that department.
In any case, the Windows Phone app runs on both Intel and ARM-based systems, so you should be able to use it on both conventional PCs and those newfangled tablets like the Microsoft Surface and Asus VivoTab RT… just as soon as Windows Phone 8 handsets actually come out, that is.