‘Massive’ Windows Phone 7 update coming in January

By on Nov 29, 2010 at 4:47 PM
mobile November 29, 2010

Microsoft has been talking about Windows Phone 7 updates since long before Windows Phone 7 was even released. While the OS’ launch was a bit rushed, we have to commend Microsoft for taking a pretty open stance and choosing to talk about upcoming functionality instead of shrugging off inquiries as most companies do. WP7 users should be happy to learn that many of the upcoming features Microsoft has been discussing could be coming as soon as January in a major update. According to Windows Phone 7 developer Chris Walsh, who claims to have inside knowledge of the update, Microsoft’s upcoming software bump will be “massive.” Expected features include copy/paste, free voice-guided Bing navigation, custom ringtone support, a third-party multitasking solution and more. Needless to say, all of this functionality is sorely missed in Windows Phone 7 as it stands today.

[Via Windows Phone Central]

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  • Norm

    Ok, we all know i’m pro-DROID, but saying “MS took 3 months to do what Apple did in 3 years is a bit ridiculous.” Apple also did all of it 3 years before MS did anything at all. But I think what we need to understand here is that DROID DOES it all, so the hell with both of these weak OSes and GO DROID OS!

    • http://twitter.com/FrankJL9 Frank lopez

      Droid fragmented ass lol. 3 years old and still un-polished and horrible designed apps.

      Droid-doesn’t.

      • http://www.searingarrow.com AlienSix

        Dont let a few crappy apps determine the entire ecosystem of Android Applications

      • Dario69

        A few? You have to be kidding? This is coming from a Captivate owner. Fragmentation exists. The android ecosystem contains so many different climate zones “continuity” is a word that does not exist in their dictionary. I am digging WP7. I might just plop some money down and give it a try. A very slick OS compared to android and iOS.

    • http://www.searingarrow.com AlienSix

      There is no DROID OS, there is an Android OS though

  • http://twitter.com/FrankJL9 Frank lopez

    Anxiously waiting. Got damn windows mobile 7 is a fresh awesome start for microsoft. Cant wait to see it in tablet form.

    Apple vs M$ round 2. Google is linux all over again once everything is on the table.

    • Tande04

      Don’t think you’ll see it in tablet form. They’ve been pretty clear they’re sticking with Win7 on that front.

  • Anonymous

    This sounds awesome. Day one Palm Pre (on Sprint) owner waiting for something new.

    If this materializes the only thing I need is the Samsung Focus (or something else nice with Super AMOLED screen) on Sprint!

  • http://twitter.com/livingbasehead Shelton

    Didnt wp7 come out this month and they already were working on a update… how does this make the phone superior to apple. to me that kinda seems like shipping a car that you know has tires that are gonna blow. wait… RROD. MS being MS my mistake.

    • http://c0rinne.net Corinne

      I don’t get your point. How many updates has Apple put out since 4.0 debuted in Jun? There’s been like 1 every other month.

      • http://twitter.com/livingbasehead Shelton

        What Im trying to say is why were they working on updates before the phone came out… why not just have everything the way it should be before launch. I didnt mention apple because this article is not about apple. And to be honest I disagree with a lot of things apple does, course I do love my iPhone but thats more cause of iTunes. Im just saying if MS wants to be better than Nokia, Apple, Blackberry, Android then they should do things better and shipping a phone with problems you know of right off the bat is not better. Personally from speaking with MS reps and seeing this phone I think it could beat the iPhone but they have got to handle it perfectly.

  • GalaxyTab

    Very efficient. Can’t wait.to see how the platform grows!

  • http://twitter.com/jmccastlain jmccastlain

    I am surprised by how much I like my WP7 Focus. Even with some of the basics missing, it has become my daily driver. I have an iPhone, an EVO, a Telstra edition HD2 and a BlackBerry Bold (retired) and the Focus is my favorite device. I am looking forward to seeing how well multitasking works.

    • sirpaul

      What about the WP7 phone makes you like it so much? You obviously can’t judge a phone by specs alone so first-hand experience is best. And yes I’m serious, I’m not trying to bash you or anything.

      • justin

        i would also like to know this.. (@jmccastlain)
        i have tried android devices, and currently using iphone 4, but the wp7 is very appealing for someone like me who likes to tinker with new devices..

      • http://twitter.com/jmccastlain jmccastlain

        see above. You might be disappointed in the disparity in apps. They are coming but develop is nowhere near Apples. I like to tinker with new devices and I am pretty excited to see where this goes.

      • Tande04

        Personally I’m plenty pleased with the app selection so far.

        I can’t think of one thing that I could do on Android or iOS that I can’t do on my WP7 now.

      • http://twitter.com/jmccastlain jmccastlain

        I will admit the hardware specs are pretty mild. I would have liked to see the hardware manufacturers push the envelope a bit. What I like? Comparing it to my EVO it seems like it takes fewer swipes or taps to get things done. The keyboard is great. I like it better than the iPhones and it crushes the EVO. The email client is simple but genius. Just deleting emails is so smooth. The People Hub is fantastic and I find myself interacting more with people because it is so intertwined. The pictures hub is awesome. Without any effort, I have all of my pictures available from Facebook and SkyDrive. Surprisingly, the lack of multitasking has not been that bug of an issue. I have to say, for a first generation OS, I am very impressed. This was composed on my focus.

      • sirpaul

        Sweet, thanks. I think better email would be reason enough to switch. iPhone email is by no means polished. It can rarely sync all my folders, has trouble syncing, push often doesn’t work, and downloading all my email is a hassle – I don’t even have a download bar how much longer it will take. It doesn’t finish the job anyways so whatever. What is keeping me from switching is the App store. They really do have an app for that. If they don’t, for whatever reason, Cydia does. I can find anything from wireless controllers for my DSLR, to all sort of academic reference apps, to virtual desktop and wireless webcam apps. They have tremendous developer support, and that is what makes the iPhone so appealing.

        Thanks a lot for the short review. I hope the WP7 update will live up to the rumors, and maybe in 1 or 2 years its app store and specs will be more appealing!

    • Anonymous

      Which of all your devices is the newest?

      • http://twitter.com/jmccastlain jmccastlain

        The focus is the newest, followed by the EVO, the HD2, the iPhone, and then the BlackBerry devices.

    • Tande04

      Totally agree.

      I’m in love with my Focus.

      I too have run the gammit. Did the iOS thing (touch 1G), did the Android thing (G1), and just got done with the BB thing. Since I was an early adopter on all of them I’m impressed where WP7 is at this point.

      I’m really loving WP7 and can’t wait for this update.

  • Anonymous

    yes please!

  • socaler

    Are these going to be OTA updates? Connect to a computer ala iTunes? Reflashing ala WinMo?

    • http://twitter.com/gtroberts GTRoberts

      Whether OTA or via computer is dependent on the size of the update. If its a 100MB update, then it’ll be done via locally connected computer.

      Well… thats what they’ve been inferring for the past few months.

  • Anonymous

    Microsoft, How about start paying developers before windows phone 7 becomes desolate Lmao.

  • http://twitter.com/j_nathaniel Jason

    I am definitely looking forward to it. I just got the HD7 and it is much nicer than I expected.

  • Anonymous

    All the updates and features in the world won’t help if no one is buying into your platform. Developers that did buy in are not going to see payment until February (if the reports are correct). Customers are few and far between (although, more than what the KIN saw).

    It is Microsoft 2010, not Microsoft 1995. The dominating days are over and with the sales guy running the show they are certain to remain as average as they have been these last few years.

    • Tande04

      How do you figure that “no one is buying into the platform?”

      All the AT&T stores in my area sold out during the launch week. The numbers given so far are respectable.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_IVFCATSFPLYDSNYNZY7K2QBZKU Matthew

    thats good to know i was wondering what was gonna happen with updates and such, MS should really look into marketing that, besides just the “really” ads, like if i bought a win phone 7 would i just really be a guinea pig and stuck with a buggy phone for 2 years, happened to me with the blackberry storm 1 that sucked anyways i was playing with the htc hd 7 and it was pretty cool and seemed like really easy to understand.

    • Anonymous

      Actually if you use a windows phone for a while you realize how smooth it runs and feels, bugs are very few and far between. Like you said Blackberry likes to ship with awful buggy OS’s, MS did not. Now if we are talking function thats a different thing, MS really needs this update to add obvious missing functions.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_IVFCATSFPLYDSNYNZY7K2QBZKU Matthew

    would be nice to see these phones on verizon or more than just two carriers

    • Tande04

      They’re coming to VZW. Should be there in time for this update.

  • Parshooter220

    Who cares. Windows phone 7 is/was dead on arrival.

    • http://www.searingarrow.com AlienSix

      Oh look someone who doesnt like competition. How sad are you?

  • Anonymous

    That means my 7 Pro on Sprint shud (a) be waiting for the update to be released or (b) already have it included.

  • Anonymous

    It’s amazing how much MS can get done when they’re copying someone else’s IP. There’s absolutely no reason why MS couldn’t have released in iPhone like device in 2005, other than MS’ inability to innovate without guidance. The fact that it took nearly 4 years after the iPhone announcement for them to release something that simply looks and feels modern is not a good sign.

  • Matthew

    Wow @adamUCF, he must go to one of the best universities in the nation. One most likely that so many people want to go there its prob the second largest in the nation. Maybe one that all of their studies are ranked top in the country. Also one that is of this day a ranked football team in the coach’s poll ( and the shitwhole in gainsville is not ranked, not even gets votes to be ranked). Man im so glad to be a Knight, cuz if i was at uf i would have to be a pot smoking asswhole or my girlfriend would have to be ugly and dumb as hell. GO UCF!!

  • MaxPayne79

    Yeey…yet another smartphone being realised in 2010 with the copy and paste function. Wait, didn’t I have that on my nokia in ’97? :p

  • Anonymous

    By what definition was WP7 OS rushed, Zach? It is my understanding that none of the mobile OS makers have a complete product on the market. Everyone is constantly adding to/improving their OS’s

    Just gotta snipe anyone who isn’t Apple, doncha?.

  • Anonymous

    Considering MS has the longest to climb, it’d better be revolutionary.

    They need to open up WP7 and reduce all the straightjackets controls.

  • ukamyu

    At least give Microsoft credit for trying to patch the perpetual vulnerabilities that allow an attacker to take complete control of your OS and launch random code!

  • http://twitter.com/so_rudez Rudy

    should have been there in the first place

  • http://twitter.com/newshaggy Michael Sanchez

    I have an android and iphone device. WP7 is really really great. Seriously. Yeah it doesnt have a million apps and has enormous hurdles to climb but even version one is amazing even with the missing features.

    If the updated includes everything they are saying, WP7 will be at least at the same level as iOs and Android. IMO it already is as good.

  • Dario69

    I am going to bite. While I love my iPad I am not at all impressed with the iPhone. I really dig my Captivate but it is really just about the screen. Take that screen and combine it with WP7 in the form of the Samsung Focus? I think I found my perfect phone. And the Focus GPS actually works.

    WP7 OS is slick and looks more complete than Android and iPhone. Sure, I can’t argue that it was rushed to make the holiday season but I won’t complain about the enhancements if all can make it into the Jan/Feb release. Still better than what iPhone dished out to their early adopters with their first and second release.

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