> incompatible with current devices
Interesting. This may well be the right move for the long-term, but they're going to end up with a lot of angry early adopters right now. Android upgrades look nice all of a sudden.
Interesting. This may well be the right move for the long-term, but they're going to end up with a lot of angry early adopters right now. Android upgrades look nice all of a sudden.
They've created a new update, Windows Phone 7.8 that will rollout to current Nokia devices and other Windows Phone 7.5 devices.
It will include many of the new UX features, such as the new home page, etc.
But as WP8 is changed so much on a fundamental level, it makes no sense to port that to legacy hardware. They're reenvisioning the OS -- so the current Nokia phones won't support higher resolutions and multicore processors. That's ok! They don't have the hardware!
This is exactly what Apple does -- limited updates for legacy devices.
Only Microsoft was stupid enough to call it Windows 7.8 instead of Windows 8 (for legacy devices).
It's all in the branding and since they're bringing up the major features that legacy devices support, they should have just called it Windows 8. Consumers don't care about the distinction, if it looks like WP8, it's WP8.
EDIT: Apparently I am wrong on this.
As for all us ‘early adopters’, I for one don’t mind at all. There are some features of the new OS that simply aren’t supported by current-generation WP hardware or just wouldn’t perform well on it. I’d rather not get an update than get one that compromises the performance of my device (which I love as-is anyway) or one that seriously fragments the platform.
And, the way I see it, if WP8’s future is one of greater integration with W8 and Xbox, and Microsoft can really deliver on their ‘3 Screens & The Cloud’ vision [1], and this decision is integral to that (which it seems to be), then I’m fully on-board with it.
Also, they just announced that all existing Windows Phone 7 devices will get an update, to ‘Windows Phone 7.8’, which will bring all the UI changes and many of the new WP8 features. Most importantly, they’ve stated that all non-native code WP8 apps will work on WP7. I think that's the most important thing anyway and this approach makes for a good middle-of-the road solution. It allows developers to focus on just one platform and gives (the admittedly few of us) current WP7 owners continued access to new apps and features.
[1] http://blogs.msdn.com/b/stevecla01/archive/2009/05/21/three-...
Where did they say that?
http://www.wpcentral.com/microsoft-officially-announces-wind...
So besides support for NFC, dual core, new resolutions - it appears that most of the software based updates are coming to current devices in the form of WP 7.8
http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/20/3096945/windows-phone-7-8-...
I know they mentioned that the opposite is possible ....
The opposite is possible because if Microsoft just immediately trashed all the work their far and few WP7 supporters have been doing to help the platform, literally nobody would be on their side at that point.
You can only throw out the drawing board so many times before people lose any trust that you will ever settle on something for any real length of time.
That said, after WP8 goes out, MS really needs to step up there game with software updates. Having to get the carrier and manufacture on board to release an update has effectively made updates impossible.
Microsoft clearly agree with you, because they seem to be doing that with every generation of Windows Phone.
Windows Mobile was substantially different and went through many generations with upgrades dependent upon carrier implementation.
Edit: On the other hand, most of the current market probably didn't know about Windows Mobile so perhaps that's mostly moot.
Did HN get over-run by MS employees or something? What the hell is going on! :)
It breaks trust. How would I know that if I buy a WP 8 phone that it will be supported with upgrades a year down the line?
To the best of my knowledge, all pure Android phones have that, plus more in some cases (the Nexus line). Additionally, many of the higher-end ones from other manufacturers likely do as well.
and what percentage of android phones are these pure android devices?
WP7 is much younger than Android and the iPhone. Already they're cutting out the "legacy"?