Find out what's new in Windows Phone 8.1 for developers, including how to build a Universal Windows App for Windows Phone, Windows and Xbox. Windows Phone 8.1 Development Revealed is the book you need to help you navigate the new Windows Phone landscape and ensure the success of your current and future apps in the marketplace.

Part I introduces the new options open to you, with pure Windows Phone apps and the new Universal Windows Apps. You'll need to understand the pros and cons of a phone-first or cross-platform approach and make the right decisions depending on your current needs and priorities: do you want to take advantage of the full power of native device interaction? Or is it more important to offer an app across a range of devices and tap into a wider potential market? These considerations and more are discussed as Lars Klint sets you a challenge: build it right!

Part II drills down into the phone-first approach to app development, including a description of breaking changes from Windows Phone 8 and a showcase and code examples for all the latest features. Part III then shows you how to set up a Universal Windows App and adapt the UI for a range of different devices. You'll want your users to have a great and consistent experience on any device, but your phone app should still feel like a phone app, with controls that feel right in that context, and a presentation that works for a smaller screen size.

Finally you'll learn what you can do to future-proof your apps for long-term success in the marketplace. Windows Phone 8.1 Development Revealed is the book you'll want at your side as you prepare to launch your next app to the Windows Phone marketplace.

What you’ll learn

• Meet the new dual landscape of Windows Phone development: pure Windows Phone and Universal Windows Apps.
• Understand the pros and cons of each and how to choose the approach that's right for you in each case, depending on your situation and needs.
• Get up to speed with the latest features in both Windows Phone and Universal Windows Apps, with code examples for each.
• Learn how a phone-first approach can help you tap into the best native features, and how a Universal Windows App can open up a new and wider audience.
• Understand the new storage, notifications and output options for Windows Phone, and how to design a consistent app experience across multiple devices with a Universal Windows App
• Future-proof your app, ready for the next versions of Windows Phone and Windows.

Who this book is for

Readers should have some experience with either Windows 8 or Windows Phone application development in C# and XAML.