With the official Cyan/WP 8.1 update rolling out for several Lumia devices the question that is asked repeatedly is "should I downgrade from the DP to get Cyan"? The question is being asked obviously because Microsoft has not fixed a bug that caused an issue with Bitlocker enabled phones and is now preventing the Cyan update from being offered to dev preview devices. But another question that should be asked is, is it worth the downgrade? The downgrade process can be lengthy (in some cases), result in data loss (from apps and games that have no cloud backup) and for devices without storage cards will involve reloading media from a PC. So taking all this into consideration is a downgrade worth it?
For owners of older dual core hardware like the 1020, 920/925, 820/822, 720, 625, 620, 520 running the DP the answer seems to be a resounding "No". So far the only confirmed feature you will gain over the dev preview is BT 4.0 LE being enabled. There are no camera tweaks, new brightness settings, Miracast, USB options, Living images, continuous autofocus or other new features. The official firmware is always nice to have but by itself the Cyan firmware doesnt bring anything over up to date drivers, as needed.
So what are the reasons to go through the downgrade process? Potentially getting the official firmware could smooth out any issues (if you are experiencing any), give you BT LE for your FitBit or Nokia Treasure but overall for users with the DP the update doesnt bring any of the marquee features that the newer, quad core devices are getting so is it that compelling to downgrade for and probably more importantly, is it worth all the frustration and anxiety?
To be clear, this is just to give some perspective on the whole update situation for DP users. Pretty much every article on the front page has many questions from people asking if they should downgrade to get Cyan for their device and so far its not been made clear what real benefits Cyan brings to older devices that make a downgrade worthwhile.
Personally, using the DP (& update 1) on my 1020 I see no compelling reason to downgrade. The update is officially available from Rogers so its available to me but I have no need for BT LE and my device is running fine (apart from Skype since the last update) and there are no camera tweaks or algorithims, reduced shot to shot time or any other new features so its not worth it to go through the hassle. However it may be worth it for others, but hopefully this will enlighten those who may not know the pros and cons of downgrading and also calm a few nerves while we wait for the official fix from Microsoft.
Enjoy your dev preview free from Cyan envy!
For owners of older dual core hardware like the 1020, 920/925, 820/822, 720, 625, 620, 520 running the DP the answer seems to be a resounding "No". So far the only confirmed feature you will gain over the dev preview is BT 4.0 LE being enabled. There are no camera tweaks, new brightness settings, Miracast, USB options, Living images, continuous autofocus or other new features. The official firmware is always nice to have but by itself the Cyan firmware doesnt bring anything over up to date drivers, as needed.
So what are the reasons to go through the downgrade process? Potentially getting the official firmware could smooth out any issues (if you are experiencing any), give you BT LE for your FitBit or Nokia Treasure but overall for users with the DP the update doesnt bring any of the marquee features that the newer, quad core devices are getting so is it that compelling to downgrade for and probably more importantly, is it worth all the frustration and anxiety?
To be clear, this is just to give some perspective on the whole update situation for DP users. Pretty much every article on the front page has many questions from people asking if they should downgrade to get Cyan for their device and so far its not been made clear what real benefits Cyan brings to older devices that make a downgrade worthwhile.
Personally, using the DP (& update 1) on my 1020 I see no compelling reason to downgrade. The update is officially available from Rogers so its available to me but I have no need for BT LE and my device is running fine (apart from Skype since the last update) and there are no camera tweaks or algorithims, reduced shot to shot time or any other new features so its not worth it to go through the hassle. However it may be worth it for others, but hopefully this will enlighten those who may not know the pros and cons of downgrading and also calm a few nerves while we wait for the official fix from Microsoft.
Enjoy your dev preview free from Cyan envy!
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