Editorial: Will Windows Phone 7.8 Be Enough?
July 17, 2012 12 Comments
I can’t even begin to tell you how much I prefer Windows Phone over all other mobile OS’s. The ease of use, integration of Microsoft services, and all around beautiful Metro UI make this operating system perfect for me.
As you would assume, when I first picked up my brand new Lumia 900 it was love at first sight. I have never seen a device so aesthetically pleasing to the eyes and so well built at the same exact time. A device that you can show off to family, friends, and strangers alike and not have to fumble with a case because it’s not necessary to use one. The fact that it doesn’t have to be treated with extreme care is something that I absolutely love and is something that you can’t do with iPhones because even if the air hits it at the right angle it might shatter.
Everything should be perfect for Lumia 900 users (and all gen2 WP device users alike) but things aren’t as rosy as they should be. The device that Microsoft and Nokia touted as being the flagship Windows Phone will not be upgradeable to the latest and greatest Windows Phone OS. Just like the rest of the current handsets, the Lumia 900 will only upgrade to Windows Phone 7.8. What does that mean? It means that it will look like 8, it may act like 8 but it will not be 8.
What is Windows Phone 7.8?
So far, all that Microsoft has announced is the new Windows Phone start screen that takes up the whole screen and allows you to change the size of every tile. This leads to better organizing your apps/ games and should entertain folks that love nothing better than to customize the look and feel of their smartphones.
What is the problem?
Windows Phone users are heaping mad over the fact that they will not be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 8, especially those that recently purchased a phone after the Mango update was released. Although so far, most of the announcements have been developer features that will help create bigger and badder apps and games in the future.
Sure there’s IE10 and Wallet… Sure Microsoft will probably announce tons of other great features for Windows Phone 8. The question remaining is: will Windows Phone 7.8 be enough? I believe it will.
Most of you that are reading this may not agree but that’s because we love tech and we feel very passionately about it. We can’t stand the fact that we will be surely missing features that others will have enabled on their Windows Phone 8 devices. Regular everyday folks however just don’t care or aren’t knowledgeable enough to get upset. They will see an update this fall that will transform their device in a way that it will make it look like Windows Phone 8 and they will (for the most part) be happy about it.
Don’t get me wrong, this shouldn’t have happened and Microsoft should have been a bit more prepared for this. However; this is exactly what Microsoft should be doing to make the platform grow. This is what Microsoft should have done for the HD2 when Windows Phone was first launched. For those who need their memory refreshed, Microsoft left Windows Mobile 6.5 users high and dry with their launch of Windows Phone. At least this time around it looks like they learned their lesson and are trying to appease people with the older version of the OS.
Thoughts?
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