As developers eagerly awaited the official debut of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 Software Development Kit (SDK), it has found its way out ahead of its expected release.
Chinese site WPXAP has posted links to download the SDK and accompanying documents that provide additional details into the development options for Windows Phone 8. The leaked kit appears to be only a preview version, however, but may indicate a release by Microsoft sometime within the next few weeks.
Parts of the documents include references to a new camera capability and lens apps, including real-time access to the phone’s video stream and lenses — special camera apps that provide additional effects and filters for cameras.
3D mode for Nokia Maps is also detailed in the documents.
Developers have been told that Windows Phone 8 will support hot-swappable SD cards, but that any apps developed will have read-only SD card access through APIs. Direct3D is also being added to Windows Phone 8, Microsoft says in its documentation. Although some of the APIs will be similar to WinRT, Microsoft says HTML-based phone apps are “not a supported app model in Windows Phone 8 Developer Preview.”
Not a whole lot of new information, but it does confirm some of the details. We expect the rest will have to wait until the official release of the SDK. Unless of course there are more leaks between now and then.