UPDATED 09:40 EDT / OCTOBER 15 2013

Microsoft Jumps into Phablet Craze with New Software

Microsoft is upgrading its Windows Phone operating system to support phablets, smartphone-tablet hybrids with a screen size ranging between five and seven inches. The update will also introduce a number of usability enhancements, including a “driving mode” that notifies callers if the user is too busy to respond immediately.

Windows Phone Update 3, as it’s known officially, will roll out to developers tomorrow and to customers in the coming months. The platform features a bigger start menu that supports an additional row of tiles to accommodate devices with screens as large as six inches. Other additions include the ability to bind specific ringtones to phone functions, simplified internet sharing that doesn’t require users to re-enter their passwords, and improved options for people with visual impairments. In addition, the update introduces support for the Qualcomm 8974 quad-core chip and 1080p displays.

The latest iteration of Windows Phone underscores Microsoft’s plans to replicate its PC success in the increasingly lucrative mobile market. This task is proving to be easier said than done as Apple and Google continue to cling onto their dominant positions, forcing the software giant to focus its efforts on the somewhat narrow phablet market.

Phone-tablet hybrids will account for only a small fraction of the roughly one billion mobile devices that are expected to ship this year, but Microsoft is determined to make a dent in its rivals’ market share. To this end, the company is expanding its consumer lineup with new Nokia devices and software solutions.

Last week, outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer revealed that his company will launch the much-anticipated iPad version of Office after launching a touch-enabled edition for Windows 8. A few weeks prior, operating systems head Terry Myerson disclosed that the software titan was working to merge Windows Phone Store and Windows Store into a single app marketplace.


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