8 (plus 1) new features of Windows Phone 8.1

Microsoft has taken the wraps off Windows Phone 8.1, probably the largest update to the Windows Phone platform since its inception, but out of the tens of new features, what does this update really boil down to?

We have picked the 8 (plus one) essential features of the Windows Phone 8.1 update - features that you will notice almost instantly in a WP 8.1 device such as the new Cortana voice assistant and the unified notification hub, the ‘Action Center’.

Cortana, for instance, aims to be a truly personal assistant, tapping into your location and emails (if you allow it to), learning from your behavior over time to give you relevant information, and that’s great. (Keep in mind that it launches as a beta, though, so it’s not fully polished just yet.)

The Action Center is another hugely requested feature that finally brings all your notifications into a single place. Yes, it reminds of similar features on Android (and iOS), but it’s also slightly different, as you can customize it to the very tiny details.

In addition to that, Windows Phone 8.1 brings all new customization options with wallpapers appearing like a jig-saw puzzle on the home screen, with options to completely overhaul the lockscreen experience, as well as new options for Live Tiles.

We’ll be taking a much deeper, more exhaustive look at the tiny details of Microsoft’s reworked operating system in the near future, but right now, out of these essential new features, which one do you like best?