On Friday we reported that Windows Phone 7.8 might be here soon (finally). The signs were in a few upgrades to Nokia apps that required 7.8, and simply the fact that Microsoft indicated at one point that the update would arrive in early 2013.
Microsoft hasn’t shed any new light on the subject, but it still seems that January is the month that the official Windows Phone 7.8 upgrade will arrive. The latest confirmations come from a few different sources.
First, UK carrier O2 has now mentioned that they will have Windows Phone 7.8 available for customers by January’s end. Now Australia’s Telstra expects Windows Phone 7.8 to hit the Lumia 800 on January 31st with others to follow shortly after. O2 Germany has also indicated an “end of January” beginning to the roll-out of Windows Phone 7.8. Even Windows Phone Colombia has mentioned via Facebook that January 31st will be key for the 7.8 upgrade.
Of course all the information we’ve received is specific to carriers or individual regions at this point. Interestingly, US carriers have all been rather silent about the whole matter as well.
Bottom-line is that we are still without real word on when Windows Phone 7.8’s official roll-out will begin, but it is seeming more and more likely that the global rollout will begin January 31st. Of course “begin” doesn’t tell us when your specific region/phone will get Windows Phone 7.8. Hopefully the rollout won’t take much longer than February or March to complete.
The wait is almost over, though the importance of the update probably isn’t nearly as significant as it would have been in late-2012. Many of us in major markets are getting very close to the end of our contracts, and many users will likely jump ship as soon as they can to a newer OS, such as Windows Phone 8 or even Android.
What do you think of the long wait to get Windows Phone 7.8, should Microsoft have done a better job here or was it more important that they focus on other efforts instead?
All Comments
This update should have came in October, togheter with windows phone 8!
I have a couple of Windows Phones of the Mango (7.5) variety in my household. Years ago, I moved to iPhone because Windows Mobile NEVER updated. You had to buy a new phone to get a newer versions. Not so with Apple.
I like the Windows Phone OS, it doesn’t have all the convenience of iPhone or Android, but it has enough to work with. Now, Microsoft has upgraded the WP7 a couple of time, mostly to over-come major flaws. But the game they’ve played with WP7.8 is so typical of their past performance.
You can’t leave customers out in the cold and expect them to come back. Making WP7 customers wait because MS was afraid it would hurt WP8 sales, just alienates your WP7 clients — fool me once shame on you — fool me twice… no gonna happen.
I have a couple of Windows Phones of the Mango (7.5) variety in my household. Years ago, I moved to iPhone because Windows Mobile NEVER updated. You had to buy a new phone to get a newer versions. Not so with Apple.
I like the Windows Phone OS, it doesn’t have all the convenience of iPhone or Android, but it has enough to work with. Now, Microsoft has upgraded the WP7 a couple of time, mostly to over-come major flaws. But the game they’ve played with WP7.8 is so typical of their past performance.
You can’t leave customers out in the cold and expect them to come back. Making WP7 customers wait because MS was afraid it would hurt WP8 sales, just alienates your WP7 clients — fool me once shame on you — fool me twice… no gonna happen.
Don’t care now I’ve decided to switch to Samsung Galaxy S4 when my contract comes up for renewal. Disappointed with Nokia and Windows and I so wanted to support them being one of the first to get the Lumia 800……then what do they do? After 12 months bring out Windows 8 so the OS I have is now defunct and Vodafone half way through my contract decide to up the cost and I have no way of escaping that.