It has been revealed that the version of Cortana for Windows Phone 8.1 in the UK will have a British accent.
Windows Phone 8.1 users in the UK will be disappointed to hear that Cortana won’t have the same voice as in the US version.
That might not seem like the biggest bombshell, but in the US, the Windows Phone 8.1 voice assistant is voiced by Jen Taylor, who voiced the character of the same name in the Halo game series.
Just weeks before the Cortana Developer Preview hits the UK, one Microsoft employee working on the voice assistant has revealed that Cortana will ditch Jen Taylor’s voice in favour of a British accent.
“Cortana will have her normal American accent in the UK right? No British accent nonsense?” asked one intrigued Twitter user.
“She will have a British accent. Not Jen Taylor”, came the reply from @ThatMicrosoftGuy.
This is bound to irk the Halo fans excited to have Cortana’s proper voice on their phones, but it looks like Microsoft is going down the more professional route, with the appropriate accent for each region.
Hopefully, later down the line, Microsoft might introduce the option to choose Cortana’s official voice from a choice of voice packs.
UK users can expect to get Cortana in the Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1, which should arrive for developers in the next couple of weeks.
Along with Cortana, Update 1 will bring app folder and smart case support, and potentially compatibility with the 1280 x 800p screen resolution.
Other rumours suggest it could bring compatibility for using Cortana in the car, along with several other voice based command features.
Read more: Nokia Lumia 930 review
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
