How can I get updates for Lumia 830?

[barotropic]

How can I update an AT&T Lumia 830 that no longer uses AT&T service?

We recently finished 15 years of AT&T contract service, and my wife brought her Lumia 830 to Cricket. Before we left, I got it SIM unlocked. When/if the Denim update arrives for this model, how do we get it? My understanding is that AT&T will not serve the update if it does not have an AT&T SIM in it.

For that matter, how do we get Windows 10 Mobile, short of signing up for DP?

(FWIW, I have the same question regarding my spare phone, a Galaxy S4. It is also an AT&T model, but SIM unlocked. AT&T is now upgrading S4's to Lollipop, but it is not available, according to my S4. There must be an obvious way to solve this. In the future, carrier-unlocked phones only for me!)

 

[pankaj981]

Your 830 (and your S4) will get updates directly from AT&T when they are released for the phones. Your current carrier does not matter.

 

[Mr Lebowski]

And since the 830 is a sold by "ATT" I doubt that you will get any updates ( unless directly from MS)...sorry but they haven't even listed the 830 for the Denim update.

Here: http://forums.windowscentral.com/no...will-t-lumia-830-get-proper-denim-update.html

 

[barotropic]

"sorry but they haven't even listed the 830 for the Denim update."



Isn't that because they sold it with "Denim" which was incomplete?

 

[mark233]

All the 830's were sold with incomplete Denim

 

[mark233]

... and I think all but the AT&T model have been updated to the complete Denim

 

[poddie]

This one issue makes me think twice about staying with AT&T. The lack of Denim update is really egregious... particularly when it was sold based on having the camera updates. Just shameful.

 

[barotropic]

I actually left AT&T for Cricket, and that's why I posed this question originally. I've read in various places that updates must come from AT&T for an AT&T-locked phone, but they won't allow an update without a current account/SIM card in phone. Some here say that's wrong - hope they're correct.

I always enjoyed the AT&T service from a technical perspective - great coverage, no dropped calls, fast LTE. But I really got tired of the extreme and incompetent control they exerted over my phones. "No updates until we feel like giving them to you, =if= we feel like going to the trouble!" "Take our bloatware and love it; you can't remove it (on Android at least)!"

I had a mainstream Android phone on AT&T about 3 years ago that was way behind the rest of the world getting a Jelly Bean update. Finally, it arrived - and essentially bricked the phone (overheating, random reboots, etc). Not just mine, but everyone's. The official AT&T forum was ablaze with reports and complaints. Calling tech support resulted only in "oh really, we've never heard of this problem. Try a factory reset." Two months later a patch fixed the problem.

I also realized that with a contract, you can only break even if you grab a new subsidized flagship phone (retail $600 to $700) immediately at the end of every 2 years. I found that with a good phone, I didn't want to replace it at 2 years, yet I was paying for a new one anyway. Also, after I discovered Windows phones, I realized I did not need a $700 flagship to satisfy my smart phone needs.

On Cricket, I get the AT&T network without being indentured to AT&T. I buy my own Windows phones, when I feel like it at the price I prefer. And at any point in time, if I don't like the service, I move to another GSM provider - no hassles.

 

[poddie]

Re needing a valid AT&T SIM installed to receive the at&t updates, I can definitely say that is incorrect. I have a multitude of at&t locked Lumias here with no SIMs installed, and they all receive updates as at&t releases them with no issues.

I don't believe it has anything to do with having a SIM or not, or if/who it is locked to, but rather which firmware is installed. If you have at&t firmware, you will get the update when at&t releases it.

 

[anon(123856)]

Re needing a valid AT&T SIM installed to receive the at&t updates, I can definitely say that is incorrect. I have a multitude of at&t locked Lumias here with no SIMs installed, and they all receive updates as at&t releases them with no issues.

I don't believe it has anything to do with having a SIM or not, or if/who it is locked to, but rather which firmware is installed. If you have at&t firmware, you will get the update when at&t releases it.

I can confirm this. I have an AT&T locked 520 and a Verizon locked 822 that are both without SIMs and both receive updates without issue.