Microsoft Aims To Offer Windows 10 Upgrades For All Windows Phone 8 Lumias

An anonymous reader writes News suggesting that Microsoft plans to offer Windows 10 upgrades for all its Windows Phone 8 devices broke today. "It's our intention to enable a Windows 10 upgrade for Lumia Windows Phone 8 smartphones," a Microsoft spokesperson told VentureBeat. "At this early stage in the development process, and given the vast portfolio of Windows devices worldwide, we can't predict that all devices will be upgradeable, but it is our intention that the Lumia smartphone line be upgradeable to Windows 10."

Comments

terrible summary + not news

[Anonymous Coward]

The first line has garden path construction that first parses as " ... Windows Phone 8 devices broke today."

Next, the summary doesn't include the word "free." If the offer isn't free, then it's just "Microsoft plans to offer try to sell a new product to its existing customers."
Actually after clicking through to the original article, I think this is the case. Basically I think Microsoft is saying "we hope to make it possible to sell Windows 10 to Windows 8 users, but the old hardware might prevent us from doing that."

This isn't news. At best, this is just press spin. At worst, it's just part of the Windows 10 advertising campaign.

Re:terrible summary + not news

[bondsbw]

Unless the summary changed, the words

News suggesting that Microsoft plans to offer Windows 10 upgrades for all its Windows Phone 8 devices broke today.

does not parse the way you say it does. There is no situation, other than not reading, that parses the way you suggest.

And just as much as you are harping on it potentially not being free, I'll harp on the wonderful possibility that it could be free! And you know what? Neither of us know anything about their plans because they just now kinda-sorta gave us a hint as to the future roadmap of these devices.

Lay off the FUD.

Who cares

[vikingpower]

about Windows phones, anyway? The huge capital destruction operation that the Nokia takeover amounted to wasn't enough, obviously: MS needs to sink even more cash into a non-existing market: Windows phones. Ain't gonna change anytime soon. Reason : there is no fucking **innovation** going on at MS. Just marketing. Meh.

Re:Who cares

[jbolden]

MS needs to sink even more cash into a non-existing market: Windows phones.

Of course the market is small. They aren't denying that. They are trying to grow it, which is why they are "sinking cash" into it.

Ain't gonna change anytime soon.

I don't know that. You don't know that. Android is 5 years old. The focus of Android is down market. The focus of Apple is very up market. I can see an obvious gap developing of the next 5 years at the mid price points. Other possibilities are more corporate oriented devices moving away from BYOD.

Re:Who cares

[Richard_at_work]

What the fuck are you talking about? Windows 8 runs just as good as Windows 7 on hardware released pre-Windows 8. Haven't noticed any issues at all on any of my systems that ran Windows 7 prior to Windows 8.

Stop spouting bullshit.

Re:And the Lumia 900?

[Kjella]

What about the once-flagship Nokia Lumia 900? Oh sure, nevermind; that phone will always be stuck at Windows Phone 7.5. As TFA says, only Windows Phone 8 will be upgraded. Pity those fools that trusted Microsoft and their %$#@! Windows Phone when they bought their new, first ever released (non-linux, non-symbian) Nokia Lumia, complete with new and shiny Windows Phone 7.5. It would be very interesting to learn the stats on those buyers' subsequent smartphone purchases, assuming that was possible.

And that's what this announcement is all about, keep on buying WP8 phones because they won't be obsoleted by Win10 like WP7.5 was. With enough weasel words that they don't actually promise anything.