Windows Phone 7.8 features leaked

Details of the Windows Phone 7.8 update for current Windows Phone 7 devices have leaked via Microsoft’s official Italian Facebook page.

It’s already established that version 7.8 will bring much of Windows Phone 8’s visual polish to the earlier handsets (which won’t get Windows Phone 8 proper), including re-sizable Live Tiles and a greater range of theme colours.

However, earlier in the year Microsoft revealed it wanted customer feedback regarding what other features, besides the interface, users might want from Windows Phone 8 to make their way into Windows Phone 7.8.

Since then, it’s been completely unknown what the company has been working on implementing.

Now though, presumably thanks to an over-enthusiastic Italian Microsoft social networking employee, we know a little more about what to expect.

The post was made in response to a user question and has since been removed, though not before Italian tech site Plaffo.com caught a screenshot of it:

When translated it re-states the interface and homescreen changes, mentions something referred to as ‘Club’ (which may or may not be the new ‘Rooms’ featured in the People Hub), Xbox Music and Xbox SmarGlass:

'The upgrade to 7.8 will be available for versions 7.0 and 7.5 shortly after the marketing of the devices Windows Phone 8. Among the features there is the new Start screen , the sharing of the calendar using the function Club and access to key services and content Microsoft, including Xbox Music Store library that can be enjoyed by Zune and Xbox SmartGlass.'

That’s all good news for current Windows Phone users, then.

We knew the list would be a fairly limited selection, after all, it wouldn’t have done Microsoft any favours to nullify Windows Phone 8 by transferring the lion’s share of its features to older handsets.

But, it’s reassuring to see two of the more interesting features – the music and Xbox services – are making their way across to older models.

It remains possible that there are other features which haven’t been mentioned – this may simply be a quick run-down of the most important ones.

Microsoft is expected to push the 7.8 update within the next four or five weeks, according to sources out of China. We’ve also heard first-hand Nokia mentioning it will say more about updating existing Lumia Windows Phone 7 devices ‘in the coming weeks’.

We’ll have more as we hear it.