Windows Phone 8.1 is the next big update we are itching for and has been rumored to arrive this Spring, alongside the Update 1 for Windows 8.1. According to a new report, Microsoft has confirmed that Windows Phone 8 users will be able to update to Windows Phone 8.1, avoiding the chaos that was created with the transition from Windows Phone 7 to Windows Phone 8.

With any new smartphone operating system update, we begin to worry if the update is backwards compatible with our current smartphone. In this case, will Windows Phone 8.1 be compatible on smartphones running Windows Phone 8? Microsoft promises that current Windows Phone 8 users should be able to update with ease. “We will not have the same experience as we had when Windows Phone 7 was upgraded to Windows Phone 8,” Windows Phone director of public relations, Greg Sullivan, stated during an interview at CES today.

Those who were on Windows Phone 7 experienced quite the opposite when upgrading to Windows Phone 8, but Sullivan touts Windows Phone 8’s ability to support upgrades. “We won’t run out of head space on Windows Phone 8 any time soon,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan reiterated during his interview that Microsoft has a policy of supporting updates for 36 months on a device. No official word yet on when we will see the update, but rumors have suggested Spring of this year. We’re already seen signs of the operating system hitting if not surpassing Milestone 3, making it one step closer to RTM. The update is expected to include a personal digital assistant called “Cortana,” a notification center, separate volume controls, and other handy tweaks.

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