Windows Phone 8 will support USB mass storage, or the ability to plug a handset into a computer and transfer files seamlessly as you would with a flash drive via drag and drop. Additionally, the company is reportedly doing away with having to sync with Zune software and instead allowing direct synching with Windows.
Both of these tidbits are making the rounds as rumor today but according to WPCentral, Microsoft has pretty much confirmed both “rumors” earlier this year.
During the Windows Phone Summit last month, Windows Phone Program manager Joe Belfiore said they were introducing removable microSD support as a core part of the platform that spans both the PC and the phone. He said this will allow users to transfer content between their PC and smartphone or from phone to phone and it can even be used as a distribution vehicle for apps. I don’t know about you, but that sure sounds like USB mass storage to me.
WPCentral also points us to this post from February where a leaked video from Belfiore for Nokia eyes only reveals that Zune Desktop support will be done away with in exchange for a more native sync relationship. Again, it doesn’t get any more solid than coming from the product manager’s mouth.
Microsoft will no doubt win over some fans with these two moves. I’ve personally heard several users complain that they don’t like iOS because you have to sync everything through iTunes instead of simply dragging and dropping music or movies onto the phone and I can't help but agree that the restriction is very annoying.
