Leak shows forthcoming VPN and Bluetooth 4.0 support for Windows RT

There has been a lot of material doing the rounds about what Windows 8.1 Blue will bring to x86 PCs. According to WMPowerUser, leaked images have revealed some of the features that will come with Windows 8.1 RT and, hopefully, to the Windows Phone Blue as well.

Justin Angel, former employee of both Nokia and Microsoft, while combing through leaked images of Windows 8.1 (x86 and RT) has noted some interesting things. The first thing that needs to be noted is that Windows RT and Windows Phone have a lot in common because both are customised to work on ARM chipsets. Thus, while there has been no official statement about what you may expect from Windows Phone Blue, it seems likely that the new Windows RT features may be seen on the phone as well.

This claim is augmented by a Microsoft Job posting in February, which says that the Windows Phone Team will be “leading the charge to bring much of the WinRT API surface and the .NET Windows Store profile to the Phone.” In a report, WMPowerUser said that the new features developed for Windows RT Blue should make an appearance on Windows Phone Blue as well when it releases later this year.

leaked images of Windows 8.1 Blue may show what can be expected on Windows Phone Blue..

According to Angel, some of the new features that Windows RT Blue, and maybe the Windows Phone Blue, will be adding support for will include Bluetooth 4.0 and Bluetooth LE (low energy). Apart from all that, Windows RT Blue will also see additional support for accessories, which will include heart rate monitors,blood glucose monitors, activity monitors and an increasing range of sensors.

Leaked images show possiblities in the 8.1 update

Further analysis has also revealed that the next update might also bring support for VPN (Virtual Private Networking). Another new feature that may be seen in the Windows Phone Blue is a new API for Low Lag Cameras, which will help to get easier captures of HDR images.

All this is still supposition, with no guarantees being given that these features will actually make it to Windows Phones and RT-powered devices. However, Justin Angel’s observations are the closest that we have so far about what we may expect to see in the next Windows (Blue) update.