Windows Phone 8.1: When it’s coming, and how to get it

Microsoft has announced Windows Phone 8.1, its first major update to the Windows Phone mobile operating system, which introduces a virtual personal assistant named Cortana, several cool design tweaks, and a host of new features. If you're wondering when it will arrive on your phone, or which phones about to go on sale will have the OS pre-installed, we've got all the information you need right here.

Microsoft says it's coming soon

During the Build 2014 keynote, following a lengthy introduction to the software, Microsoft's Joe Belfiore gave an approximate release timeframe for the update. How approximate? Simply that it will be out in the coming months. Not very precise, but then it's not entirely down to Microsoft. The official line on new phones is that we'll be seeing the first new releases during April or early the month after.

Networks start to announce their plans

Sprint is the first to confirm its intention to distribute Windows Phone 8.1 soon. According to the network's communications manager, the update will be coming to the HTC 8XT and the Samsung Ativ S Neo this summer.

T-Mobile, hot on the heels of confirming it'll be stocking the Lumia 630, has said the Lumia 521 and Lumia 925 phones connected to the network will get Windows Phone 8.1 this summer too. Additionally, MetroPCS subscribers with a Lumia 521 will also see the new software around the same time.

Do developers get the update early?

Yes. Although it's not official, a report from Neowin says developers will get access to Windows Phone 8.1 from April 14. The good news is that if you're a Windows Phone Dev Center developer, or an enthusiast registered as one, you can bypass the pesky network approval process, and grab the new software early. 

What about Cortana?

This is a good question. Her availability depends on where you live. She's going to be coming to the U.S. first, but as a beta, then head out to UK and China during the second half of the year, with other Windows Phone markets following in 2015. 

What if I want to buy a Windows Phone 8.1 device?

At the moment, the only phones announced with Windows Phone 8.1 as standard are the new Nokia Lumia phones; the Lumia 930, the Lumia 630, and the Lumia 635. During the Build event, it was stated the new devices would be on sale around the end of April or into early May.

AT&T has announced it will be carrying the 4G LTE Lumia 635, but hasn't provided a launch date, saying only that it's coming this year. T-Mobile will also sell the Lumia 635, and narrows down the launch date to sometime this summer. At the event, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop stated the phone would cost $190 without a contract.

If you're looking for the Lumia 930, it's not going to be out in the U.S. anytime soon, due to the similarity between it and the Verizon exclusive Nokia Lumia Icon. 

We'll be updating this article with more information as soon as it's made available, so check back often.
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