Microsoft has announced that the developer preview version of Windows Phone 8.1 will get Cortana in the next fortnight.
Additionally, it has also been revealed that the UK version of the digital voice assistant will come complete with a region-specific British accent.
Cortana is still in its beta form and this developer preview comes months ahead of its planned release in the final three months of 2014.
The news was revealed in a Twitter post by Marcus Ash, Group program Manaager for Cortana on Windows Phone.
The localised UK version of Cortana – which was originally teased back in May – will better understand British accents and give full support for localised services, according to Microsoft.
The early availability of a developer version of the digital assistant will enable Windows Phone developers to customise their apps and services to properly integrate the feature.
Earlier this month, UK network operator O2 confirmed that Cortana would be coming to the UK in the fourth quarter of 2014. The company also stated that it would support visual voicemail from launch.
Cortana is a digital voice assistant in the vein of Apple’s Siri for iPhone. Users can command it to make calls, send messages, play music, get directions, as well as connect with third party apps such as Facebook and Twitter.
The feature is currently available in the US, with its launch date in the UK being held back till the end of the year.