Microsoft reaffirms app compatibility with Windows Phone 8, hints at Silverlight death

WP Central

The question of whether or not today's Windows Phone apps will be able to work on the next "major version" of Windows Telephone aka 'Apollo' or Windows Phone eight was never a major business organisation for the states as we but assumed they would work. We even saw a chore description which said as much back in February.

Still for some developers in that location were lingering questions near Windows Phone 8 would have the same core as Windows Phone seven.x. While details are still very sparse to that former aspect, tonight on the Windows Phone developer weblog, Microsoft's Larry Lieberman reaffirmed that indeed, today's app will work just fine on Windows Phone 8:

"With regard to existing applications: today'due south Windows Phone applications and games will run on the next major version of Windows Phone. Driving awarding compatibility is a function of Microsoft's commitment to its developers. Regardless of what we release in terms of new programmer features and functionality, we have made a large investment in protecting your existing investments."

That is certainly good news and should allay some fears for devs. But perchance what is even more interesting is we're getting the first hints that Silverlight may be de-emphasized for the next generation of Windows Phone:

"We've also heard some developers express business about the long term futurity of Silverlight for Windows Phone. Please don't panic; XAML and C#/VB.NET development in Windows 8 can be viewed as a direct evolution from today's Silverlight. All of your managed programming skills are transferrable to building applications for Windows eight, and in many cases, much of your code will be transferrable besides."

To our ears, that doesn't sound like Silverlight will be a major part of Apollo (though it will be uniform) and from what nosotros've heard from devs, that'southward not a bad thing at all. A more interesting reading is that Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 will exist based off the same $.25, especially when Lieberman notes that "...targeting a tablet vs. a phone, you do of course, need to blueprint user experiences that are accordingly tailored to each device."

There'due south certainly a lot of reading in between the lines in that post and makes some interesting discussion, and so burn away in comments.

Read more at the Windows Telephone Developer Blog. Windows Phone viii concept image past PocketHacks

It'southward here

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