In what appears to be the major leak for the operating system, it is now being shared that the Windows 8.1 phone is going to feature virtual on-screen buttons instead of the physical ones. These are the navigation buttons that were present on the body. The navigation buttons for Going back, Start and Search are seen in a screenshot tweeted by @evleaks. These buttons must be now located at the bottom of the UI. Looking a lot similar to the Android user interface like navigation buttons, which are present on-screen instead of off-screen, Microsoft's Windows 8.1 Phone might have taken this decision to lower the overall manufacturing cost of the device.

Though a lot of people are interested in knowing how the Windows Phone 8.1 will look, we don't have much details at this point. The operating system should be unveiled at the BUILD 2014 conference, which is running from April 2-4, 2014 Anticipated new features include a revamped notification center, Skype improvements and a 'Cortana' personal assistant to take on Google Now and Siri. In addition to that, the latest rumor suggests that Microsoft is considering offering its platform free of charge.


That is how the leaked image shows the buttons to be. What do you think about the move to add virtual on-screen navigation buttons instead of physical ones on Windows Phone 8.1? Share your thoughts with us in comments below.