Rumor: Windows Phone 8.1 will get two GDR updates in 2014

Hammad Saleem

Windows Phone 8.1

Microsoft unveiled their latest Windows Phone 8.1 at the annual Build 2014 conference in San Francisco. The update is expected to hit existing Windows Phone devices in the coming months and Nokia confirmed it will reach all Lumia devices as well, starting with the Lumia 1520.  

Now, a new report claims Microsoft will push two updates to the OS later this year. The folks at WPCentral report that Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1 and GDR2 are already on the roadmap for this year, with a third update to roll out in early 2015 before Microsoft unveils its next-generation mobile operating system known as “Threshold” which was revealed by the well-connected Mary Jo Foley a few months back.  

There’s no word about the list of features both updates will bring to the table. It could be the highly rumored 3D Touch feature expected to see the light of the day with the alleged Nokia Goldfinger — there’s no word about its launch, but WPCentral notes it might be early 2015. 

As for the availability, there’s no official word, but GDR1 could arrive in mid-2014, while the second update should roll out by the end of 2014. There’s no word on exactly when these updates will hit existing Windows Phone devices. There’s also no word about the title it will be given. There are quite a lot of possibilities — Windows Phone 8.2, Windows Phone 9, etc. 

Let’s just take this rumor with a pinch of salt as there’s no concrete evidence or official word from Microsoft, since the company recently unveiled Windows Phone 8.1, which has yet to hit existing devices. Windows Phone 8.1 Developer Preview is set for availability sometime this month.