Windows Phone 8 to support 1080p and quad-core chips by 2014

Windows Phone 8 is a pretty slick operating system, but it only supports up to 720p resolutions, as well as lower-quality WVGA and WXGA resolutions. However, it's said that Microsoft will be adding 1080p support to Windows Phone 8 by the end of this year, as well as planning larger devices with 5-inch-and-higher displays.

According to The Verge, sources familiar with the development of Windows Phone 8 have revealed that Microsoft will issue and update later this year that will add support for 1080p devices, so that they'll be able to run Windows Phone 8, allowing customers the opportunity to own a phablet-style smartphone running Microsoft's latest platform.

The update is said to arrive in time for the holiday season, meaning that phones running Windows Phone 8 with larger displays and 1080p resolutions could be available to purchase by November, roughly. The update would also bring support for new Qualcomm quad-core processors, which would allow phone manufacturers to use higher-power quad-core chips in new Windows Phone 8 devices.

While the update is set to bring a lot of improvements to Windows Phone 8, it's been noted that it's actually separate from Microsoft's long-term plan to bring improvements to the platform — codenamed "Blue," as we've mentioned in the past. Instead this update will address different improvements and enhancements to the Windows Phone platform.

[via The Verge]