Microsoft is reportedly working on an update for Windows Phone 8, which is expected to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress in February.
The update, codenamed Apollo Plus, is said to provide some fixes and new features for Windows Phone 8 users. According to The Verge, Microsoft has admitted it "ran out of time" on certain features such as a notification centre, and it is expected that an update will include that and other features that were not complete by the time of the official October release.
Other features include a WiFi fix to allow connections to always remain on, audio improvements and VPN support.
Early Windows Phone 8 adopters have also been flooding online forums with complaints about what appear to be widespread software issues with the new OS. Reported problems have included spontaneous rebooting, freezing and problems with syncing. Microsoft has said it is investigating the bugs.
Unhappy campers
Amid the buzz around the new platform, there have also been rumblings about the lack of information from Microsoft about the promised Windows Phone 7.8 update for 7.x Windows Phones. The update will give users the same customisable home screen as Windows Phone 8 users, as well as the capability for Bluetooth file transfers and other features (not including those linked to the hardware capabilities of Windows Phone 8 devices).
Windows Phone 7.5 is based on Microsoft's old OS (Windows CE) while Windows 8 has been completely rethought and re-coded from the ground-up, sharing the same source code as Windows 8.
Microsoft blogger, Paul Thurrot, raised the issue recently in a post that criticised Microsoft for its poor treatment of early adopters: "When Microsoft announced Windows Phone 7.8 in June, I knew it was too good to be true. At the time, it seemed like Microsoft was throwing a bone to disappointed early adopters who would not be able to upgrade their existing handsets to Windows Phone 8.
"Today, it just seems like a slap in the face... Today, almost exactly one month after the Windows Phone 8 release and over five months after it was announced, Microsoft has never really publicly discussed Windows Phone 7.8 again nor has it hinted at when it might be released."
When Windows Phone 8 was officially released in SA, when asked, Microsoft SA said the company did not want to dilute the Windows 8 message, and once the marketing cycle was over it would make an announcement about 7.8.
At the launch of the Lumia 920 in SA, Nokia SA also said that while no formal announcements have been made, it anticipated that the Windows 7.8 update would be pushed out "in a matter of weeks".
Despite the common perception that the lack of a full Windows 8 update had hurt sales of the original Lumia devices, Nokia says "demand for the Lumia handsets didn't drop at all". "We've worked very hard with Microsoft to ensure that the Windows Phone 7.8 will offer everything it can, based on the hardware that is available on those devices. It's a really good update."
Share