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Microsoft Scraps 'Where's My Phone Update?' Site

Posted by timothy on from the just-when-you-least-expect-it dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft disappointed some Windows Phone users on Friday by saying it would stop providing specifics about who will get software updates and when, and announcing vaguely that a new update is 'available to all carriers that request it.' The update fixes a few issues, including one that caused the on-screen keyboard to disappear and another that caused problems with synching Gmail. Eric Hautala, general manager of customer experience engineering for Windows Phone, said Microsoft will no longer say when people will get updates based on their country, phone model and carrier."

5 of 162 comments (clear)

  1. Apple doesn't get enough credit here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    They took the phone manufacturers and carries out of the update process. When they release their updates, users of current and recently released devices get the update which they can apply. The other mobile OS makers need to make the same sort of change or they fear annoying what users they have left.

  2. 700,000 New Android Phones A Day by AddisonW · · Score: 3, Interesting

    http://www.businessinsider.com/android-activations-2011-12

    "The other mobile OS makers need to make the same sort of change or they fear annoying what users they have left."

    Boggle.

  3. Re:Open Source vs a Corporate Monopoly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Indeed. This was most likely Carrier X getting tons of 'bad calls' from customers because they knew that Carrier Y had already delivered updates etc.

    We can't have competition with real data to back up the customer now can we

  4. Re:Yah by DCTech · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It has nothing to do with statistics. Windows Phone 7 terms mandate that manufacturers will update their phones. They are only allowed to skip one update. When the next update comes and if they have already skipped the previous update, manufacturers are required to update their previous phones. Android has no such terms and that's why manufacturers don't really like updating their phones.

  5. Re:Disappointment by Imbrondir · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Actually it's likely much worse. In Q3 ex Nokia CEO now mobile analyst Tomi Ahonen says worldwide market share is currently as low as 1-2%.

    The Lumia launch isn't looking all too optimistic either.