Allow me to explain why, first of all we need to delve into the age-old question, "Are updates a Right or are they a gifted privilege??", Keep in mind when I say updates I mean MAJOR Updates adding NEW features and not just bug fixes. Personally I can't see a clear black or white answer to this issue, there are countless factors that affect the answer but let's take some examples.con·tent/kənˈtent/
Adjective:
In a state of peaceful happiness
Noun:
- A state of satisfaction: "the greater part of the century was a time of content".
Caution! Personal views below; if you're incapable of carrying a civilized conversation this would be your moment to exit.
Case A: If the Update was promised BEFORE/WITH the launch of the device, the best example I can think of for this case is the Sony Xperia S, the 12mp shooter from Sony released early this year; although the phone did not launch with ICS (Android 4.0) early adopters and all future adopters were promised the update; in this case it is the companies DUTY to deliver on this update as it's a major decision factor; i.e. choosing between One X vs Xperia S the OS would be removed from the comparison as it's a promised upgrade. In this case the ONLY excuse for a device NOT to receive this update is complete bankruptcy; even if Sony had decided to stop producing Android phones and move to WP it would still be their duty to deliver the update to their users.
Case B: If the Update was not promised before the product launch but is crucial for the phone to be taken seriously (More important in Flagship devices); clear example is the N8 launching with the crappiest half-baked OS in the world, without a proper keyboard or split screen typing. I've said it before, even though I purchased an N8 in release week for a CRAZY amount of money releasing the Stock S^3 as it was on the N8, C7 and E7 is a crime against both the phone and the user. in this position I would consider the Anna update which brought some crucial fixes and updates a RIGHT to all the users, Belle is a nice touch but it wouldn't qualify as a "rightful update" as it was mostly UI changes and didn't do much to enhance the actual core functions of the phone.
Case C: The update was never mentioned or promised and the phone itself works fine. This is obviously where all the Lumias land in regards to WP8; never did any Nokia official go on record stating that they would get them, nor is there a gaping flaw in the Usability of the OS itself that would deserve similar treatment (this is where the "you shouldn't buy a phone you're not COMPLETELY satisfied with at the moment of purchase" argument might come in, the reason I'm not demanding Bluetooth transfer or file manager on my Lumais is because WP is a closed OS; asking for this feature would be requesting a change in an integral part of the OS which is definitely not your right). For this group of phone users any update received should be considered a "gift" as the phone is not crippled by a software defect, if any change does occur that requires a bug support/fix then it would be considered their duty to provide the customer with this simple fix (example: if facebook changed its APIs stopping notifications from loading in the people hub; you would have the right to ask for a fix).
As you should have surmised from above my Lumias would fall into category C; meaning that users should be Content (see definition above) with what they've gotten (as well what's to come= Tango + WP 7.8 which qualify as Case A). I personally have yet to see a single Lumia (or any WP owner) who thinks they've gotten a sour deal with the WP 7.8 update, besides the fact that the Lumia 900 has the highest satisfaction rating of any phone on the internet (which usually means users aren't in need of an update) Nokia has promised a slew of awesome apps that nobody knew was coming (I'm really looking forward to the data counter app).
In a nutshell I love my stormtrooper I still smile everytime I pick it up; sure I'd love WP8 but I don't demand it nor did I expect it, a new start screen is nice to keep the spice in things though; in short if you think your phone deserves an upgrade then chances are an update won't make you feel much better since you're "settling"; don't settle- find true love, for me it was the stormtrooper who knows what yours is?
Well here is my take on the matter:
ReplyDeleteI think that an important reason why there has been such a huge outcry about current WP devices not being upgraded to WP8 is because a significant proportion of people who own these devices are early adopters/tech enthusiasts who care about being on the cutting edge of technology and keeping up with the latest advancements that a platform has to offer. It is most upsetting to the people who'd hoped that their Lumias would evolve over time into better and more capable smartphones than they are at this point in time. People generally want to extract as much value out of their smartphones as possible, and the news doesn't help Nokia's reputation for long-term device support in any way.
The 'normal' people using Windows Phones probably aren't bothered. People who like WP7.5 as it is won't be bothered either. But the latter group is firmly in the minority.
I'm glad I don't currently own a Nokia Lumia and I'm relieved I held off on acquiring a 2nd-hand Windows Phone device a while back. I see smartphones more as pocket computers rather than as an appliance that cannot be altered or improved over time, and it would really hurt me if I put down a sizable chunk of change on a device like the Lumia 900, that has only been on sale for a couple of months but already lacks an upgrade path past WP7.8 (which I view as a UI upgrade) and cannot run of any WP8-specific apps that are to come in future.
Meanwhile, I've just reserved a Nexus S that's arriving by next week that's slated to get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and the majority of iPhone users go about their day using iOS 5. Heck, Nokia themselves have done better than this, delivering 2 major platform upgrades to the 1st-generation Symbian^3 devices, with 1 more supposedly arriving soon.
I do advise people to make sure they're completely satisfied with what a particular device can do before putting down money for it. Right now, I know I'd urge anyone interested in a WP device to wait and see what WP8 brings in a few months instead of buying an existing Lumia device. It doesn't really make sense to buy a Lumia 900 at this point.
I think we all saw this coming though; the rumours had persisted for a while and Nokia's persistence on not addressing the issue meant something after all.