Sam Oliver
Earlier this week, Microsoft formally announced Windows Phone 8, which will launch on new handsets this fall. The operating system upgrade won't be available on existing Windows Phone 7-based devices, which means Nokia's Lumia 900 will be incompatible with the new platform.
Instead, Microsoft plans to offer an update in the form of Windows Phone 7.8 that will add some of the Windows Phone 8 features to the legacy platform. With Windows Phone 7.8, devices like the Lumia 900 will an updated Start screen with customizable tile sizes.
But even though the Lumia 900 will be upgraded to look like a Windows Phone 8 device, the fact that it will not receive all of the new features and functionality is seen as a serious blow to Nokia, which has bet heavily on the Windows Phone platform in its transition away from its own Symbian.
That means Nokia's troubles "could get worse before they get better," a report published Thursday in The Wall Street Journal said. It characterized the Nokia 900's lack of compatibility with Windows Phone 8 as a "major blow" to Nokia.
Malik Saadi, an industry analyst at Information Telecoms & Media, told author Sven Grundberg that many customers will now wait until Windows Phone 8 devices become available in the fall, instead of opting to buy a Nokia Lumia 900 in the meantime.
In contrast, Apple's iPhone 3GS, first released in 2009, will be able to run iOS 6 when Apple releases its own operating system update this fall. While iPhone 3GS owners will get iOS 6, they will lose out on some new features such as built-in turn-by-turn directions, Flyover maps, Shared Photo Streams, Mail VIP lists and flagged smart boxes, and the Safari Offline Reading List.
Microsoft's announcement this week is the latest in a string of bad news for Nokia. A week ago, the Finnish handset maker announced plans to ax 10,000 jobs by the end of 2013 in an effort to cut costs and turn the company around.
Nokia was once the dominant force in smartphones, but failed to respond as the iPhone and devices running Google Android took over the market. The Lumia 900 is a major attempt by Nokia to counter that trend and switch to Windows Phone, but the company warned last week that sales in its "Smart Devices" business segment have been worse than expected, and that issue is expected to continue going into the next quarter.
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129 Comments
....or Microsoft's...
Isn't the key issue the fact that it (and all WP7.x devices) is orphaned from the WP8 native code base. Anyone coding natively for WP8 won't be able to run their apps on WP7.X phones like the L900.
MS is pulling the rug out from under Windows Phone from now until December. The platform is already floundering. Now there will be even *less* reason for consumers to spend money on it. And what's the point, anyway? If consumers want a cheap, disposable phone that is iPhone-like without it being an iPhone, there's Android. If consumers want the "cool", Premium iPhone experience then they can get an iPhone.
What's the reason to get a Windows Phone? What is the point of this platform? It brings nothing really game-changing or killer to the table.
[quote name="Capnbob" url="/t/150840/nokia-woes-expected-to-worsen-as-lumia-wont-run-windows-phone-8#post_2131947"]Isn't the key issue the fact that it (and all WP7.x devices) is orphaned from the WP8 native code base. Anyone coding natively for WP8 won't be able to run their apps on WP7.X phones like the L900. [/quote] At least WP7 apps, as I was informed the other day, will run on WP8 and current Win Phones will get an update to 7.8 as a [I]conciliation prize[/I]. I wasn't expecting either of those things from MS. Plus, are they really worse off than they were a year ago? Perhaps it's a good thing they can now use WinNT kernel for all their OSes. Better late than never, right?
Here's Microsoft method of doing business. First they try to screw Apple by practically copying the Mac GUI, but changed it enough to not be caught stealing it. THEN, they write contracts with their OEM partners to basically prevent them from offering the Mac Operating System on PCs. THEN they now are talking about offering these so-called tablets to prevent their OEM partners from competing in what is unfair business practices because their OEM partners have to PAY Microsoft for the use of their OSs, but Microsoft does't pay a dime for it, plus Microsoft gets a competitive jump on the competition by showing their Windows 8 tablets way ahead of the Windows 8 release date. Now, all of the WIndows 7 phone users can't upgrade to Windows 8 and they just started selling these WIndows 7 phone not too long ago.
What next? So, Microsoft not only tries to screw over their competitors, but their business partners (of which Apple was a business partner) and now they are screwing their OEM partners, customers and everyone that they can think of.
I am surprised Microsoft is still one company and I am surprised if they don't have a flood of lawsuits hitting them.
I'm glad I am Apple user. Apple wouldn't release a piece of hardware and then release a new operating system within a year that the hardware won't support. They wait a fair amount of time before they drop support on a hardware product with regards to OS updates. You may not get all of the functionality, but at least you can install it. I think Apple waits somewhere around 2 to 3 years before they drop OS support in terms of updating hardware products. Correct me if I am wrong. I know the Smartphone industry in general has been faster moving than the PC industry due to the very nature of the product, but within a year of releasing a product?