(Nokia’s Lumia 900, sold by Rogers, runs Windows Phone 7.5)
Operating systems are never static: Software companies always have to update them to fix bugs, and, sometimes, to add new features in a competitive market.
But the world of smart phones is different from the desktop/laptop world. For reasons of network compatibility, wireless carriers control the timing and distribution of smart phone OS upgrades. Unlike the world of personal computers, end users can’t download upgrades themselves.
So when Microsoft Corp. announced Windows Phone 8, owners of handsets using WinPhone 7x wondered if they were going to be left a generation behind – just as those with older versions of Android on their handsets worry about getting the latest version of that mobile OS.
Microsoft says WinPhone 7.5 don’t have the power to run WinPhone 8, but the company has said there will be a v7.8 update with a few of the capabilities of WP8 – it just hasn’t said when.
However, it’s almost a month after WP 8 was released and six months after Microsoft said they’re working on 7.8. Now the natives are getting restless.
Here’s two reports on the latest buzz:
First, TechCrunch reports a blog saying v7.8 will be released this week. Meanwhile Forbes has a look at why it’s important not only to users and carriers, but to Microsoft.
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