Windows Phone support retirement announcement

[repinca]

I'm due for a new phone. I've been debating between a Windows phone and Android. Now I see this announcement and I have no idea what comes after WP8 nor what it might cost to upgrade. I guess I'm leaning towards Android now, partially because of the app situation. It doesn't bother me on the tablet where I generally use web more anyway, but on my phone I've found it irksome. But, I love my Windows phone and I like having the connected ecosystem. I'm also a heavy calendar user and with the new Google sync issues, I don't think I'll get as nice integration. Oy, what to do...

Microsoft Says Windows Phone 8 Support Ends July 2014, Still No Official Successor Announced | TechCrunch

 

[kristalsoldier]

Hmmm...thanks for the link. This is a bit odd though. While I'm sure some of the models of Win Phone 8 (like say Lumia 720, 820, 920 etc. and equivalents of other OEMs) will get updated to the OS that will follow Win Phone 8, what about the lower models like the Luma 620 etc. Will they also be on the upgrade path? Android is different in this because even though my current phone runs 2.3.6, it can and does run most of the apps that say a JellyBean phone does. Does the same principle apply to Win Phone OS phones (like say 7.5/ 7.8 etc.)?

 

[Arizona Willie]

Why are they ending Windows Phone 8 Support?

That sounds like abandoning Windows 8

 

[jnjroach]

Phone OS's have a much shorter shelve life than traditional OS's. Windows Phone Blue will be released around the same time as Windows Blue, my guess is that we will see more common code and features as the OS's merge more between Windows 8/RT and Windows Phone (especially Windows RT and Windows Phone as they share a common architecture).

 

[KLR]

I looked at this as a more positive move from MS in that they are making it well known that they plan on continuously improving upon the ecosystem in as rapid a fashion that they can support with a target being within at least 18 months. I am also ready for a new phone and am still not fully decided upon the path but I am leaning to the 928 once released primarily because of how well windows 8 ecosystem works across devices. Apps will come.

As for calendaring, I just can not support goggle anymore because of the stupidity (IMO) on their managements decision on not supporting outlook and the inconvenience they placed on all those that needed this service and support. Like it or not Outlook is a serious product in the office space and this childish game should never have been played. Hence. I am holding out for Outlook to be released for the RT/Pro...etc.

Interesting enough, I was also looking into the new Samsung coming out to replace my iPhone but I think this thread help me make up my mind and go with a WP.

 

[magicrobots]

I am amazed at how poorly microsoft has handled this announcement. All they have done is sew confusion in the community of their most needed to succeed product. They should have used some sort of tact and expression of exactly what this means in the future, and for owners of current devices, allay fears, compare the process to others that people are familiar with ... don't just put it out there and let us come up with our own messed up conclusions.

 

[J515OP]

I didn't hear about the "official" end of WP8 before this and even now it is a link to a blog and not to MS making an announcement. Yet I could have told you at some point WP8 was coming to an end in favor of the next WP OS. My point is MS isn't putting things out that should be making people fearful. They are simply open about the life cycle of their software. You need to blame the blogs for picking this up and raising FUD if that is what you got out of the TC article. I simply don't see the average person digging through MS life cycle support pages and coming up with this. Most likely only us tech enthusiasts reading tech blogs will hear about it and we should already know to take those with a grain or two of salt

So what can we conclude when we drill down? I think jnjroach nailed it and the article alludes to it and is half focused on it. With Apple you never know when your phone is going to be outdated. They simply say here is a new phone OS and by the way it only applies to x model and up. I still have an original iPhone that is useless for getting apps simply because it isn't supported for the latest iOS which prevents me from getting anything new. It appears Windows phones are going to work the same way at least in these first couple of versions (WP7/8). What we don't know if if Blue will be more akin to Android, where theoretically the new OS can be applied to any device but it is up to the OEM and the carriers to supply the update to models they choose to support or like Apple where they simply tell you what is no longer being supported.

That leave us with Windows Blue guesses. We all know this is coming and Windows phones would greatly benefit from being tied into it. Blue is still very secret despite some leaks. Why would MS rush out and tell everybody that Windows Blue is coming to Windows phones when they aren't ready to make any other Blue announcements? Will the new Blue be more like continuous Android updates or more like distinct iOS/WP7/WP8 updates? In the end this is a simple case of acknowledgement that the current Windows Phone OS will expire at some point. Just like Apple iOS whether or not they tell you a new version is coming in the future, we all know that is the case and when it does iPhone 4 is not going to get it and therefore become obsolete. They all have valid reasons for not letting these OS upgrade details out ahead of time.

MS seems to sit somewhere between Apple and Android letting us know that WP OS# will expire at some point but not letting us know what is coming next. I don't see any reason to be concerned unless you want to buy into blog FUD which is trying to say this is the end of Window Phone entirely. Have you ever heard that about iPhones? Yet Apple is obsoleting the older models with iOS updates on a regular basis. That is just the phone OS cycle and we can reasonably assume old phone OSes will be retired and new ones will replace them without getting all freaked out.

JP

 

[bosamar]

It's all fine by me. I love my Win8 Phone and do expect an upgrade path to become available, unlike my Win7 Phone. By summer 2014 I'll be looking for the next best thing anyways.

 

[tonyz3]

this was mention weeks or months ago - don't remember which news org or who- maybe even Paul T. But whoever did discuss it said that MS stated current Win8 phones would be able to upgrade to the new OS. I suspect I will have a new Win phone by than anyway but for now I do remember them mentioning my N920 specifically being able to upgrade to what ever is next.

 

[kristalsoldier]

I didn't hear about the "official" end of WP8 before this and even now it is a link to a blog and not to MS making an announcement. Yet I could have told you at some point WP8 was coming to an end in favor of the next WP OS. My point is MS isn't putting things out that should be making people fearful. They are simply open about the life cycle of their software. You need to blame the blogs for picking this up and raising FUD if that is what you got out of the TC article. I simply don't see the average person digging through MS life cycle support pages and coming up with this. Most likely only us tech enthusiasts reading tech blogs will hear about it and we should already know to take those with a grain or two of salt JP

Hardly....take a look here: Microsoft Product Lifecycle Search

 

[kristalsoldier]

I looked at this as a more positive move from MS in that they are making it well known that they plan on continuously improving upon the ecosystem in as rapid a fashion that they can support with a target being within at least 18 months. I am also ready for a new phone and am still not fully decided upon the path but I am leaning to the 928 once released primarily because of how well windows 8 ecosystem works across devices. Apps will come.

As for calendaring, I just can not support goggle anymore because of the stupidity (IMO) on their managements decision on not supporting outlook and the inconvenience they placed on all those that needed this service and support. Like it or not Outlook is a serious product in the office space and this childish game should never have been played. Hence. I am holding out for Outlook to be released for the RT/Pro...etc.

Interesting enough, I was also looking into the new Samsung coming out to replace my iPhone but I think this thread help me make up my mind and go with a WP.

Yes, but what if your new purchase happens to be a device which will not run whatever that is that will power Windows OS phones post Win Phone 8? Would you still buy a device today or would you prefer to find out which devices would benefit from the likely upgrade and which would not? In other words, would you want to be in a situation like the owners of Win Phone 7.5 (or whatever it was that got the Mango update but not the upgrade to Win Phone 8)? If I knew which set of the current hardware was assured of being upgraded, I'd buy a Windows phone (for my partner who is looking to buy a new phone) today. She is looking at the Nokia Lumia 620, which runs Win Phone 8, but I am not sure it will be a part of the OS upgrade. It could be, but I don't know and I am not sure how I can find out - unless MS and/ or Nokia tell me. You see what I mean? Given this, what do you think I would suggest my partner to do?

 

[J515OP]

Hardly....take a look here: Microsoft Product Lifecycle Search

Sorry, I don't follow your point. I did see that page linked form the article in the OP. Are you saying you and other average people regularly conduct this search and keep tabs on MS? Even so I don't see how this is something to be afraid of or somehow denotes the end of Windows phones.