Windows Phone 8 update 3 brings support for 1080p displays

Darren Laybourn posted today an announcement on the Windows Phone Blog regarding the third update to Windows Phone 8 and the new features it brings. The most important ones are the bigger Start  screen, a new Driving Mode, better accessibility options and improved hardware support.

These are some of the highlights of Windows Phone 8 update 3:

• Support for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor
• Support for 1080p screens - the Start screen now has room for six Live Tiles instead of four, paving the way for Windows Phone devices that come with 5- and 6-inch displays
• Driving Mode for as few distractions as possible while on the wheel
• Improved Internet sharing
• Rotation lock option
• Improved Bluetooth and WiFi access out of the box

According to the announcement of Microsoft's Windows Phone Corporate Vice President mentioned above, "the rollout initially kicks off in the coming weeks and will continue over several months. Specific timing depends on a number of factors including your carrier and phone model."

While this means regular users may have to wait more than a month to get Windows Phone 8 update 3 on their devices, Darren Laybourn also announced the Windows Phone Preview for Developers which starts today and grants early access to Windows Phone updates to registered Windows Phone Store and Windows Phone App Studio developers, as well as those who own a "developer-unlocked" handset.