Chassis Requirements for WP8.1 GDR1 revealed

Microsoft’s OEM dev site continues to be a rich vein of information to mine regarding the next minor version of Windows Phone 8.1, GDR1.

The latest to arrive is the Chassis Requirements for handsets running the OS. Most of the features remain unchanged from earlier versions of the OS, but there are a few surprises.

One of them is that Windows Phone now supports qHD resolution (960 x 540) scaled from 720P. The OS still does not support the newer super high resolutions however, being limited to Full HD (1080p)

Also interesting is that a proximity sensor is now a hard requirement, surprising given that the Nokia Lumia 630 and 530 does not feature one.

Also unfortunate is that there does not appear to be any support yet for the newer Snapdragon 810 processors.

Microsoft has dropped performance requirements for MicroSD cards in WP8.1, and can compress the OS partition to enable more free space in 4 GB handsets.

See the full list of specs after the break.

Applications processor	Phones designed for Windows Phone 8.1: Qualcomm MSM8x10, MSM8x12, MSM8x26, MSM8926, MSM8x28, MSM8928, MSM8974 or MSM8974Pro Phones updateable to Windows Phone 8.1: Qualcomm MSM8260A, MSM8660A, MSM8960, MSM8230, MSM8630, MSM8930AA, MSM8930AB, MSM8227 or MSM8627
RAM	LPDDR2 or LPDDR3
Memory	Flash user partition e MMC
Power	Monitor gauge Required
Display Resolution	WVGA, FWVGA, WXGA, qHD, 720p (HD), or 1080p (FHD)
Bit depth	16 bits of color per pixel minimum
Touch support	True multi-touch
Camera	Rear-facing camera Required Forward-facing camera Optional
Audio	Primary microphone Required Secondary microphone Optional Dynamic noise suppression Optional Loudspeaker Required Earpiece Required
Wireless	2/2.5G cellular radio Required 3G/4G cellular radio Required Bluetooth Required Wi-Fi 802.11b/g 802.11a/n FM radio Optional NFC Optional A-GNSS Required
Sensors	Accelerometer Required Magnetometer Optional Ambient light sensor Optional Proximity sensor Required Gyroscope Optional
Notifications	Vibration mechanism Required NLED Optional
Controls	Start Required Back Required Search Required Power Required Volume Up Required Volume Down Required Camera button Optional
Connectors	Micro-USB 2.0 or 3.0 Required Headphone/headset jack 3.5-mm stereo headset jack with 3-button detection support Micro SD card slot Optional One SIM slot if the phone supports a single SIM card. Two SIM slots if the phone supports dual SIM. Video out NA
In-box cables & accessories	USB sync cable Optional Power adapter Optional Headset Optional