Microsoft updates Insider app for Windows Phone 8, preps you for the holidays

Microsoft this morning has managed to give us an early holiday gift in the form of an updated Insider app. For those of you who are new, Insider is a companion app from Microsoft that gives some bonus features to help enhance your phone. It gets updated fairly regularly and actually keeps getting better with each release.

Version 1.0 is now on the Store and it’s a complete re-write of the app for Windows Phone 8, bringing some new features and an updated design. We just took it for a spin and it’s certainly kind of cool…between the wallpapers and holiday ringtones (try the last one, Windows Bells) and the new ability to record your own ringer, we’re impressed. Plus, it’s free.

Here are the new features:

• Holiday content:  Deck out your phone with holiday wallpapers and ringtones.
• Record your own ringtone: Record your favorite sound and easily set it as your ringtone.
• Exclusive ringtones:  5 new ringtones every month.
• Free wallpapers: Enjoy Bing’s image of the day and Windows Phone fan photos. Submit your own!

There’s also some news (Facebook feed), updates from the Windows Phone Blog, links to some top games and apps and more. Overall, it’s a solid little app and there’s no reason why you not should grab it.

Pick it up in the Store here and check out other Windows Phone 8 apps here. Thanks, Kaylin B., for the tip!