A few days ago, Microsoft released the long-awaited Windows Phone 7.8 update for all those users who will be stuck on Windows Phone 7 forever because there's no upgrade path to Windows Phone 8 other than buying a new phone. Now that it's here, what, exactly, does WP7.8 to the table?
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Member since:2012-09-21
Really no different than any Android phone then. I mean, how many made the jump from GB to ICS or to JB? Look how many haven't even made the incremental step from 4.1 to 4.2.
Member since:2005-07-08
Very often at least you could upgrade these devices manually as I understand.
Also my Motorola Xoom which was one of the first ICS tablets, got the upgrade to 4.1 just fine. We'll see if it continues, but at least they are not missing core features like the Windows Phone devices.
*For manufactures to choose not to upgrade is one thing, but for Microsoft to come out and say you cannot upgrade your devices is my issue
Edited 2013-02-01 20:12 UTC
Member since:2010-09-01
Some have been updated, others will soon, some will not, but that's still infinitely better than 0.
The major reason many Android devices are stranded on 2.3 is that they have too small of a partition for the OS. Updating that would mean wiping the device, which they can't practically do. This is why Google went to a single partition for Nexus devices starting with the Galaxy Nexus.
4.0 to 4.1 updates have been faster coming, but still slowed by carriers and manufacturers. The point is late is better then never.
Member since:2009-05-19
I understand you pointing out the issue on the other platform, but it's off topic and not even relevant(2.3 > 4.x is a big upgrade for Android, it's Win200 > WinXP. WP7 > WP8 is not an upgrade it's mostly a different platform, it's Mac OS9 > OSX)
Android world has shown it can handle the API level fragmentation.
Windows Phone came with the promise of no fragmentation.
Android is fragmented on 2 levels - API and GPU.
Windows Phone is fragmented on platform level - WP7 and WP8.
Handling API fragmentation is much easier than platform fragmentation.
Member since:2007-04-18
Google doesn't manage firmware for every Android phone out there, Microsoft does. So if you want to compare like with like, compare it to the Nexus line - software by Google, hardware by an OEM. Also, lots of Android handsets can be flashed with third-party ROMs, breathing new life into otherwise outdated handsets (I'm running the latest Android 4.2.1 on an 3 year old HTC Desire). Try doing that with a phone running WP...
Member since:2008-04-08
Very misleading comparing phone OS updates to desktop OS updates. If I have a 2 year old PC, I wont get a new OS for free (unless I am smart and running Linux!), but I CAN run the new OS! Not true of WP7 devices! You can not hack it to run WP8, no matter what. Other Android phones that didn't get official upgrades can be upgraded if you know what you are doing...my 2 1/2 year old Sprint Epic has Jelly Bean loaded on it, even though it never got that as an "official" upgrade. Are these phones out of beta yet?
Member since:2012-09-21
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Member since:
2005-07-08
I find it odd that Thom has such a crush on Windows Phone 8. While it does do a lot of new things in different ways, different isn't always good. The way they have done the Metro interface on the phones is not at all appealing to me.
When i heard about Windows phone 8 before release I thought it would support things like AD integration, which would allow business to easy adopt it.
I have recently found out that the phones do not even offer support for EAP-TLS when connecting to wireless networks, and it's not a feature which they have defined for future releases. How can this phone be taken seriously in the business world, when it can't even support the basic requirements of most businesses. I never thought I would see the day when Microsoft is trying to catchup with Apple when it comes to offering a business friendly device...
Windows Phone 8 will suffer the same fate as Windows Phone 7. When version 9 comes up, you will have an expensive device which cannot be upgraded, and is missing key features. It may be a decent consumer phone, but it is by no means ready for business.
_EL