TheVerge.com: current Windows Phone devices will not get 'Apollo' upgrade

[preslove]

If this is true, then both Nokia and Windows Phone are in for a lot of pain...

http://www.theverge.com/2012/4/17/2956439/windows-phone-8-apollo-no-upgrade

Sources: current Windows Phone devices will not get 'Apollo' upgrade

Earlier today, a developer evangelist for Microsoft was quoted as saying that all Windows Phone devices would get an upgrade to the "next major version" of the operating system. Now, a trusted source close to Microsoft tells us that is absolutely not the case, that instead there will be no upgrade path from Mango to Apollo. This matches up with a previous report from Mary Jo Foley and explains the particular language Microsoft used when it responded to the story earlier today, saying "We have stated publicly that all apps in our Marketplace today will run on the next version of Windows Phone. Beyond that, we have nothing to share about future releases."

The news that Mango phones won't be getting an update to Windows Phone Apollo doesn't bode well for everybody who just purchased a Nokia Lumia 900, to say nothing of the other phones that Microsoft and its partners have managed to sell. If there is a silver lining to be found in the dark cloud besides future app compatibility, it's that this major break could mean that Apollo will contain some major feature improvements over Windows Phone 7.

 

[smartpatrol]

I hope this is not true. This would really screw over WP7's early adopters, who have been extremely loving and enthusiastic about the platform. That would suck so bad for MS to leave a few million of their most dedicated fans orphaned with an OS that failed to get any significant market share.

 

[MrX8503]

So stupid.

Whats the point of adopting a closed system like Apple when you're not going to update your phones to the latest OS.

 

[Kenmitch]

Maybe it's just one of those " there is no upgrade path " as in the core of the OS isn't upgradable from Mango to Apollo.

On the other hand Microsoft seems to be busting an Apple with the whole windows phone thing these days. Seems like a Apple move to require new hardware to run the new OS. What good is running the latest and greatest on old hardware anyways. Current windows phone hardware is lacking anyways. It may be not so laggy now but with upgrades in the OS it may not be in the future unless the base hardware is beefed up!

 

[Red Storm]

Not surprising in the least. Not the specific issue of no updates, but Microsoft making another royally stupid decision. They will never gain significant marketshare.

 

[Glitchny]

I imagine this will piss some people off.

 

[WelshBloke]

Whats supposed to be upcoming in the Apollo update?

Maybe the current hardware isnt beefy enough to run it.

 

[bearxor]

Oh man. And I was sooo tempted by a Lumia 900. I've come very close a couple of times just to really try out Windows Phone.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Whats supposed to be upcoming in the Apollo update?

Maybe the current hardware isnt beefy enough to run it.

If that is the case so much for never needing a dual core.

 

[darkewaffle]

Holy speculation Batman.

Shit, no upgrade path from Mango to Apollo could just mean you need a fresh install rather than being able to run an update. Kind of like how there's no "upgrade path" from Windows 2000 to Windows 7 or between some Adobe Reader versions.

Whatever it is, it's far from clear for now at least.

 

[Deeko]

This was posted after Engadget posted that they all WILL get the update:

http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/17/windows-phone-8-available-all-devices/

TheVerge has been taking a lot of heat from WP7 fans over their Lumia 900 review, and I think they're getting upset about it, to the point the Topolsky is really whiny about it on his Twitter, and even posted a separate article pleading people to stop commenting about it. So I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of "retaliation" articles like this one in the near future.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Holy speculation Batman.

Shit, no upgrade path from Mango to Apollo could just mean you need a fresh install rather than being able to run an update. Kind of like how there's no "upgrade path" from Windows 2000 to Windows 7 or between some Adobe Reader versions.

Whatever it is, it's far from clear for now at least.

As far as I know no one has ever offered "clean install" upgrades for a phone and they probably never will.

 

[darkewaffle]

As far as I know no one has ever offered "clean install" upgrades for a phone and they probably never will.

It's essentially what Android mods do, as many (all?) of them require complete ROM flashes.

Should there be some sort of barrier between WP7 and WP8 that would prevent a simple software-driven upgrade I think it would be possible to offer the upgrade through the carriers. It wouldn't be all that different than upgrading phones; you bring your current device to the carrier, they export contacts/data/etc (hell, to a cloud even), and the only difference is that instead of a new device they just flash the firmware, restore your data (through a card, cloud, proprietary device, whatever), and you walk out with the same phone.

 

[sciwizam]

This was posted after Engadget posted that they all WILL get the update:

http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/17/windows-phone-8-available-all-devices/

TheVerge has been taking a lot of heat from WP7 fans over their Lumia 900 review, and I think they're getting upset about it, to the point the Topolsky is really whiny about it on his Twitter, and even posted a separate article pleading people to stop commenting about it. So I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of "retaliation" articles like this one in the near future.

It's just not the Verge though, Mary Jo Foley is also hinting of the same rumor. Will have to tune in to Windows Weekly tomorrow to hear more about this from her.

https://twitter.com/#!/maryjofoley

Like the Verge, I also am still hearing current WPs won't get the Apollo/Win Phone OS 8 update: http://vrge.co/JCqNa7 #dontgetyourhopesup

@gmelika My sources say no existing WP devices will get Apollo. MS won't confirm this. They also are not denying it

 

[QueBert]

Glad to read the not coming rumor was false, I'm still 50/50 on getting a Lumia 900 but when I thought no WP8 update I wasn't going to consider one.

 

[WelshBloke]

Glad to read the not coming rumor was false, I'm still 50/50 on getting a Lumia 900 but when I thought no WP8 update I wasn't going to consider one.

I don't think it's confirmed one way or the other.

If you really want the winpho8 update I'd wait until Microsoft give a definite on it.

 

[preslove]

Glad to read the not coming rumor was false, I'm still 50/50 on getting a Lumia 900 but when I thought no WP8 update I wasn't going to consider one.

You're better off waiting until it's been confirmed.

 

[Ns1]

On the other hand Microsoft seems to be busting an Apple with the whole windows phone thing these days. Seems like a Apple move to require new hardware to run the new OS.

The iPhone 3G no longer receives software updates from Apple. The last release of iOS to support the 3G was 4.2.1, which was released on November 22, 2010. iOS 4.3, released on March 11, 2011, did not support the iPhone 3G.[13]

3g was released July 2008 and supported with the latest and greatest software updates (ios 2.0 -> ios 4.2.1) until March 2011.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

This was posted after Engadget posted that they all WILL get the update:

http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/17/windows-phone-8-available-all-devices/

TheVerge has been taking a lot of heat from WP7 fans over their Lumia 900 review, and I think they're getting upset about it, to the point the Topolsky is really whiny about it on his Twitter, and even posted a separate article pleading people to stop commenting about it. So I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of "retaliation" articles like this one in the near future.

Windows Phone fans shouldn't expect their devices of choice to continue to be reviewed as if they exist in a vacuum. Sooner or later more reviewers will point out the elephant in the room like Topolsky did.

 

[Deeko]

Windows Phone fans shouldn't expect their devices of choice to continue to be reviewed as if they exist in a vacuum. Sooner or later more reviewers will point out the elephant in the room like Topolsky did.

Not taking the bait.

 

[shortylickens]

Windows Phone fans shouldn't expect their devices of choice to continue to be reviewed as if they exist in a vacuum. Sooner or later more reviewers will point out the elephant in the room like Topolsky did.

http://www.osnews.com/story/25768/Topolsky_quot_It_s_time_to_stop_giving_Windows_Phone_a_pass_quot_

That article?

 

[Puddle Jumper]

http://www.osnews.com/story/25768/Topolsky_quot_It_s_time_to_stop_giving_Windows_Phone_a_pass_quot_

That article?

Basically yes.

 

[Sheep]

It's webOS all over again. To this day the most vocal webOS fanboys can't acknowledge that the OS has any flaws and that (gasp!) iOS and Android might actually do some things better than their OS.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

If MS does any better with the Android manufacturers in updating their phones to ICS, then we shouldn't have much to complain about. They just have to outdo Moto, and we're set.

 

[QueBert]

It's webOS all over again. To this day the most vocal webOS fanboys can't acknowledge that the OS has any flaws and that (gasp!) iOS and Android might actually do some things better than their OS.

poor hardware on the few phones that ran it was really the only flaw of WebOS imho, if I could get even semi current hardware with WebOS on it, I'd throw my Android phone away in a heart beat. It wasn't without flaws, but it was waaaay better than iOS & Android to me.