Windows Phone has done an excellent job with messaging. Mango offered threaded messages to users, allowing you to convert from a Facebook chat, SMS, and Windows Live messenger all from the same conversation window. But in the next iteration of Windows Phone 8, Microsoft will take this to a new level in the mobile OS with a new feature called Room.
Room will essentially be a group chat, with the added ability to share content and calendar items.
Users are invited to the “Room,” as it were, through a text message. Various members of the Room can share content with the entire group, or choose to share specific pieces of information (pictures, calendar items, etc.) privately with one other Room participant.
There’s no word on how many people can be in a room at once, as The Verge has confirmed this feature pre-announcement. However, we expect Microsoft to announce Room at a Nokia event on Wednesday.
According to WMPowerUser, who first suspected the feature after checking out the WP8 SDK, this is Microsoft’s description of the group chat:
Gather your friends and family together. Invite them to a private Room where you can share a calendar, photos, group chat and notes. Or add them to a Group to see social updates from just those folks and text them all at once. Tap the plus sign to get started.
Should be a hoot.
