[Definitive] Will My WP Phone Get Updated Thread

[Muessig]

The history of Windows Phone has made customers nervous and rightly so. The purpose of this thread is to calm those fear and reiterate what Microsoft have said on a few occasions. In short, I want to reassure you that your Windows Phone 8 device will continue to be supported and updated up to 36 months after the initial release of Windows Phone 8.

How do I know this?

A notable tweet from @windowsphone:

"As we've said, one benefit of moving to the Windows core is that Windows Phone 8 is upgradeable. This means that even beyond the updates we're committing to distribute for 18 months, Windows Phone 8 devices will be able to upgrade to the next version of Windows Phone when it is launched."

Here are some reference articles to back this up:

Windows Phone 8 upgrade is guaranteed, Microsoft confirms | BGR
Windows Phone 8 support to end in July 2014 but users will be able to upgrade | NDTV Gadgets
Microsoft: 'Windows Phone 8 is upgradeable'
Microsoft extending Windows Phone 8 support to 36 months, as if you'll keep your device that long

Microsoft will continue to support Windows Phone 8 users past 2014 into the future. They still support Windows Phone 7 users to the time of writing, and they have a history of supporting older software for years and years (they supported Windows XP for 13 years!)

[note]

• Microsoft have gone on record to say that your Windows Phone 8 device will continue to receive OS updates for 36 month from the initial release of Windows Phone 8
• You will continue to receive small and major OS updates and revisions (WP 8.1 I'm looking at you)
• There's no need to panic - you're well supported!

[/note]

This has been a WPCentral Community announcement. Everyone stay calm and carry on as normal. Nothing to see here.

 

[hopmedic]

I cannot BEGIN to thank you enough........

 

[unstoppablekem]

Go Muessig!

 

[N_LaRUE]

Thanks for posting this. It should be listed on the front page of WPC and in the main topics area.

Let's hope this stops all the FUD threads. (I somehow doubt it but at least we have an easy link now.)

 

[hopmedic]

Let's hope this stops all the FUD threads.

Not a chance.

 

[unstoppablekem]

Not a chance.

I know. :'(

 

[Netrelious]

thanx for the post. can you explain me what does that mean because i dont know ( sorry )

This means that even beyond the updates we're committing to distribute for 18 months

 

[Muessig]

It means everything in the green note box. You will continue to get updates, you have nothing to worry about.

 

[Netrelious]

ok thank you again

 

[steve_w_7]

I don't care either way.
If a future update is so revolutionary that it requires new hardware, I would gladly give up my current handset and buy that beast.
As Windows Phone users, we should all hope and pray that Microsoft is continually working on bigger and better upgrades.

What would really suck is if Microsoft had crippled all past and future updates just so we could all keep using our gen1 handsets... HD7 anyone???

 

[sahib lopez]

Nice! And thanks for this !!!!!

 

[Bo]

Firmware and minor software updates, I do believe that. Like another user stated, if a new OS update comes out and it completely changes the interface and Kernel, you will have to update your hardware. I believe that is acceptable. What I think confused everyone is the force of new hardware from WP7 to WP8. The two versions of the software looked almost identical but MS claims there was a kernel update so that made us have to buy different hardware, but I don't believe most users recognize how things work behind the scenes of that change so they complained about fragmentation. Hopefully MS is looking at a model similar to that of IOS that allows you to make OS improvements without the need to have buy a new phone with every minor update. Much like IOS you can keep your old device but if you want the best experience, you may want to upgrade your hardware to take full advantage of the new improvements.

 

[Naren Parker]

I am pretty confident that we'll atleast get to WP9 and all the GDRs that accompany it. MS really cannot afford to leave the adopters of the new kernel which looks very unrealistic considering that NT is the in-thing for pretty much everything at MS. Add to that the inevitable alignment of RT and WP which are both based off the same kernel. In theory atleast, things should be perfectly fine. Unless.....

 

[techiez]

Firmware and minor software updates, I do believe that. Like another user stated, if a new OS update comes out and it completely changes the interface and Kernel, you will have to update your hardware. I believe that is acceptable. What I think confused everyone is the force of new hardware from WP7 to WP8. The two versions of the software looked almost identical but MS claims there was a kernel update so that made us have to buy different hardware, but I don't believe most users recognize how things work behind the scenes of that change so they complained about fragmentation. Hopefully MS is looking at a model similar to that of IOS that allows you to make OS improvements without the need to have buy a new phone with every minor update. Much like IOS you can keep your old device but if you want the best experience, you may want to upgrade your hardware to take full advantage of the new improvements.

Problem was due to fragmentation ofcourse but also MS being more calculative of their money than user experiance, even WP7.8 is under support by MS until next year, but forget new features they didnt even take care of the bugs.

Microsoft have gone on record to say that your Windows Phone 8 device will continue to receive OS updates for 36 month from the initial release of Windows Phone 8

This theoretically doesnt mean we'll necessarily get the next iteration of WP. However looking at the market share and history of WP I think MS woulf nt be so stupid to repeat its mistake atleast between WP8 - WP9, so it should be comforting.

What I'm waiting to see is what they'll do with RT(devices) as there are talks of extending WP to tablets as well.

 

[snowmutt]

Okay, yeah, but will my L900 get WP 8.1??? MISERABLE BACK-STABBING LOW-LIFE MUNEY-GRABBING M$ LOSERS!! I AM TAKING MY TOYS AND GOING TO APPLE!!

I swear, I was kidding WPC... kidding.... PUT DOWN THE PITCHFORKS AND TORCHES!!! I WAS KIDDING!!!

:shocked:

 

[unstoppablekem]

Okay, yeah, but will my L900 get WP 8.1??? MISERABLE BACK-STABBING LOW-LIFE MUNEY-GRABBING M$ LOSERS!! I AM TAKING MY TOYS AND GOING TO APPLE!!

I swear, I was kidding WPC... kidding.... PUT DOWN THE PITCHFORKS AND TORCHES!!! I WAS KIDDING!!!

:shocked:

lol. Anyways, I thought that was a b**ch move, as the iPhone 3GS got IOS 6 and it came out in 2009, yet the Lumia 900, the phone that came out the very same year, wouldn't get windows phone 8, instead 7.8. No excuses about a massive over write, as microsoft was just lazy to take the time for WP8 to be released for 7.5 devices, as IOS 7 was a major rewrite, and the iPhone 4 got it. Anyways, past is past.

 

[aximtreo]

The forced upgrade of hardware will happen again and again. WP7 to WP8 to WP? and so on. This is expected and will be necessary. I agree with the poster above. If the new capabilities of OP OS grows to where it won't run on my Nokia 928, I'll be happy to upgrade to new hardware.

Firmware and minor software updates, I do believe that. Like another user stated, if a new OS update comes out and it completely changes the interface and Kernel, you will have to update your hardware. I believe that is acceptable. What I think confused everyone is the force of new hardware from WP7 to WP8. The two versions of the software looked almost identical but MS claims there was a kernel update so that made us have to buy different hardware, but I don't believe most users recognize how things work behind the scenes of that change so they complained about fragmentation. Hopefully MS is looking at a model similar to that of IOS that allows you to make OS improvements without the need to have buy a new phone with every minor update. Much like IOS you can keep your old device but if you want the best experience, you may want to upgrade your hardware to take full advantage of the new improvements.

 

[Robert Novak1]

lol. Anyways, I thought that was a b**ch move, as the iPhone 3GS got IOS 6 and it came out in 2009, yet the Lumia 900, the phone that came out the very same year, wouldn't get windows phone 8, instead 7.8. No excuses about a massive over write, as microsoft was just lazy to take the time for WP8 to be released for 7.5 devices, as IOS 7 was a major rewrite, and the iPhone 4 got it. Anyways, past is past.

One of the major reasons for the new hardware was secure boot. Older hardware did not support it

 

[John20212]

I believe it when I see it; especially when it comes to updates on ATT branded devices. [those ATT bastards did not even release WP7.8 for Samsung Focus, so not really trusting Microsoft on this]

 

[John20212]

Firmware and minor software updates, I do believe that. Like another user stated, if a new OS update comes out and it completely changes the interface and Kernel, you will have to update your hardware. I believe that is acceptable. What I think confused everyone is the force of new hardware from WP7 to WP8. The two versions of the software looked almost identical but MS claims there was a kernel update so that made us have to buy different hardware, but I don't believe most users recognize how things work behind the scenes of that change so they complained about fragmentation. Hopefully MS is looking at a model similar to that of IOS that allows you to make OS improvements without the need to have buy a new phone with every minor update. Much like IOS you can keep your old device but if you want the best experience, you may want to upgrade your hardware to take full advantage of the new improvements.

I only wish MS would adopt the Apple update model and cut the carriers from the process completely, but so far actions speak for themselves and Microsoft seems to be on the side of carriers rather than consumers.