The Redmond company, Microsoft has has decided to delay the roll out of the most awaited Windows Phone 7.8 update for its Windows Phone 7.x users till the next year. This is a very bad news for the Windows Phone pioneers. In the month of June, Microsoft had announced the WP7.8 upgrade for the first batch of the WP7 handsets will come out soon after the release of Windows Phone 8.
Is it still in testing? We’re not sure. Over the past few days, we’ve been hearing that the update will roll out in the coming days or by the end of this year. But, It’s so sad to hear after 6 months of its first announcement, Terry Merson, Corporate Vice President of Windows Phone, announcing that users will have to still wait for some more months. In simple plain words, it turns into almost half a year away. More over, LG Poland has officially confirmed that the LG Optimus 7 won’t get WP7.8 update.
On the other side, Microsoft has also confirmed by 2013, the brand new Windows Phone 7.8 handsets will be available worldwide, and “these devices will typically be sold at a range of lower price points, meaning there will now be Windows Phones for everyone’s budget and need.”
The company has also detailed the upcoming features of the Windows Phone 7.8 refresh – including a new Start screen, lock screen enhancements, or more theme and accent colors (up to 20), and it will also bring “‘A1B2C3’ PIN/password challenge to prevent accidental device wipes on phones connected to Exchange accounts,” and the users will also get some popular gaming apps such as Angry Birds Space and Angry Birds Star Wars.
Microsoft hasn’t specifically mentioned the exact release time for Windows Phone 7.8 update start hitting current phones, only telling the users that it will be rolled out to as many devices as possible in early 2013. That means it can be mid-end of March, April or even June.
Source: Windows Phone Blog