Legacy PHones no Apollo Update, will get 7.8 update

[bear_lx]

You just bought a phone that you're stuck with for the next two years that's getting cut off. That sucks. The iPhone 3GS is getting iOS 6, and it's three years old. Your phone is two months old if you bought a 900.

Windows Phone 8 Looks Great, but It Screws Existing Users

Enjoy your no new apps from here on out situation.

no its not, neither is the ipad 1... and there are a lot of features iphone 4 owners are getting screwed on

 

[marbla]

http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windowsphone75/windows-phone-78-preview-143476
Judging by this it really is only the cosmetic update.

 

[dby2011]

This just stinks Main reason is that there are so many basic apps that are not for wp7.5 yet, then when they do port them they will be for wp 8 phones. For example- just got a new GM car- can't use the Onstar app to start my car and lock/unlock-not available for wp. Got a new Netgear router- can't use an app to manage my network on my phone- not available for wp. I use Charter One bank- no app for wp to check my acct balances. This kind of stuff and now knowing my current phone will probably not work with new apps makes me wonder if I should just switch to apple.

 

[jdevenberg]

No WP8 sucks. No new apps. An end to the debate

Microsoft has confirmed that WP8 apps WILL NOT RUN in WP7.x. How many developers do you really think are going to design for WP7 now? Developing for Windows Phone 8 allows easy portability to Windows 8 and vice versa. So, developing for Windows Phone 7 gives you Windows Phone 7 (1% market share) and Windows Phone 8 (unknown success). Developing for Windows Phone 8 gives you Windows Phone 8 (unknown success) and Windows 8 (guaranteed Hundreds of millions of users). If you were a developer which two would you develop for?

 

[Reflexx]

MS currently doesn't have enough clout to do that with carriers. Carriers would laugh in their face.

I think the best thing MS could do is continue to sell WP7 even after the launch of WP8. But have it as a "budget" device. Sell it all around the world in countries like India where there are huge populations who consume these budget devices. The budget smart phone could pretty much replace the old "feature phone."

That will guarantee that developers will continue to want to support WP7.

 

[rockstarzzz]

You can't expect MSFT to enlist end user features in dev summit!!!! There will be features. Let MSFT keep cards close to its heart. Else Apple is waiting to steal it like Mango features.

Sent from my Titan using Board Express

 

[aubreyq]

MS currently doesn't have enough clout to do that with carriers. Carriers would laugh in their face.

I think the best thing MS could do is continue to sell WP7 even after the launch of WP8. But have it as a "budget" device. Sell it all around the world in countries like India where there are huge populations who consume these budget devices. The budget smart phone could pretty much replace the old "feature phone."

That will guarantee that developers will continue to want to support WP7.

A budget device has a different meaning depending on your region, especially if you consider subsidized phones. For example, the Samsung Focus 2 has LTE and it sells for $49 subsidized, if I'm not mistaken. To me that is a budget device, but I'm pretty sure you mean unsubsidized price.

Frankly I think Microsoft can't wait to close the chapter on WP7. I mean, the potential of the kernel used in WP8 is incredible and developers will embrace it big time. Why keep cranking WP7 phones that won't take WP8 apps?

 

[vp710]

Like I said elsewhere: the news that current devices not getting WP8 is totally blown out of proportion. Tech blogs and fanboys jumped on the news with total rabid bias and accompanying misleading wording. The way I see it is as follows:

WP7.8 will feel very much like WP8. WP7.8 won't run apps made for the WP8's exclusive APIs and hardware features. What this really means is still unknown. The more demanding games and apps supporting external memory or NFC would have been useless or laggy on current devices. The big question here is: will WP7.8 support 3rd-party notifications and VOIP?

 

[sentimentGX4]

no its not, neither is the ipad 1... and there are a lot of features iphone 4 owners are getting screwed on

The important part is that the Apple devices all got the latest kernel for 3 years. The kernel is the bottom line and all that matters. Everything else is secondary and can be hacked in. iPhone 4 can run Siri; but, not without the latest kernel.

WP7.5 have lost kernel support and that is the bottom line. Old phones won't ever be able to use many of the new apps and features. Those saying that iOS only gets "partial" updates are making a flawed comparison. There's a reason iOS 6 on iPhone 3GS is called iOS 6 and WP7.8 on Lumia 900 is WP7.8. It's NOT semantics as some of you are misguidedly claiming.

Like I said elsewhere: the news that current devices not getting WP8 is totally blown out of proportion. Tech blogs and fanboys jumped on the news with total rabid bias and accompanying misleading wording. The way I see it is as follows:

WP7.8 will feel very much like WP8. WP7.8 won't run apps made for the WP8's exclusive APIs and hardware features. What this really means is still unknown. The more demanding games and apps supporting external memory or NFC would have been useless or laggy on current devices. The big question here is: will WP7.8 support 3rd-party notifications and VOIP?

I think "fanboys" and techblogs understand what is happening. You're undermining the impact of the loss of kernel support.

 

[Reflexx]

Ah... when you put it that way, I see your point. Someone else was trying to say the same thing in another thread, but it wasn't put as clearly.

But with the similarities between RT and Silverlight, the porting process should be easy. And with MS saying that it would be compiled "in the cloud", who knows if they might take care of some of that stuff already.

But I think the key really is emerging markets and the current feature phone market. Eventually, the feature phone will be replaced by the budget smartphone. And if WP7 is sold as a budget smartphone after WP8 is out, the customer base could become quite large.

 

[Pete C]

You just bought a phone that you're stuck with for the next two years that's getting cut off. That sucks. The iPhone 3GS is getting iOS 6, and it's three years old. Your phone is two months old if you bought a 900.

Windows Phone 8 Looks Great, but It Screws Existing Users

Enjoy your no new apps from here on out situation.

Apple did something worse to early iPhone adopters. The 3G, which is the phone I had, was pushed out the iOS4 update, and it downgraded the performance to a pathetic state. It was a laggy crashfest after that update because the old phone just couldn't handle it, and this was echoed in many forums at the time. I would have preferred they didn't push that update out at all. At least I would have still had a usable phone that I really liked. I felt that Apple did that to persuade 3G users to upgrade to new hardware which Apple profits from. It's the main reason I left Apple to the Windows camp.

And explain to me again why Siri isn't on the iPhone 4? Hmm...holding back features from perfectly fine hardware are we? At least MS is not pushing out WP8 to legacy phones for a legitimate reason.

 

[theefman]

I'm more pissed that they are going to have Smartglass on ios and spydroid! Personally this fits into my plan to fully enjoy the best WP7 device available till WP8 hits. And fortunately for me I dont have "2 year contract" syndrome, if at&t doesnt have the hottest WP8 device I'll gladly move back to Tmo (sell the 900, use that to fund the ETF, doubt that will happen though) but either way I'll be upgrading to WP8 happily after 6 months with my Lumia.

Hope the twats have a camera picture quality upgrade along with the camera extras.

 

[aubreyq]

THANK YOU. I just wrote in another thread that my belief is that Microsoft can't wait to close the chapter in WP7. I'm sure they just want to march on with WP8. It only makes sense. Yeah, some people will be alienated for a while, but Windows Phone can survive it.

 

[bear_lx]

Yeah, because the 3Gs is 3 years old. Most people got their Lumias in the last two months. There's an enormous difference.

the 4 isnt three years old, neither is the 4s.... apple releases one phone a year so they wont have this issue... your argument is retarded as usual.

this is no different than what we are going through. microsoft is upgrading what they can. just like apple is upgrading what they can. is this any different than the bionic not getting ICS? NO! its not!

when updating an OS to this magnitude, they do what they can... furthermore ios updates are no where near as big as this... ios updates are like nodo, wow now we have copy and paste....


so get out of my life with that garbage

 

[trickym81]

Obviously no one seriously expected things like different resolutions or NFC is current WP7 phones. However, the app situation is pretty bad. If WP8 takes off and there are thousands of new, useful apps available for it, owning a WP7 phone is going to be pretty frustrating.

Why would anyone new cater to the small number of WP7 users? Companies that aren't developing WP7 apps right now won't suddenly start because WP8 is out. They'll make WP8 apps.

 

[Reflexx]

You are missing the huge point. Windows 8 operating system both x86/x64 and WinRT being sold on Dell, Lenovo, ASUS, HP, etc and its huge install base. Potentially 1 billion customers or the 10 million legacy users? Where are you going to invest?

You make a good point.

I missed half the presentation, so I wasn't all that clear about the sharing of code on WP8 and W8 until someone told me.

Though RT is very similar to Silverlight. And if WP7.8 ends up targeting emerging markets and gets a large install base as a budget phone, then it could still prove to be lucrative.

 

[aubreyq]

Ah... when you put it that way, I see your point. Someone else was trying to say the same thing in another thread, but it wasn't put as clearly.

LOL that was me. I guess I'm not being very clear today

 

[dkp23]

Im very simple minded, i just want screenshot for heavens sake1 give it to me!

or somebody jailbreak the lumia so i can sideload!!bleh!

 

[jdevenberg]

I really doubt that wp7 will see market share increase after wp 8 launches. I could be wrong, but i doubt it. And if i were a developer I wouldn't put any effort into developing for a legacy platform with less than 1% market share.
EDIT: forgot my source link. http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/20/microsoft-unveils-windows-phone-7-8-for-legacy-devices/
At the end is the statement from MS stating about app compatibility.

 

[aubreyq]

I really doubt that wp7 will see market share increase after wp 8 launches. I could be wrong, but i doubt it. And if i were a developer I wouldn't put any effort into developing for a legacy platform with less than 1% market share.

Agreed!

BTW, part of the title of this thread is "An end to the debate." I'd say it's only the beginning, LOL!