Microsoft adds Facebook to web-based Windows Phone simulation

In November 2011, Microsoft launched a new and interesting way to showcase Windows Phone for any device with a web browser, including those people who use iOS and Android products. It was a virtual demo of how the Windows Phone and its Modern UI worked.

Almost a year and a half later, the simulation remains alive and well, even following the launch of Windows Phone 8 in late 2012. Today, the Windows Phone blog announced a new update to the simulation that offers the opportunity to see how information from a user's Facebook account is displayed on the Windows Phone 8 Start screen (shown above) as well as the People and Photo hubs. Users can even post the entire Windows Phone simulation on their Facebook timeline.

There's plenty of evidence that Microsoft and Windows Phone are gaining more and more users, thanks mostly to sales of Nokia's many Lumia products. This newly updated OS simulation will give anyone who might be on the fence a better way to see the Windows Phone features - like the Live Tiles and customizable Start screen - in action before they decide whether or not to buy a phone. We suspect that Microsoft will also keep this demo in place and update it for the upcoming Windows Phone Blue OS.

Source: Windows Phone blog | Image via Microsoft