Cortana coming to the UK and China as beta with Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 next week

Zac Bowden

Cortana

Microsoft has today announed Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1, the first update for Windows Phone 8.1 which is set to further enhance the operating system for current devices. One of the new features in Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 is the localization of Cortana in some countries, meaning she’s finally coming to the United Kingdom and China as beta.

Cortana has been updated in a number of ways to help localize her, we recently reported that Jen Taylor would not voice Cortana outside the United States. This has ringed true, as today Microsoft announced that Cortana would have her own personalized British accent.

In China, Cortana has a new face. No longer is she that round bouncy circle, she literally has a face, which is a nice change. Cortana will also be coming to countries like India, Australia and Canada in alpha form soon, meaning they too get to try out Cortana in all her glory.

All these changes should be coming in Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1, which is expected to hit the Preview for Developers program sometime next week, with a full rollout over the next few months.