Windows Phone 7 Update Coming Next Month?

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.winextra.com/archives/windows-phone-7-update-to-arrive-in-march/' target='_blank'>http://www.winextra.com/archives/wi...rrive-in-march/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Today at the Microsoft Tech days, I heard (from a Samsung guy showcasing the Omnia 7) that the WP7 update should arrive during the first week of March. There's some cell phone show next week (in Germany, I think), where a few NDAs will lapse and announcements will probably be made about new WP7 handsets and the actual features of the WP7 update."</em></p><p>January has come and gone, and there hasn't been an update for our Windows Phone 7 yet. Rumours are pointing to early March as the time the first update will be released. I'm personally disappointed by that. Yes, this is a brand-new platform that's basically four months old at this point, but Microsoft had a key opportunity to show the world that their new update strategy was ready and they could deliver updates to customers without being hindered by their carrier and OEM partners. So far, that hasn't happened yet. The first update may very well be the hardest; carriers and OEMs aren't used to not being in control, so maybe that's a factor in the delay.</p><p>Regardless, March is a few weeks away and I sincerely hope Microsoft will deliver the update we've been hearing about for a while now. Even if it doesn't bring earth-shattering changes, it will show that this is a platform that will get updates and not be abandoned like we saw so many times with Windows Mobile phones.</p>

[paschott]

I'm going to have to agree with this one. MS had the chance to show that WP7 would get regular updates to address bugs/shortcomings. They blew it. Sure, they never promised an update, but to many people "early 2011" implies something prior to March and they did hint pretty strongly that an update would come in January/February, even without stating it outright.

If this is the sort of schedule they want to hold, they'll never catch up with iPhone/Android. It's just too slow. Months to release what to date has been suggested as just a minor change for Copy/Paste shows that they don't care. The lack of communication around a real date shows a lack of attention to customers. Even now, we're still dealing with rumors. That may or may not be corrected next week, but if Mr. Ballmer gets up and announces that this first update will just deliver Copy/Paste and no other major changes, I think the announcement will bomb. We know CP is coming, but want to hear about the other issues - not saving camera settings, Marketplace issues, Bing enhancements, actual access for the Dev community to things that only MS can hit right now (like camera access), etc.

As for the carriers, they still have the option to delay up to one release - that gives them a lot more control if MS continues this schedule of releasing updates. I know MS says that they trust the carriers to do the right thing, but in my experience, they never have. If there's a new device out and a new update for existing devices, I have a sad feeling that update will sit there until either MS pushes another update or the carrier milks the new device for sales. It happened with WM and I don't know that I see a good incentive for that to change. The only hope that we have there is to carrier unlock the device and somehow switch the update mechanism to get the updates straight from MS.

Yeah - hoping that we do get the update in about a month, but if we add a carrier-testing period delay to that, we'll be lucky to get it by April. I really the potential of the WP7 devices, but am getting pretty disillusioned by the lack of communication and what should be a more timely update process. (Mostly by the lack of communication....)

[Fritzly]

At the beginning the story was: MS will push updates directly to users no carriers involved; then it became: updates will come through carriers but..... nothing to worry about it...... yes sure!

Oops: this was WM 6.XX

Wp7 came and...... history is repeating itself........

Sorry but in my book MS really missed the train............ again...........

[Jason Dunn]

The only hope that we have there is to carrier unlock the device and somehow switch the update mechanism to get the updates straight from MS...Yeah - hoping that we do get the update in about a month, but if we add a carrier-testing period delay to that, we'll be lucky to get it by April.

My understanding is that the updates will come directly from Microsoft via the Zune software, not via the carriers, and that the update will be RELEASED in March - that it's already been in carrier testing.

I'm 100% sure I'm at least 50% right on this. :D

[paschott]

At least according to Paul Thurrott, the updates need to be approved/released by the carriers unless the device is a carrier-unlocked device. For those, there is no carrier approval required, updates come as MS releases them.

Yes, the updates do come directly from MS once approved, but the approval can still be delayed by the carriers for up to one release.

And I hope you're right as well, that the update will already be tested by March 8 (or whatever date MS may choose to announce). That would be a lot better than - "we're releasing this to the carriers on March 8, now they can start testing".

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Why do carriers need to test? It's freaking software.

[peterawest]

I just downloaded the January 2011 update for the developer tools, and it included the update that will be coming.

So, at least they have it out there.

Windows Phone Developer Tools Update Released
http://msdnrss.thecoderblogs.com/2011/02/windows-phone-developer-tools-update-released/

[paschott]

Why do carriers need to test? It's freaking software.

I'd generally tend to agree with that, but I can definitely see a little benefit for the carriers. They are the ones who bear the support responsibilities so if there is a glitch that affects the way the OS works on a particular device, it makes sense to test. My fear is that they'll delay a release for capital gains - such as if a new bit of hardware is coming out with that release already installed and it makes sense to them to encourage people to buy that new hardware. I have nothing on which to base this, especially since this really is a software upgrade - much more so than WM was.

Hoping that we're able to carrier unlock in a couple of months so we can get these updates directly from MS instead of waiting for the carriers, but apparently nobody's been able to get a Focus carrier unlock yet. Earliest date appears to be May or so.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

They are the ones who bear the support responsibilities so if there is a glitch that affects the way the OS works on a particular device, it makes sense to test.

See, why should they bear support responsibilities outside of their network? If the network is fine, the hardware company should bear that responsibility.

[Jason Dunn]

See, why should they bear support responsibilities outside of their network? If the network is fine, the hardware company should bear that responsibility.

It's the way the licensing works: when an OEM like HTC licenses the software from Microsoft, it's not them who supports the device - it's the carrier. There's always been an issue of customer "ownership" in this ecosystem; the traditional way it has worked out is that the carrier owns the customer. That gives them a lot of power in the relationship and is why, traditionally, the carrier has been able to have the final say in the way the phone hardware looks/works/etc.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

I'm pretty sure when I had my first HD2 die on me, it was HTC who serviced my phone. :D

My point is, carriers should just provide the wireless service. It's how it works here, and many parts of the world. I think a lot of the anger that is directed at MS really should go towards the carriers.

[Jason Dunn]

My point is, carriers should just provide the wireless service. It's how it works here, and many parts of the world. I think a lot of the anger that is directed at MS really should go towards the carriers.

I agree 100%. I think carriers should be pipelines to voice/data, and that's about it. Thing is, carriers in North American and Europe don't see themselves that way. They're all about owning the customer, owning the experience, adding "value", etc.

[Nelson Ocampo]

I'm sure you guys remember Microsoft's deal with the carriers. It was publicly stated that carriers would have the ability to delay an update for up to one update cycle.

So, if the update is released next month, does that mean that we're already in the 2nd update cycle?

[paschott]

As far as we're concerned, it means that the carriers can delay this update until MS releases the next update to them. If a carrier wants to sit on this until "2nd half 2011" when the next update is supposed to be released, they can under their agreement w/ MS. It's not in anyone's best interest to do so, but they are allowed to do it. If MS releases another update to the carriers in a week (also unlikely), the first update would have to be released to us.

I think it's safe to say that MS is not only working on the next update but future features as well. According to today's announcement, those will likely be released 2nd half 2011. I'm pretty disappointed by this as one of the big gains of the WP7 redesign was to allow more frequent releases. Admittedly, 4 months and again in the next 9 months is more frequent than what we saw under WM, but they sure hinted that it wouldn't be so long between updates. I think that's also going to hurt them until they've closed the gap between WP7 and Android/iOS quite a bit more. Copy/Paste alone just isn't going to do it.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Once again, Android has updates every 6 months or so and it's already leading to cries of fragmentation (due to Android's open model). 6 months is silly fast. Even video cards at their height were being released every 9 months. In this day and age I'm definitely not going to be a software developer. The sense of expectation is silly. -.-

[Sven Johannsen]

I'm pretty sure when I had my first HD2 die on me, it was HTC who serviced my phone. :D

My point is, carriers should just provide the wireless service. It's how it works here, and many parts of the world. I think a lot of the anger that is directed at MS really should go towards the carriers.
That may be how it worked for you, but I would bet good money that the majority of people in the US who have trouble with their phone take it right back to the carrier store where they got it. Doesn't matter if it says Samsung, Motorola or Nokia, running Symbian, WP7, or Android. I paid, and am paying, AT&T (or Verizon, etc) for it, and that's who's gonna fix it.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

That may be how it worked for you, but I would bet good money that the majority of people in the US who have trouble with their phone take it right back to the carrier store where they got it. Doesn't matter if it says Samsung, Motorola or Nokia, running Symbian, WP7, or Android. I paid, and am paying, AT&T (or Verizon, etc) for it, and that's who's gonna fix it.

Uh, but the hardware manufacturer is say, Motorola. I know the stereotype dumb lazy American, but this is surely taking it too far? :D

Seriously, it's getting harder and harder for me to sympathise with Americans whenever they (rightly) moan about their carriers: You keep on giving them that power to screw you over, and are happy to do so!

[Sven Johannsen]

Uh, but the hardware manufacturer is say, Motorola. I know the stereotype dumb lazy American, but this is surely taking it too far? :D
Trying not to be offended here, I see the grin, but why is that taking it too far? AT&T sold me the hardware, in many cases gave me the hardware, and is charging me a premium price to use it on their network. If it screws up, why should I dig out the paperwork, figure out who made it, find the nearest repair facility, arrange a repair authorization, mail it to them at my expense and wait 6 weeks to get it back, potentially with a bill. I can just take it to the place I bought it from, it's down the street, and typically they'll take care of it. That's just how it works here. Did you buy your HD2 outright, and then just select a carrier for service? Your way may be better...for you...but that is just not typical here. Maybe we let this happen, but there are a lot of things that we let happen over time. Still there are many more folks trying to get into this country, than trying to get out. Most folks just aren't that concerned about the situation, as folks on this site. They get a phone and a plan and use it till it dies. They wouldn't know, or care, if there were updates. That is changing with the iPhone and Android, but the rank and file still think of the phone as an appliance.