Windows Phone 8.1's rumoured Cortana voice-assistant app spotted online

Cortana, the much-anticipated and much-leaked voice-assistant expected to arrive on Windows Phone 8.1, has been reportedly spotted running on a Nokia Lumia handset. The two leaked images that have surfaced online show the main screen of Cortana, and its 'settings' page.

The two purported leaked images, unveiled by The Verge, give an indication of what Cortana might look like. Instead of the rumoured animated female, the main Cortana page shows a blue ring instead, placed at the centre of the screen. The image also shows a search bar at the bottom of the screen, besides a microphone icon. On the top-right corner, one can see a music icon along with an icon for what may be, the 'settings' page.

The second image purportedly shows the voice-assistant's 'Settings' page (seen above), which includes the option for Cortana Suggestions, Tracking flights and other information from the user's mail, and also a naming option, which will enable the voice-assistant to call the user by the chosen name.

Last month, courtesy the purported leak of Windows Phone 8.1 SDK files, we were able to spot some of the expected features that might be carried by Cortana. One of these leaked SDK images showed lines of code that possibly represented Universal Search, with features such as message search, music search including artist name, song, album and playlist visible along with other things.

Another feature hinted at by sources is the Cortana Notebook, acting as Microsoft's privacy control for Cortana. Through the alleged Cortana Notebook feature, users can control the amount of information shared with the digital-assistant.

The Cortana voice-assistant feature is said to come along with Windows Phone 8.1, which is expected to be unveiled at Microsoft's upcoming Build conference in April.