Official 8.1/Cyan for the Icon?

[Meat Sammiches]

Some kind of response, any response, would be great from Verizon. We are left in the dark completely on the matter

 

[WinAndTech]

I have this phone and like it a lot. Disappointing of course that we are not getting the update. Not a least bit surprised as this is Verizon and Verizon has always been a nightmare with such things. They get you with coverage. The good thing is AT&T is really close in that area and Cricket is cheap.

I got to wondering, why do we even except the way things are working? I mean come on, it made sense about four years ago or so to get a new phone as tech was moving really fast. Nowadays, phones are fast.

Why do we as consumers take this crap from carriers? Why when we buy a phone are we at the mercy of our carrier making us want the next best thing when the phone we have could very much run that thing?

Think about computers for instance. I have an old computer I bought in 2010. It runs Windows 8 just fine and when 9 comes out I have no reason to believe anything in performance will change. It runs great with SSD and is fast and responsive. The thing about that computer is when I bought it, it cost a whole 500 dollars. And here it is four years later and it can run the latest and the greatest.

Only in our world do we hold a 600 dollar device in our hand and take it when our carriers no longer support the device. I cannot wait for the open phone that allows me the consumer to run any OS I want and allows me to buy a license to software (Windows) if I so choose and apply the software if I so choose. Imagine having a four year old phone that runs the latest and greatest just fine and not being at the mercy of a carrier. Oh happy day.

I may be geek and out of some peoples league, this however sounds like it would be a great thing to me.

Meanwhile... Waiting for Verizon.... Grrrrr

 

[Kieta]

The CDMA radio itself is not the problem. It's how CDMA works that makes things tricky. For CDMA to work, it has to have a special key (is that the proper term?) specific to that carrier's network. That is why you can't use a Verizon CDMA phone on Sprint's network, and vice versa. Whereas GSM doesn't require that all you need is a SIM for that carrier's network and you're good to go. So for the Icon connect to Verizon's 3G CDMA network that key has to be incorporated into the firmware, not into the OS. The OS and the firmware are separate, and I think that is why many people are confused and frustrated as to why the 930 has Cyan but the Icon does not (yet).

I had the same issue with my Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Nexus phones are by default unlocked and receive all of their updates directly from Google, not from the carriers. However, because Verizon and Sprint use CDMA for their respective 3G networks, Google had to come up with three versions of Ice Cream Sandwich. One for Verizon, one for Sprint, and one for everybody else. My buddy with a T-Mobile Galaxy Nexus got his ICS about a month (maybe a month in a half) before I got it. All because Google had to incorporate Verizon's CDMA key into the firmware and then allow Verizon to test it, approve it, and push out the OTA.

Sounds logical to me.

 

[Kieta]

But on a good note, I'm going home to catch a buzz and install windows 10 preview while watching the baseball playoffs. Isn't Thursday the day Verizon drops updates?

 

[MikeSo]

I understand that for many of us, it appears as if we're throwing a temper tantrum for not getting an update when we want it, but there are real consequences for Microsoft in an arena that's already stacked against them. They already have to deal with the fact that only one US carrier has shown any real interest in WP. Verizon offers them, but good luck finding VZW employees that have any knowledge of them. Then look at the only real electronics store in the US, Best Buy. They carry phones for all carriers, but only carry the cheap pre-paid WP phones. If people want to actually see these Windows devices they see on TV, they have to go directly to a carrier store where they'll most likely be redirected to IOS or Android.

These two things have a huge impact on MS getting traction in the US market. Consumers basically have the choice of an overpriced piece of junk where the OS looks almost exactly the same as it did in 2007, or choose a cheap plastic hunk of crap on an open OS that changes so much that within a month of buying something, it's considered outdated. So they have all of that going against them, and now they have these wonderful new features in 8.1 and 8.1.1 and developers are building apps to take advantage of the new features, but in order for the US market to even see their apps, they have to either be with AT&T, or have bought a device in the last few weeks, or be technically brave enough to install the developers preview (and even then not be able to use all the new apps). So in addition to the external forces fighting the growth of WP, they aren't helping themselves when only the customers from one carrier can actually use the features that MS advertises. The bottom line is, MS wants and needs developers to build the apps consumers want, but they are limiting the customer base for those apps by having apps that require a certain level of the OS. I get that there are Android apps that don't work on some devices, but those are usually older and cheaper devices. IOS apps work on several years of hardware and OS updates, it may be slow, but it works. Here we are waiting for basic apps that the other two have, but we need a specific OS level to be able to use them. The disincentives the developers, provides us with less choices and ultimately hurts MS.

YES YES YES! I have been saying this for a while about the sales (Best Buy etc) but you outline the entire issue perfectly!!! There are so many WP ads and I KNOW people are starting to pay attention. But when they go to the store, there is either no phone at all, or an old one that can't do what they see in the ads.

What you wrote needs to be the main focus right now for MS when the OS is finally up to par with the competition and in some aspects surpasses it. Location, location, location! as the slogan for realty sales go. There needs to be phones to buy where people go to buy phones!!

 

[Patriots1959]

But on a good note, I'm going home to catch a buzz and install windows 10 preview while watching the baseball playoffs. Isn't Thursday the day Verizon drops updates?

Correct. We will get 8.1 tomorrow.

 

[Indistinguishable]

But on a good note, I'm going home to catch a buzz and install windows 10 preview while watching the baseball playoffs. Isn't Thursday the day Verizon drops updates?

We got Portico on a Friday, but Amber and Black on a Tuesday.

I'm not sure there really is a precedent for Verizon Lumia's getting updates on any one day in particular. But people seem to think the day is Tuesday.

 

[anon(7901790)]

Two things:

1. This is obviously not very difficult to do since a) the Icon is made specifically for Verizon and ALREADY has firmware where this is done and b) everyone single phone on Verizon has it already. It's not like they're reinventing the wheel here.

Yes and no. Yes the Icon is specific to Verizon. But Cyan is NOT. The Icon came with WP8.0/Black with the CDMA key baked into it, and before Verizon offered it, I guarantee they tested it first. Since WP8.1/Cyan did NOT come with the Icon, Microsoft has to make a special version of Cyan specifically for Verizon. Updating firmware is not the same as updating the OS. It's the firmware that allows the OS to talk to the hardware. You screw up the firmware, you brick the device. You screw up the OS, all you need is to reinstall the previous working version and you're up and running again. Once the update is installed, it has to be tested to ensure the phone works and is stable as well as ensure it does not open any security holes in both the phone and Verizon's network. Whereas for AT&T and other non-CDMA carriers, they don't need to, GSM is GSM regardless of the carrier. Therefore, there is no special firmware needed for unlocked GSM phones. Just insert a SIM are your up and running on whatever carrier you choose. This cuts the testing time down for those carriers.

2. If there actually is an issue (VERY unlikely) it would be simple for Verizon to respond to the thousands of tweets and FB inquires they have gotten by stating what the issue is. It would earn them a lot of goodwill.

Yes. I agree, both the consumers and Verizon would be better served if Verizon was more transparent. However, unless an executive within the organization gets involved, this is unlikely to happen. Ultimately, it is about the bottom line, and if Verizon's bottom line is not affected, then you will see little improvement in how it communicates with its customers.

 

[DavidinCT]

Probably the best sign yet.

At least it's something..... Come on Denim !!!! (Yes, I have given up all hope on Cyan)

So we are on about page 50 now....Let's see, based on the days and how many pages that come in a day, I'm going to say 81 pages before we get it....

 

[anon(7901790)]

I'll see your 81 and raise you a pair of Levis.

 

[waym1962]

Correct. We will get 8.1 tomorrow.

Will the 928 get it tomorrow too?

 

[Indistinguishable]

Will the 928 get it tomorrow too?

He has no idea. He also has no idea whether or not the Icon will get Cyan tomorrow.

None of us do.

 

[Tjarren]

Can we eat the trolls? I mean they might be a little gamey but with enough hot sauce they should taste ok. :-D

I'll have to pass. They give me too much gas. Because they are filled with ...

...

...

...

 

[anon(7901790)]

Do you have enough gas to BBQ trolls?

 

[waym1962]

He has no idea. He also has no idea whether or not the Icon will get Cyan tomorrow.

None of us do.

I know. I just wanted to see how much guesswork he was willing to do.

 

[DavidinCT]

Nope, not today, unless they are lazy and don't do updates till after lunch, we are not getting it today

 

[marantaz]

I was wondering if it was coming today also...the MSN Weather app won't install an update and tells me to check for a phone update...i do and nothing there, but app still won't update...wondering if it needs cyan?

 

[Indistinguishable]

Nope, not today, unless they are lazy and don't do updates till after lunch, we are not getting it today

Sometimes they don't do updates until later in the day.

 

[Patriots1959]

Hello Mr. David N. Court. I foresee the update release via MS's west coast sched. Probably around noon PST. If not today, then I will retire as the official thread soothsayer.

 

[Brenda Smeby]

Unfortunately according to the availability list on the ms Lumia page it still shows as under testing