What does August 2nd really mean to phone owners?

[PGrey]

Mobile 10 Mobile doesn't work this way. OS updates come directly from Microsoft, so the carriers don't have a say in it and can't hold it up. It's only the small amount of functionality in the firmware that needs to go through carrier approval.

Unfortunately, this isn't true, for AT&T anyway.

They initially updated/installed both the 640 (the 640XL STILL doesn't have W10m from OTA on AT&T), and the 950, they on the .107 build.

Lots of people griping up there (I help out on these forums), wanting to get beyond the .107 build, for features, battery-life, etc. The 640XL crowd just wants the OS, without Insider.

I do try to talk people into going Insider-Release Preview, as this frees them from the "loop" of the AT&T updates.
The downside to them going this way, is that AT&T may not provision things like VoLTE, WiFi calling/texting, and other extended LTE services, if they're not on the AT&T build.

Additionally, if you go to Lumiafirmware.com, you 'll see that the AT&T SKU has a special model, to let them control the firmware releases as well.

I wish this wasn't true, and that the initial idea behind this had followed-through, but the reality, at least today, is that carriers still gate everything, on Windows 10 phone, *unless* people go to the Insider program...

Edit: almost forgot: This means August 2nd is just the start of what's probably a VERY long wait, for those people on carrier-branded phones, who don't want to go insider. I'd be surprised if AT&T updates this in < 3-4 months. If I were betting, I'd go with 6-8 months.

 

[Shamshi-Adad]

Unfortunately, this isn't true, for AT&T anyway.

They initially updated/installed both the 640 (the 640XL STILL doesn't have W10m from OTA on AT&T), and the 950, they on the .107 build.

Lots of people griping up there (I help out on these forums), wanting to get beyond the .107 build, for features, battery-life, etc. The 640XL crowd just wants the OS, without Insider.

I do try to talk people into going Insider-Release Preview, as this frees them from the "loop" of the AT&T updates.
The downside to them going this way, is that AT&T may not provision things like VoLTE, WiFi calling/texting, and other extended LTE services, if they're not on the AT&T build.

Additionally, if you go to Lumiafirmware.com, you 'll see that the AT&T SKU has a special model, to let them control the firmware releases as well.

I wish this wasn't true, and that the initial idea behind this had followed-through, but the reality, at least today, is that carriers still gate everything, on Windows 10 phone, *unless* people go to the Insider program...

Edit: almost forgot: This means August 2nd is just the start of what's probably a VERY long wait, for those people on carrier-branded phones, who don't want to go insider. I'd be surprised if AT&T updates this in < 3-4 months. If I were betting, I'd go with 6-8 months.

If THAT'S true then Verizon will be over a year!!!
Peace. Alan
MS Lumia ICON 929 [Win10 M, Insider Preview, Redstone 14393.5]

 

[PGrey]

If THAT'S true then Verizon will be over a year!!!
Peace. Alan
MS Lumia ICON 929 [Win10 M, Insider Preview, Redstone 14393.5]

Yeah, could be, or they could decide to never do it.

The bonus is, Windows phone owners have the option, they can go Insider (at least for now, unless they disable this for Threshold eventually) and get a very good build (probably better than carrier anyway) and upgrade, immediately.
If you've got say an S7, with a crazy-locked bootloader, and no foreseeable carrier upgrade path, well...

There's a part of me that wishes, not in a malicious way, but in a "we need to move forward to the EU and others standard" way, that something would happen to a bunch of Android phones, or similar, where carriers would be found at fault, for delaying updates indefinitely (that contain critical security fixes, not just "features").
I wish there was another way, but I doubt it. Maybe, hopefully, T-Mobile will proliferate and get better at rural, they seem much more friendly at this than anyone else, possibly because of the parent company.

-pete

 

[thron]

For me, as a L640 owner. it could be great or bad. Imo, the native Windows 10 Mobile phones have the best advantage. At least over my 640. I can't recall if the swiping keyboard is slow or not on a native W10M phone.

Day 2 of the anniversary update being on my 640 (I jumped back into the Slow ring just to get it). So far the only bug I've spotted is the Photos app remains in the background despite consistently closing it.

 

[Sedp23]

As an ATT 830 owner the update means nothing to me unless I go Insider. I doubt we will ever see the 10 upgrade approved for our phones.

What difference does the official 10 from att make? Go insider get 10 switch back to the production ring. It's the same build att would release

Sent from mTalk

 

[PGrey]

What difference does the official 10 from att make? Go insider get 10 switch back to the production ring. It's the same build att would release

Sent from mTalk

Right now, AT&T is on .107, and only on two phones (everyone is asking about the others, and no one is answering). Maybe they're going to switch to 494, or a similar Threshold release, at some point, but my guess is it won't be for a VERY long time.
They're already way behind on numerous Android stuff, so I think Win Phone gets the very back seat, if they even get one.

You're right though, if people went Insider, and then back, they'd be on .494, and all would be fine.
Good luck trying to convince people though, they're deathly afraid of anything that the carrier isn't pushing OTA, the vast majority anyway. I try, I have a pretty good answer diagramming the benefits of going to Insider, features/fixes, the whole bit, but most people just post again, wanting OTA, and AT&T guys just say "we're not going to say anything about our releases, ever".
It's pretty good stuff over there ;-]

 

[Schnuffi]

I'm glad I live in Scandinavia (DK), where the carriers have absolutely no say. They either provide the service or they don't. That is also the reason I never buy a locked phone. Well, come to think of it, I doubt you could even get a locked phone these days.

Yea same here in Germany while you can buy a locked phone here why would you. I would hate to deal with American carriers and there prices are crazy over there. I only pay 4€ a month for 300mb and that is fine for me. But to buy a phone in the US is much cheaper my 640 still cost 128€ on Amazon

 

[PGrey]

Yea same here in Germany while you can buy a locked phone here why would you. I would hate to deal with American carriers and there prices are crazy over there. I only pay 4€ a month for 300mb and that is fine for me. But to buy a phone in the US is much cheaper my 640 still cost 128€ on Amazon

Wow, you should figure out how to buy from US eBay or something, there's gotta' be a better answer ;-]
Bargain rates on the data though.

The reason some buy branded/locked here, is that carriers won't provision some features, such as WiFi Call/text, VoLTE and such, for phones they don't sell. I still have an unbranded phone, and am constantly trying to figure out how I can trick AT&T into provisioning it as a 950, with the same features, that I'm paying for anyway ;-]

 

[Schnuffi]

The 4€ is only for the data sms and phone cost 9 cent per minute but I don?t use sms because everyone I know is on whatsapp and I seldom if ever phone anyone. As for buying phones I found a lot that wont ship internationally I think it has to do with the battery but I am not sure.

 

[Danobe]

Yea same here in Germany while you can buy a locked phone here why would you. I would hate to deal with American carriers and there prices are crazy over there. I only pay 4? a month for 300mb and that is fine for me. But to buy a phone in the US is much cheaper my 640 still cost 128? on Amazon

I pay DKK109, or the equivalent of ?13.50/US$14.90 for 10 hours of calls, 18GB of data, no payment to initiate a call, and free SMS and MMS.

 

[Schnuffi]

I am from Canada my self but have been living in Germany for over 20 years any I know my friends back home pay a lot as well. I guess in Europe they have the population density that can support lower cost to the consumers. As well as perhaps far more providers from all over Europe who try to undercut the next guy. I still think the telecoms in north America have far to much power. A lot of the people I know over their don`t even have a data plan for their phones, because of the cost. They pay to receive an sms as well as send one. They pay extra for caller ID and it goes on and on. They are truly getting ripped off.

 

[PGrey]

I am from Canada my self but have been living in Germany for over 20 years any I know my friends back home pay a lot as well. I guess in Europe they have the population density that can support lower cost to the consumers. As well as perhaps far more providers from all over Europe who try to undercut the next guy. I still think the telecoms in north America have far to much power. A lot of the people I know over their don`t even have a data plan for their phones, because of the cost. They pay to receive an sms as well as send one. They pay extra for caller ID and it goes on and on. They are truly getting ripped off.

Yeah, the EU density lends itself to better service and competition, plus there's a "better attitude" about consumers there, it seems anyway.
You're right, our providers here have way too much power, and just about zero regulation.
They say there's "choice", but what they really mean, in most cases, is if you want service, you can choose the provider that has coverage, in your area, OR choose one with good features/provisioning, that you can't actually use.
I wish we had more healthy, actual competition, like over there... :eck:

 

[Sedp23]

Right now, AT&T is on .107, and only on two phones (everyone is asking about the others, and no one is answering). Maybe they're going to switch to 494, or a similar Threshold release, at some point, but my guess is it won't be for a VERY long time.
They're already way behind on numerous Android stuff, so I think Win Phone gets the very back seat, if they even get one.

You're right though, if people went Insider, and then back, they'd be on .494, and all would be fine.
Good luck trying to convince people though, they're deathly afraid of anything that the carrier isn't pushing OTA, the vast majority anyway. I try, I have a pretty good answer diagramming the benefits of going to Insider, features/fixes, the whole bit, but most people just post again, wanting OTA, and AT&T guys just say "we're not going to say anything about our releases, ever".
It's pretty good stuff over there ;-]

It's not att lol 107 might be the version attleaves the phone at after their initial update to that but if u check for updates afterwards it should update to the latest build directly from Microsoft. Once a phone is on 10 Microsoft controls the updates not the carrier

Sent from mTalk

 

[Allen Rhodes]

So, if im not mistaken..... MS acknowledged branded phones would receive the update after unlocked phones. Hrmmm The wifes AT&T 950 still doesnt have the update. Thought this wasnt supposed to happen with 10, eh?

 

[PGrey]

So, if im not mistaken..... MS acknowledged branded phones would receive the update after unlocked phones. Hrmmm The wifes AT&T 950 still doesnt have the update. Thought this wasnt supposed to happen with 10, eh?

Interesting, my wife's (unbranded) 950 did get it.
Yeah, I thought this was source-agnostic, and the updates would simply happen?
I have to admit, I didn't really believe that carrier-branded phones had no way for carriers to block or delay the push, I guess that still remains to be seen, in the next couple of days...

 

[Allen Rhodes]

Bingo! Ive been blasted a tad on this lol. Part of me KNEW this would happen, thus the post. Carrier branded phones, oddly enough, still no update. Now the true question is whether or not the hold up is actually being caused by MS, or the carrier.

Interesting, my wife's (unbranded) 950 did get it.
Yeah, I thought this was source-agnostic, and the updates would simply happen?
I have to admit, I didn't really believe that carrier-branded phones had no way for carriers to block or delay the push, I guess that still remains to be seen, in the next couple of days...