Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7, both the hardware and software, quite literally wowed a lot of folks. However, when early adopters learned that their still shiny Nokia Lumia 900s would never receive the even more “wow-ful” Windows Phone 8 upgrade? Yeah, pretty much pissed. Here in the now Microsoft has a little, not a lot, of Windows Phone 7.8 Update ointment for that wound.
Engadget reports that Windows Phone 7.8 Update (version 7.10.8858) is now available. What’s new? Mostly window dressing, but there is some substance.
For example, whereas there is a new lockscreen that brings accidental wipe protection and fresh wallpaper with Bing’s image of the day, but still no app access in the lockscreen, which one of the nicer features of WP8.
That said, purportedly the biggest positive change in WP 7.8 is the ability to resize live tiles. That might not sound like much, but the ability size tiles to fit an updating content stream is actually a big(gish) deal.
In addition to new accent colors, also look for new apps, including Contact Share, Play To and Nokia City. Unfortunately, Internet Explorer 10 isn’t in there — IE 9 will dog WP 7.8 users until the end.
For what it’s worth, according to Computer News Middle East, Nokia has begun pushing Windows Phone 7.8 Update to Lumia 510, 610, 710, 800 and 900 users, a process that will be ongoing throughout the month of February.
A bit of bad update news, something or Android friends are familiar with, is the fact that T-Mobile (US) won’t be rolling WP 7.8 to its subscribers.
Shades of Windows Phone 7.8 Gray
As mobile point updates go, Windows Phone 7.8 Update is a nice little bump. Still, it’s probably the last update Windows Phone 7.x device owners will get.
A bad deal? Perhaps, but Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.x stewardship is orders of magnitude better than the way Google and its Android partners treat their legacy customers…
Are you happy with Microsoft, or Google for that matter, and their mobile update policies?
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