Microsoft has rolled out a new addition to its suite of apps for Windows Phone today, and this one is exclusively available for its Lumia range. The new Gestures Beta app is designed to offer some extra convenience for owners of these devices by letting them control certain functions without having to touch the screen.
As you can imagine, the range of functions that can be controlled this way is fairly limited, relating specifically to voice call management:
- Answer an incoming call by picking the phone up and placing it against your ear
- Silence your microphone during a call by placing the phone face-down on a flat surface
- Switch an active call to speaker-mode by placing the phone face-up on a flat surface
- Silence an incoming call ringer by flipping the device over with its display face-down
Of course, none of these features are innovations in any sense, given that many devices have included such functionality for many years. Indeed, there were a few handsets back in the Windows Mobile days that offered flip-to-silence, and other similar features.
Nonetheless, Lumia owners will no doubt welcome the addition of this functionality, even if it is only available as a beta release for now. Be aware, though, that due to a limited array of onboard sensors, the Lumia 530, 630 and 635 do not support all of the features offered in the Gestures Beta app.
Download: Gestures Beta (Windows Phone Store)
Source: Microsoft