Windows Phone 7 Update Saga Hints at Major Trouble
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Last week, Microsoft produced a set of charts detailing the Windows Phone 7 upgrade roadmap in both the United States and around the world. If some early adopters didn't take those charts well, it could perhaps be excused: according to the one for the United States, three Windows Phone 7 devices are currently in the "Testing" phase for both the March "NoDo" and February updates. Another two phones are in the "Scheduling" phase, with no firm date of arrival. While the February update was feature-free, and designed to pave the way for future updates, the "NoDo" update is supposed to add cut-and-paste functionality in addition to a range of other tweaks and improvements. In theory, scheduling should take 10 days or less, to be followed by a "Delivery" stage that could take several weeks before arriving on an actual smartphone. The situation's a little better on the global chart, where at least some devices have begun "delivering" the update. That was all before Joe Belfiore, Microsoft's corporate vice president and director of Windows Phone program management, appeared on the company's Channel 9 Website to talk about the upcoming MIX11 conference. During the conversation, he suggested the whole Windows Phone 7 process was well under way, which didn't seem to win him many friends among the site's commenters. That anger compelled Belfiore to modify his commentary. "People were officially getting it, the success rate of its deployment on real-world phones was looking good, and we were happy that the process had started well," he wrote in a March 27 posting on the Channel 9 comments section. "Still--these are not the same as all of you getting it and I'm sorry that I came across as insensitive to that fact." It perhaps bears repeating that, according to Microsoft's own chart, nobody in the United States is currently receiving "NoDo," and likely won't for at least the next couple of weeks. Or longer. Belfiore's comment then added something I've been rolling around in my head for the past day or so: "We know the table would benefit greatly from more detail, and we are hoping to add more to it by working with the operators who own the 'testing' phase to get more clarity," he wrote. "If your phone is shown in 'scheduling,' it'll be worth checking the table next week." During this January's Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas, I talked with some Microsoft reps about Windows Phone 7. During that conversation, they suggested that, while the carriers could technically deny an update from arriving on Windows Phone 7 devices, Microsoft didn't foresee that becoming an issue. I walked away with the impression that Microsoft had ceded a certain level of control over its software platform and updates to the carriers... and that the company was keeping its fingers crossed that the collaboration wouldn't spiral out of control. Welcome to the spiral. From the very beginning, Microsoft executives have suggested that Windows Phone 7 will avoid the fragmentation that plagued Windows Mobile. Unified software upgrades across all devices and carriers, they added, was something that would prevent their new software platform from falling into the same trap as Android, which is present in multiple different versions on a broad constellation of smartphones. But what these charts suggest to me (reinforced by Belfiore's comment that "operators own the 'testing' phase") is that Windows Phone 7 is at risk of splintering like a cheap piece of wood. Unlike Apple, which took charge of pushing out software updates from Day One, Microsoft decided to cede a significant part of the upgrade process to carriers who, quite frankly, have a conflict of interest. If AT&T is already selling the iPhone and a broad array of Google Android devices, are they going to trip over themselves rushing to update Windows Phone 7? The answer's no. And yet, instead of taking control of the situation, even Microsoft doesn't seem to know when NoDo is arriving on this HTC HD7 on my desk. The HTC Arrive (the first Windows Phone 7 device on a CDMA network) sidesteps these issues by arriving with the software updates pre-installed, but early adopters who purchased the GSM-based smartphones are very unhappy. I have to say, for the first time, I'm starting to think Windows Phone 7 is in trouble. |
Comments (17)
Nicholas, why don'y you try checking your phone update in the Zune software? I received my 7390 update for my HTC HD7 earlier today. I expect all other T-Mobile HD7 users will be getting their updates today or very soon. Went smooth as butter.
Posted by Andrew Kass | March 29, 2011 2:19 PM
Ed bott wrote an interesting article regarding this. Everything about MS's phrasing sounds like they aren't trying to trip over some real sensitive lawyer point regarding the carrier's inefficiency. Specifically, AT&T. If global or unlocked phones are receiving the updates already it's ridiculous that AT&T should be taking so long and still be in the primary stage.
WP7 isn't actually in trouble yet. But unless they sort this carrier business out their IMAGE is going to head back down to level 0 which is a pity considering that it has so much potential. People love to jump on the bandwagon and MS isn't helping. Everyone is still under the impression that MS still produces mainly legacy software and Blue screens of death. Again. Not true. So yea.
MS should have looked at this stuff way in advance. stupid AT&T.
Posted by Adnan | March 29, 2011 2:46 PM
"If AT&T is already selling the iPhone and a broad array of Google Android devices, are they going to trip over themselves rushing to update Windows Phone 7? The answer's no." - Great point, also consider how these vendors must feel that Nokia is going to get exclusive features from Microsoft on their phones.
Posted by Horace | March 29, 2011 3:05 PM
It's not only the fact that the update is late.
The other problem is the update does not contain very much. The only real feature is Copy-And-Paste, which is hardly going to excite the world.
Next update, Mango, will probably arrive at the end of 2011, but carrier delays will push it back to March 2012, about 1 year away from now.
It's a very poor show from Microsoft. They are so far behind in mobile. They need to be working at triple speed. Instead, they are working at half speed, which is simply uncompetitive.
Posted by Developer | March 29, 2011 4:32 PM
Please, only geeks are standing by waiting for this. I don't hear any non-techies screaming for an update.
Hard to extrapolate that the platform is "in trouble" simply because a bunch of nerds are sitting by a computer waiting for their phone to ding.
Posted by noochie | March 29, 2011 4:59 PM
Let's see why do I want my T-Mobile contract sold to AT&T, when I went with T-Mobile to avoid sick large company stupidity like NoDo. They just added caps to my DSL. There is another reason that the sale of T-Mobile to AT&T is bad news.
Posted by Mark | March 29, 2011 5:09 PM
The update is not late.
The update was promised in Q1 2011, which.. *drumroll* it is!
[Please feel free to correct me with the official page from Microsoft that said otherwise]
It's just that immature magazines took a run with it and interpreting it as January.
And the update is rolling, and it's on the carriers shelf for final testing.
I think people should stop whining and enjoy their phone. And it's not that 95% of the WP7 users are dieing for the update to fix some major glaring bugs.. Most likely most of the whiners end up being IOS or Android users who don't own a WP7 themselves.
Posted by John Delancy | March 29, 2011 5:09 PM
@noochie
you are correct, geeks (like me) are upset.
the non-techies you describe didn't buy this phone, they bought an iPhone
MS's biggest problem, is they set expectation of frequent updates. 6 monnths in, we are still waiting, and its a tiny update. in fact, i don't want the new features that much, but fix the borken marketplace bug I go.
then, once us geeks are happy, and influence our friends, family then they might purchase these phones. but they probably need to get social networking feeds working in the background first for that, something which as many posters point out looks like at least a year away, which is very, _very_ depressing.
Posted by hugh | March 29, 2011 5:20 PM
LOL the platform is in trouble??? You bloggers are crazy!
This platform rocks and will be on nothing but an upswing for years to come no matter how much negative press you all try to throw at it.
You are the ones making a big deal about the update, not the end users.
Go back to your iFads and iphones and play a game of angrybirds would you?
Posted by IamnotiNaive | March 29, 2011 6:01 PM
They will sort it out. This first update was a great opportunity to learn from mistakes and correct them for the next time. That is exactly what Belfiore said and I believe him... for now.
Posted by moonman | March 29, 2011 8:26 PM
noochie: Exactly. Well if you don't count the "press" too. They're generatin this hype. But I never heard any of my WP7-owning friends to complain about updates. The don't even know they will get one, it will be a pleasant surprise for them.
Posted by moonman | March 29, 2011 8:30 PM
@hugh: "the non-techies you describe didn't buy this phone, they bought an iPhone"
Well actually... no. Of course all platforms have their geek fans but most WP7 users are non-techie, first smartphone owners - at least among the people I know.
Posted by moonman | March 29, 2011 8:53 PM
No problems with my Windows Phone. Awesome phone. Makes my buddy jealous,he has an iphone4. Haaaahaaaa
Posted by Mike | March 29, 2011 10:10 PM
I dont get why all the fuss is about MS being a month late.
The small update hit a snag with Samsung and they worked on that.. then delayed the NoDo update.
Compared to the other iOS and Android having nightmare and quartarly, if not yearly, delays - this is nothing to sweat.
MS bashing on even good policy to delay SLIGHTLY, is being bashed.
In fact, I agree above - the bloggers that don't even own the phone are pissing and moaning - not the actual owners.
Posted by jabberwolf | March 29, 2011 11:01 PM
Windows Phone 7 was released to manufacture (RTM) back in late August 2010.
That was when it was finished.
Now it's 7 months later, and the Copy/Paste update will soon be here. The next 'Mango' update will probably appear in March 2012.
I think this 7 month cadence, offering little with each update, is an insult to early adopters.
Posted by SD | March 29, 2011 11:43 PM
I'm confused...I have yet to see any updates for my Samsung Focus...And I have the phone for two months now. No February update. No "NoDo" update. Not one. I upgraded to this phone after a year of having a iPhone 3GS (it belonged to my bro-in-law) on the basis of liking the UI and wanting to try something different. Convince someone like me who took a leap on these phones that MS and WP7 isn't in trouble? Cause I am beginning to regret my decision if this is how things are gonna roll.
Posted by Anthony | March 30, 2011 3:29 PM
Last I heard, Nokia haven’t actually signed the deal with Microsoft yet. Could they be having second thoughts?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/30/nokia_appeals_to_symbian_qt_devs/
Posted by Lawrence D’Oliveiro | March 31, 2011 7:20 AM