Windows Phone 7.8–more to come than just a Start Screen?

Jul 1, 2012 5:41 pm by | 22 comments

After months of speculation, Microsoft finally confirmed last week what many had suspected: current Windows Phones, even those running “Mango”, won’t be upgradeable to Windows Phone 8, which has specific hardware requirements (NFC, dual core CPUs, etc.) not found on “older” Windows Phones.

What Microsoft did promise, at its Windows Phone Developer Summit in San Francisco, was that the new Start Screen, with a new smaller tile size and a 4 across layout would be made available to these older phones, included in a Windows Phone 7.8 upgrade:

WP8 Start Screen

In a blog post detailing the Windows Phone 8 announcements coming out of the Summit, Microsoft only promised the Start Screen:

The new Start screen is so useful and emblematic of what Windows Phone is about that we want everybody to enjoy it. So we’ll be delivering it to existing phones as a software update sometime after Window Phone 8 is released. Let me repeat: If you currently own a Windows Phone 7.5 handset, Microsoft is planning to release an update with the new Windows Phone 8 Start screen. We’re calling it “Windows Phone 7.8.”

Some of you have been wondering, “Will we also get Windows Phone 8 as an update?” The answer, unfortunately, is no.

Windows Phone 8 is a generation shift in technology, which means that it will not run on existing hardware. BUT we care deeply about our existing customers and want to keep their phones fresh, so we’re providing the new Start screen in this new update.

(emphasis ours)

But is that all there is?  Microsoft didn’t announce anything more, at least not yet, but we still have some time between now and “sometime after Windows 8 launches”.  And remember, Microsoft was clear that the announcements at the Windows Phone Summit were developer features, and that there were more announcements to come.

At a reviewer’s workshop before the Summit, Microsoft officials were specifically asked if the new Start Screen was the only feature of 7.8. Paul Thurrott wrote about the workshop, and in the latest Windows Weekly, he’s even more clear about what he heard, saying (at about 40:00 of Windows Weekly 267):

Look I was in a room with 20 journalists, we asked them very specifically is this all there is, and they said ‘yeah.. it’s 3 things:  the new Start Screen, the Tile capabilities, and the over the air update’.  That’s it.

And yet, hints keep filtering out that there will be more to 7.8 than just the Start Screen.  At Tech Ed Europe, in a talk on Windows Phone game development when asked if Windows Phone 7.8 would get more features, Senior Product Manager for Windows Phone Larry Lieberman said, as quoted by WMPowerUser:

“Maybe. We haven’t announced it yet.  All we’ve announced is the new Start screen at this point. Sorry, nothing new to announce. You’re asking me stuff I can’t answer.”

And then in what appears to be an even clearer indication that there just might be more to Windows Phone 7.8 than just the Start Screen (also reported by WMPowerUser), another Windows Phone Senior Product Manager, Ben Lower, tweeted (in answer to a tweet asking for “wallet and Skype integration as a customer and Speech APIs for my translate app as a developer)”:

@ remember, the only thing we said today about 7.8 is new start screen. there will be more. also check out Hawaii Services now
Jun 20, 2012 11:50 AM via webReplyRetweetFavorite
@benlower
Ben Lower

(By the way, you can check out more on”Project Hawaii”, a set of cloud resources for Windows Phone including “path prediction”, a translator service, OCR and speech-to-text, and more, at Microsoft Research.)

So, will Windows Phone 7.8 include more than just a new Start Screen?  Or is that all there is?  As a Windows Phone 7.5 user, are you expecting more?

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  • Kit Y

    Sell your phones right now!!!!

    • Simon Johnny

      I find it quite strong that you can say that.

      WP 7.8 will provide a new start screen interface with different size tiles. The reason WP8 devices have the new start screen size tiles is because the apps can provide information to fit in to them. It seems very strange that Microsoft would offer this option for WP7.8 users if there wasn’t any kind of API update to at least allow apps to make use of this new tile size. So there is going to be more then just a new start screen, if nothing else it’ll be more then average joe cares about.
      However, from a developers point of view the new API set would make it very welcoming to continue to basic to mid range apps on the 7.8 codebase, as save for a very select few hardware features and the few games that’ll use native code on the handsets, there is next to no reason to make wp8 only apps. Remember existing 7.5 apps will work on wp8 so there is no reason to make wp8 only apps unless its a requirement, with the new start screen developers can include the most visual update from WP8 into WP7.8 devices, ie the differenting tile sizes.

      Personally, I’ll be keeping hold of my WP7.5 LG phone for a long time coming yet.

      • Kit Y

        “from a developers point of view the new API set would make it very welcoming to continue to basic to mid range apps on the 7.8 codebase” lol to that. Guess what once Windows 8 take off, no one is going to waste time porting over to 7.8. The whole millions of Windows Phone 7.8 thing won’t matter.

        Now, look in to people who just brought Lumia 800/900 in the face and tell them that it’s okay for Microsoft to leave people behind like that.

        • http://twitter.com/Anchel Anchel Labena

          Except that developers can just make one version for 7.8 (well, Mango actually) and it will automatically work on Windows Phone 8. So if a developer wants to go for the biggest user base he will code it for 7.8 and leave it there. If a developer needs new APIs or his app is resource intensive and it greatly benefits from the speed improvements given by using native code, then he will make it for WP8.

          I think it will still be an extra year before we see WP7 app support begin to decline in a considerable way. Enough for many to enjoy their Lumia phones. Unless of course you live in the US and its 2 year contract stupidity… (Seriously, I’m so happy that Denmark has an imposed maximum of 6 month contracts on phone carriers).

        • lumpaywk

          I own a Lumia 800 and i dont feel shafted in any way unlike the times i owned Android devices. As stated before devs will keep developing for a majority of devices. This means that by time we feel the drop off it will be time to upgrade anyway. If we wanted the extra hardware features we wouldnt of baught hardware that didnt have it. You cant add sd or nfc or dual core to phones that dont have it!

          Plus almost all new devices are Nokias and we know that Nokia is still Developing updates for the lumia range ie the camera features that i must say rock. Also you should note that a massive part of there stratagy is hitting the low end market ie sub the new specs. This means that there must be some form of development going on. I suspect MS will hand it over to Nokia but all the same there is still a market and so there will still be devs. Dont underestimate Nokia in the budget arena and as for high end phones, anyone that cares enough for this to be an issue will be about ready to upgrade before they feel the drop anyway. For example my 800 contract is up in April 2013 WP8 is expected around November time, As always i will upgrade early useing cash back from my old phone etc so January time ish. This means i will have 2 months overlap. Can you tell me that in 2 months i will see all wp7.5/8 apps dry up? As for anyone that takes a 2 year contract they clearly dont mind not having the latest as any handset they have will be well out of date by then and so with the refresh screen and new features from Nokia i dont think they will even notice or care.

        • Eric

          Android devs have the same choice. They can choose to make something that requires a certain OS rev. But if your app doesn’t require one of the new provisions of the OS, why not write it so that Éclair users can run it too. It’s really the same story on both platforms.

          But, maybe you are also predicting that Android devs are going to strictly make Jellybean only apps from now on?

  • http://twitter.com/efjay01 Ef Jay

    Smoke and mirrors, MS tends to announce bad news far in advance then cover their tracks with good news to paper it over. Not expecting anything other than what they’ve announced.

  • Kit Y

    removed

  • http://www.facebook.com/bijay.k.behera.7 Bijay Kumar Behera

    i wish that XDA could hack wp8 and we can flash it to wp7.5

  • drbohner

    Nobody bothers to understand the second half of the twit.  Hawaii Services!  Azure Cloud Application Aware in 7.8.  Developers – do you get the clue, yet?

  • JSYOUNG571

    Have a Windows Phone 7 through HTC Titan. I brought it March 2012. Watched the Windows Phone 8 announcement and walked away in disappointment and disbelief.. Have a Android through Samsung Infuse 4G. I brought it May 2011. I watched the Google I/O 2012. The day was full of excitement as I walked away with upgraded apps and services for my phone. I am not getting the jellybean update because “THE HARDWARE” on my phone is “NOT CAPABLE” of supporting it. BUT!!!! My phone is still supported for improved apps and some services. After a year and few months my phone has not turned into a brick. In a matter of a few months my HTC Titan will be a brick when Windows Phone 8 comes out. Windows Phone 8 will FAIL. It will Fail not because people will say they are late to the party, it will fail because they have ruined the trust of the consumers. This will continue to always keep Microsoft behind all the competition. I agree with KIT Y’s comment above, sale your “BRICK” now why you can.

    • Eric

      Oh boy. Again with the bricking and the FAILING. How much for the brick?

      I certainly support your idea of selling your phone. But, will you sell it for $1 because it basically has no value (no bricked phone, or brick to be, is really worth having) and no one would touch it for more than that? Or, will you try to get someone to pay a reasonable amount for it because there is real value in it that someone ought to see that they need to compensate you for (even though no one sees value in a bricked phone, as you call it)?

      If you truly believe it is worth nothing to anyone because it is a brick, and want to recoup your money, then I guess you will have to employ some cynical justification like ‘caveat emptor’ when your ‘fool’ of a buyer comes along.

      Secondly, how is the Jellybean/Infuse story different than the 7.8/Titan story? Especially as this story is about some fairly loose (but not disprovable) statements that we can expect a bit more from new features in 7.8.

      • JSYOUNG571

        @Eric You might have a point. The Brick would be worth nothing. Who wants to be at the mercy of Microsoft for pleading with them not to stop supporting your phone when it is brand new and you haven’t had it more than a month or two? Who wants to put up with a disappearing keyboard everytime you type something on the phone? Who wants to sit and wait almost a year on At&t to release updates and bug fixes because they could give less than a damn about Micorsoft phones. Since Microsoft has not pushed any force behind At&t to get those updates and fixes out, At&t figures if Microsoft doesn’t care, why should they. Who wants to buy a brick where the apps are half ass working and continues to stay behind on features? Micorsoft’s favorite word is “Wait”. When all we are doing is just waiting on the phone to turn into a brick. Now you can give us more money and buy a Windows Phone 8. We promise we will give you 18 months of updates and support. I hope customers use their heads for more then just wearing hats.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ali-Baba/100003388541734 Ali Baba

        It’s a true story.

        I’m on my second wp7 phone. I have recommended it to at least 5 friend (who purchased). Plus we use WP for our small business (3 phones).So in all honesty, I feel burned and feel again it’s still playing catch up. The faith in the OS did not work out.I’ll skip wp8 and  wait 2 years to see what happens. So that’s 4 devices plus any recommendation lost

  • http://www.metronized.com/ Tyler W

    So you guys have no idea either, huh? Maybe we will get more, maybe we won’t. Thanks for wasting a little time of my life with this article. I already knew this.

    • lamerz

      Kind of a dick comment…

  • http://www.facebook.com/reportered Ed West

    If the update is to contains new Start Screen only, which is something we have already seen demo’d then why do we have to wait until after the launch of Windows Phone 8?

    What about the changes from Zune to Xbox Music, will these be included too?

    • http://www.LiveSide.net Kip Kniskern – LiveSide.net

      Good question, Ed :)

    • JSYOUNG571

      @facebook-708859244:disqusTo be honest, I really don’t think Microsoft had plans to do anything for our phones from the beginning. That is why it has been quiet and still quiet. I believe they panic when the news broke through rumors and they got the negative feedback from customers including myself. So as a last minute effort, they just threw a bread crumb for us to eat off. The Windows 8 tiles. I don’t believe they have anything other then that.

  • gerryrivers86

    honestly this is no difference with what Apple or Google has done with their OS, if your phone’s hardware doesn’t support the new OS then of course you can’t upgrade, such as having camera options, dual core, 4G, etc all on a basic phone that doesn’t support it, come on people stop BITCHIN  and just get a new phone like most of yall probably do with APPLE or ANDROID already when new features or hardware comes out

  • JSYOUNG571
  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000493061397 Shivam Mathur

    Windows Phone 8 and windows phone 7.8 update will surely come out in September
    http://windows8consumer.in/blog/index.php/2012/07/04/leaked-windows-phone-8-out-september/

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