Tag: windows phone 7.8

Microsoft To Support Windows Phone 8 Until July 2014

A support document on Microsoft’s website reveals that the company will end support of both Windows Phone 7.8 and Windows Phone 8 in the second half of 2014. For Windows Phone 8 the “Mainstream Support End Date” is July 8th, then Windows Phone 7.8 ends in September 9th – both revealing an 18-month support cycle.

The document also says Windows Phone 8 is already past its “lifecycle start date”, aka the point at which Microsoft starts counting down to the end of support.

Those who enjoy death riding Microsoft’s mobile efforts, which have never achieved success commensurate with the company’s size and influence, could see the short life of Windows Phone 8 as a sign Redmond is backing away from the mobile phone, the better to concentrate on its Surface hybrid tablet devices.

A more favourable and sensible interpretation could suggest the swift demise of Windows Phone 8 is actually a sign of strong ongoing support for Windows Phone, as if Microsoft already knows the day on which it will shut down support for Phone 8 it must have either Windows Phone 8.5 or Windows Phone 9 ready to go pretty soon now.

There has been rumours that Microsoft will unveil the “next release” Windows Phone, currently codenamed “Blue,” sometime during the holiday period of this year. However, there’s no indication of what new features will be included.

[Via Engadget]

March 18, 2013
Windows Phone 7.8 Rollout Starts For Many Devices Including Nokia Lumia 900

Nokia has started to roll out the Windows Phone 7.8 update to all its smartphones currently sitting on Windows Phone 7.5.

Handsets confirmed for the upgrade so far are the Lumia 510, 610, 710, 800 and 900, with Windows Phone 7.8 arriving over the coming weeks on all the handsets.

Annoyingly you’ll have to dig out your USB cable, turn on your computer and fire up the Zune desktop software to get Windows Phone 7.8 downloaded and installed on your handset, as over-the-air support only arrived with Windows Phone 8.

Windows Phone 7.8 update will add new features like a new start screen UI with resizable live tiles, as found in Windows Phone 8. The update brings Windows Phone 8 branding to existing Lumia devices on the splash screen and icons for Games, Office and Windows Phone Store.

Windows Phone 7.8 doubles the number of theme and accent colours to 20 and adds other new lock screen features: the option to automatically display the Bing Picture of the Day plus the ‘A1B2C3’ PIN/password challenge to prevent accidental device wipes on phones connected to Exchange accounts.

No word yet from the likes of Samsung and HTC on Windows Phone 7.8 update plans for their devices.

January 31, 2013
Windows Phone 7.8 Official Update On January 31

According to Microsoft’s Colombian Facebook page, the long-awaited Windows Phone 7.8 upgrade is set to roll out on January 31st.

Handsets stuck on Windows Phone 7.5 have not been treated to the plush Windows Phone 8 OS which is reserved for new handsets. Version 7.8 their only salvation, but it’s been slow coming.

The update mainly addresses the home screen, which will match Windows Phone 8 for the ability to resize tiles according to users’ needs. Other tweaks, such Bluetooth file transfers and new theme colours, are minor at best but will address a few lingering issues with the soon-to-be-deprecated operating system. Considering newer WP7.5 devices like the Nokia Lumia 900 are less than a year old, the lack of a true software update is sure to be grating.

But Microsoft has made the difficult and likely-correct decision to focus its resources on Windows Phone 8, which shares a kernel with its desktop counterpart and supports multi-core processors, high-definition screens and a larger number of development tools.

It usually takes a few weeks for an update to hit every handset, so you may be looking at mid-February before you’re treated to Windows Phone 7.8.

January 22, 2013
Samsung : Windows Phone 7.8 Updates For All WP 7.5 Handsets

WindowsPhoneItaly reports that Samsung has just confirmed that all its Windows Phone 7.5 handsets, including the Omnia W, would receive the hotly-anticipated Windows Phone 7.8 update.

As we’ve discovered in recent weeks, however, not all devices will be getting the 7.8 update. Last month, LG confirmed that its Optimus 7 won’t be updated, and with Dell now well and truly out of the smartphone business, it’s unlikely that the Venue Pro will be updated either.

All first- and second-generation Windows Phones were eligible for update to 7.5, so as Samsung says, this guarantees that all Windows Phone 7 handsets will qualify for the 7.8 update. However, the last part of that statement is critical; while each model will be offered the update, the responsibility for pushing the software to devices lies with Microsoft, which will need to work with carriers to test and finalise the update before it’s deployed.

Microsoft has just started the rollout of PR1.1 update for Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, but the upgrade is only available in the United States and Canada. Nokia announced the rest of the countries would get it in early February, 2013.

Anyone excited for Windows Phone 7.8, or have you already set your sights on WP8?

December 22, 2012
Video Of Nokia Lumia 510 Running Windows Phone 7.8 Surfaces Online

After the Windows Phone 7.8-powerd Nokia Lumia 900 spotted in China earlier this month, a new device has been caught on camera running the unannounced operating system, the Lumia 510.

A new video, presumably from Winp.cn, shows the current build of Windows Phone 7.8 (8858) in action on the Nokia Lumia 510. Actually, it’s less action and more of a nice, soothing stroll on some of the more superficial changes coming in the OS update. The new tiles are shown off and we even see the Bing lockscreen wallpaper working.

A new rumour states that Windows Phone 7.8 will launch as early as Wednesday of this week, though in what capacity we don’t know. We may get a roll-out schedule in the very least, though even that is up in the air.

There have been several leaks that indicate Nokia is actively working on a new major Windows Phone update for its first generation Lumia handsets, though there has been no word on availability.

One nice feature exclusive, it seems, to Nokia phones is the ability to keep WiFi on in the background when the screen is off. This may seem trivial to most smartphone users but amazingly the functionality is not currently present in Windows Phone as we know it.

We still expect WP 7.8 to come out sometime early 2013.

November 26, 2012
Microsoft gives a hands on look to the Windows Phone 7.8’s new Live tiles Home screen.

While thousands complain about the fact that their devices will not be upgraded to Windows Phone 8, Microsoft tries to give it a positive look. Ben Rudolph demonstrates hows Windows Phone 7.8 will look on existing Windows Phone 7.5 devices, while he shows off a Lumia 900 running 7.8.

The video shows how the new home screen will work on existing devices, including restructuring of tiles. The company is trying to push on on features that will be added, but there is no mention of the features that will be left out for those who actually took a skinny dip into the Windows Phone Pool.

[Windows Team Blog]

June 26, 2012
Microsoft launches Windows Phone 8 and Windows Phone 7.8

Windows Phone 8 was revealed at the Windows Phone Summit today

Just days after announcing its first tablet computer, the Surface, Microsoft Corp. revealed Windows Phone 8, a dramatic update to its phone software, one that won’t be available to current Windows Phones.

If you’re currently holding a Windows Phone device, don’t worry you’d get the Windows Phone 7.8.

The hardware requirements for WP8 preclude its running on any current WP device – not even the Lumia 900! The software will bring Windows phones closer to PCs and tablets running the company’s upcoming Windows 8, which is also scheduled to launch later this year. To ensure current Windows Phone users stay happy: a few software benefits will be included in WP8, and a hearty helping of these killer features (such as the new Start screen) will be available to legacy devices in the form of Windows Phone 7.8. There’ll be support for three tile sizes, with the smallest being fingertip size (a quarter of the standard square). The update will be delivered directly to users, sidestepping carriers, and can be done over WiFi.

WP8 would share the same kernel as that of Windows 8 and Windows RT

Windows Phone 8 requires multi-core processors (up to 64), displays up to WXGA (1280 x 768) and external storage on SD. This better, faster hardware will enable new, faster games and other demanding apps which, for the first time, can be written in native code. (C/C++) All this will run on a kernel shared with Windows 8 and Windows RT. In other words Microsoft has managed to get one platform running on desktops, laptops, tablets and phones, the idea being that apps can be more easily ported from one to the next, promising “games we’ve never seen before” running on your phones, with popular titles like Gameloft’s Nova 3 and Zynga’s Draw Something also coming to Windows Phone.

There’s also a new wallet functionality thanks to the NFC support, but reliant on an augmented SIM, not hardware on the phone itself. Nokia maps is now built into the OS, including offline map support.

The OS will be available later this year along with Windows 8 and the new Surface tablets.

June 21, 2012