Current Windows Phone Devices Can't Upgrade to WP8
Jun 20, 2012, 12:00 PM by Eric M. Zeman
Microsoft today said that the devices currently in the market that run Windows Phone 7.5 will not be upgradeable to Windows Phone 8. Microsoft explained that this is because of the massive core kernel changes taking place under the hood. Together with the brand new hardware changes, Windows Phone 8 simply can't be ported to older hardware. Microsoft said even a device as advanced as the recently-released Nokia Lumia 900 won't have the capabilities needed to run Windows Phone 8. However, Microsoft said that most current hardware will be upgradeable to Windows Phone 7.8, which essentially brings the new start screen experience to legacy Windows Phone devices.
source: Microsoft
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Comments
This type of shortsightedness is going to scare users off.
This absolutely reeks of shortsightedness. Don't get me wrong, I understand exactly why they're doing that, but did they seriously not factor this in for people who invested in to the WP7 ecosystem?
Microsoft has essentially provided *two* upgrade dead-ends in less than 2 years, and this one is coming *right* after the large WP7 ecosystem push. That's less time than the average phone contract. Again, I understand having to do this from time to time, but Microsoft's done it *twice* now.
Considering a 3 year old iPhone 3Gs is going to receive iOS6, this is embarrassing. Even flagship Google devices get thrown a bone a year after release (well, sometimes...) Microsoft, who has worked for tighter manufacturer control and specs seriously h...
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Microsoft has essentially provided *two* upgrade dead-ends in less than 2 years, and this one is coming *right* after the large WP7 ecosystem push. That's less time than the average phone contract. Again, I understand having to do this from time to time, but Microsoft's done it *twice* now.
Considering a 3 year old iPhone 3Gs is going to receive iOS6, this is embarrassing. Even flagship Google devices get thrown a bone a year after release (well, sometimes...) Microsoft, who has worked for tighter manufacturer control and specs seriously h...
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bluecoyote said:...
This absolutely reeks of shortsightedness. Don't get me wrong, I understand exactly why they're doing that, but did they seriously not factor this in for people who invested in to the WP7 ecosystem?
Microsoft ha
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bluecoyote said:...
This absolutely reeks of shortsightedness. Don't get me wrong, I understand exactly why they're doing that, but did they seriously not factor this in for people who invested in to the WP7 ecosystem?
Microsoft ha
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You mean like when Apple abruptly switched from the Power PC architecture to the Intel design and left millions of Mac users in the cold with zero support?
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This is what I was waiting for.
Gives me another reason to pause before considering the Lumia 900...
INCREDIBLE! feels like RIM!
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Wow...not a smart move.
IMHO, the OS should receive updates throughout the life of a phones contract. Since WP8 apps are not backwards compatible with WP7, you're just pissing off the few customers you have that had been the biggest proponents of the platform.
They could have at least done a reduced functionality release like Apple does for the older devices. Sure your giving them 7.8 to provide some UI enhancements, but that will not be compatible for Apps written for WP8. So will developers need to create WP7 apps and WP8 apps? Or just build to the lowest common denominator and not take advantage of any new API's or features available in WP8? Either way, bad form and makes you think twice about buying into the platform. Nokia 900 just came out, the fla...
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They could have at least done a reduced functionality release like Apple does for the older devices. Sure your giving them 7.8 to provide some UI enhancements, but that will not be compatible for Apps written for WP8. So will developers need to create WP7 apps and WP8 apps? Or just build to the lowest common denominator and not take advantage of any new API's or features available in WP8? Either way, bad form and makes you think twice about buying into the platform. Nokia 900 just came out, the fla...
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They just keep pushing away customers. Smart Move Microsoft....
Well, the decision was made to swap out the core of the OS. AFAIK, there's simply no way to do that and make it backward-compatible with old hardware. This is a lot like the move from 6.5 to 7 in that regard.
Adding a compatibility layer to the new...
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Adding a compatibility layer to the new...
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They didn't say that it isn't going to get updates, in fact they said that it IS being updated to 7.8, which brings many of the changes of Windows 8.....but it is not being updated to Windows 8....
So it isn't getting Windows 8, but it is getting a...
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So it isn't getting Windows 8, but it is getting a...
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And just like that...
...Nokia's recently-released flagship device is obsolete. Talk about alienating your customers!
I can understand that maybe WP8 doesn't work with older hardware (although shouldn't the 900 be current enough to run it), but, if MS and Nokia are such close partners, wouldn't the sensible thing to do have been for MS to let Nokia in on their plans so they could have avoided this pitfall? I have to imagine that the folks over in Finland are pretty steamed right now.
I can understand that maybe WP8 doesn't work with older hardware (although shouldn't the 900 be current enough to run it), but, if MS and Nokia are such close partners, wouldn't the sensible thing to do have been for MS to let Nokia in on their plans so they could have avoided this pitfall? I have to imagine that the folks over in Finland are pretty steamed right now.
The issue is that the whole core of the OS is different. It's not just a bit upgraded; it's a totally new OS. Basically, they made a whole new OS and made it look and work just like the old one. They also added a layer to make it work with old apps. T...
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????
So which one is it? They will or they wont?
https://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=10653 »
https://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=10653 »
Sorry about that! By "update to Windows Phone 8", we meant things like 8.1, not from 7 to 8. It's been re-written to clarify.
