DailyTech - Microsoft Rumored to be Planning Massive Windows Phone 7 Update

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Gadgets Microsoft Rumored to be Planning Massive Windows Phone 7 Update
Jason Mick (Blog) - November 29, 2010 5:13 PM

68 comment(s) - last by jimbojimbo.. on Dec 3 at 12:54 PM

"Full of win!"

Update remedies early shortcomings, including copy/cut/paste and multitasking deficiencies

Windows Phone 7 is finally here. The good is that there's lots of hardware varieties to choose from, much like Android. Also in the good news category is the slick and easy to used polished user interface that comes standard with WP7. The bad news is that many features are notably missing -- hot swappable SD memory, copy/cut/paste, and true third-party multitasking.

But there's hope yet for those who have purchased Windows Phone 7 handsets, or are thinking about it. Microsoft is rumored to be planning a massive update to the young operating system according to wpcentral.

The news was leaked by overexcited Windows Phone 7 developer Chris Walsh, who couldn't keep quiet about the update's inclusion of copy/cut/paste, free voice-guided Bing navigation, custom ringtone support, a third-party multitasking solution, and more.

The update is rumored to land as early as January, in time to go head to head with Google's Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" and Apple's iOS 4.3.

If indeed all those rumored features make it to the finished product, Microsoft would unleash a wicked competitor on the market. As one Twitter poster put it, "MS took 3 months to do what Apple did in 3 years."

Another poster comments, "Let's just say, they could have called it Windows Phone 8."

Let's just say Google and Apple are doubtless watching closely how this one plays out.

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RE: One important feature missing

By Gio6518 on 11/29/2010 7:24:15 PM , Rating: 2

HMMMMMMMM, not too long ago you said it's going to take sales away from android.

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RE: One important feature missing

By Tony Swash on 11/30/10, Rating: -1

By Tony Swash on 11/30/2010 6:55:46 AM , Rating: -1

quote:
HMMMMMMMM, not too long ago you said it's going to take sales away from android.

I think what I said (I paraphrase) was that it wasn't clear how much of a success WP7 would be, that Microsoft were very late to the game but that WP7 was very important to Microsoft's future and that it would throw everything it could into the fight. I then said that WP7 sales would be mostly taking sales from Android as both Android and WP7 have the same customers (i.e. the carriers and handset makers). I still think that.

It now appears that the launch of WP7 was weak. Which I find amusing and rather pleasing to be honest.

It may improve but WP7 faces a tough challenge against a free alternative. Microsoft won't admit defeat in the mobile arena without a fight, they play hard and dirty and have a lot money. What they lack is a compelling case for WP7.

Given that both Android and WP7 can only succeed by winning support form the carriers and hand set makers (neither product is offered for sale or free distribution direct to the general consuming public) the issue is why would they select WP7 over Android and have to pay a fee for doing that? The main reason they would consider to that, I presume, would be to avoid over dependency on Google, but in order to develop a second source for a modern OS (i.e. WP7) it has to actually sell to end users. If it doesn't then it will have no value for the carriers and handset makers in their attempt to curtail their dependency on Google.

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RE: One important feature missing

By Pirks on 11/30/2010 10:06:52 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
the issue is why would they select WP7 over Android and have to pay a fee for doing that?

If MS really wants to beat Android they will start offering WP7 for free, just to grab market share. They did this trick with IE/Netscape, and it worked then. Should work now too.

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RE: One important feature missing

By Smilin on 11/30/2010 2:18:06 PM , Rating: 2

It basically is free. The cost to license it is very low. Low enough that it doesn't affect the consumer price so it doesn't affect sales.

The pricing kinda reminds me of XBL. It's low enough that very few people mind yet taken as a whole it generates a lot of revenue for MS. Sony tried to get the public riled up but it failed and they are kicking themselves about a billion ($$$) times a year now because they didn't think of it.

plus or minus $20 in price on a phone isn't going to storm the market.

There are a lot of benefits that come with the cost too. Patent liability alone would be worth it. Just ask HTC.

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