Microsoft unveils Windows Phone 7.8 update for current hardware

I'm gonna be on a Lumia 900 shopping spree this fall! =oD

I'm fine with the changes. My user experience with WP7 has been great so far, especially considering that with every update (esp. Mango) my device go even more smoother/faster when using it (I got an Optimus 7=gen1 device a year ago) and no crashes/reboots.
I just hope the future apps made for wp8 will run on wp7.8 too. Overall I like the way where wp8 and w8rt (on tablets) and the windows live ecosystem is headed. I have my (big) doubts however on non-tough devices and w8.

For the love of all that's Holy WHEN are they going to introduce a phone backup!  I mean ALL of the phone, so you can do a factory reset and then restore.  I have had one complete Factory reset happen on my HD7 and I was rightfully P@##ed off that I had to manually re-install and re-configure everything.  There's no excuse for this.  Not EVERYTHING is saved to the Cloud!
grrrrrrrrr

Well im truly satisfied with this news. I can't complain about anything. I knew from the get go that current phone won't support much feature. At least they thought about us and say hey we can't forget about you guys so here's WP7.8 and that will hold me off until im due for an upgrade from ATT. I still love my lumia 900. By the time I upgrade there should be a bunch of cool new WP8 devices with all the good specs mentioned

Well we all knew Apollo was coming, its a new phone OS tbh, and is keeping up android and ios by having dual-core, multi-core and even 64 core. Also NFC. None of the 7.5 mango phones have these capabilities, so why are people so butthurt that they won'tbe getting this new OS? it would be like putting a bugatti engine in a camry. But Microsoft have given everything they can give into 7.8. I think thats very fair and is alot better then just mango forever. Im looking forward to having it on my Omnia 7!

Its a better update for old phones than I expected actually. I thought it was obvious that older phones wouldnt be able to run wp 8. Ive been holding on to my Focus and waiting (patiently?...well no) for wp8 before upgrading. Hopefully a Pureview phone will be in the first batch of wp8 phones or I will keep waiting and make do with 7.8 for a while.

Being the owner of a Lumia 900, I can understand why they went this route. Im still not happy about the soon to be sudden lack of app support as i rely on apps and love picking up new games. Though i dont feel bad because my Lumia was free. Everyone who bought a Lumia during the first month it was out got reinbursed by Nokia for that signal drop. So in that respect, getting a brand new phone that is still nice to use for free Im ok with 7.8. I just feel that the Lumia being so new is now a legacy device is kinda upsetting. Come Win Phone 8 time Ill see what i want to do.

I think it is fair and great. However, when might we see it?  Bigger questions, how about the Tango refresh as when asked about my HTC Radar phone, I can almost say it is a perfect experience. I cannot due to: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/winphone/forum/wp7-wppics/wp75-chooses-data-connection-over-wifi/9a618d7b-6ac9-4c43-8181-28482fb207b6

Will we also get the new browser with the 7.8 update?

I m happy that hv not bought new device.
So I will be waiting for the updates.
The question is when the updates will available?.

I'm in the acceptance phase now. I'm honestly thinking about just keeping my Lumia even though I just bought it and could return it. I love this phone and even if it will be running an old OS in the fall its still a tremendous phone. 

My wife and I both have Lumia 900's...
No disappointment here... I had an HTC Arrive prior to this and am more than happy with the Lumia 900 and it's improvements.
The 7.8 Update will get us by until our contract is up at which point Gen 2.5/3 devices will be coming to market and we will be ready to make the jump to much improved devices.
What makes this even easier is that I will have my Surface device to fill that void. :-P

Totally cool by me. I just want to make sure I'll have some kind of connectivity with windows 8. Like push to phone stuff.

Releasing WP7.8 for Lumia 900 and all other WP7 is much appreciated. Big THANKS to Microsoft and Nokia.

I've got mixed emotions (Tu)

This seems a fair and conscientious approach by MS. As someone who's been in from the start I'd say in satisfied (to be fair though, I might be singing a different tune if I'd just bought a L900). Will be curious to learn details of full extent / content of the 7.8 update. I'm really not convinced about the start screen changes (mainly loss of the gutter), even though I like the customisability & extra functions. May be a tough call for me whether to upgrade or not if 7.8 is primarily just the UI changes. Anyway fair play to you MS for the continued innovation - just don't forget the unique foundations of WP as you charge ahead. Onwards & upwards!

So glad i waited and didnt get a 900. it was rough.
 
so does that mean people will stop buying lumina's? does that also mean that the current lumina's price will drop like a brick? I still have my 2010 HTC WP, it might be worth getting a lumina for a few months until WP8 comes out.

I got my Titan (I) for 99 cents on the Saturday after Black Friday, and haven't looked back.  I'll take 7.8, and when I can I'll upgrade to the latest after Apollo has been on devices for a while.  And a PureView WP8 device sounds like it'll be great.
It happens on other platforms as others have pointed out.  My sister's original Galaxy S was the flagship at release, and now it barely works.  My old iPhone 4 was given to my oldest daughter as a glorified iPod touch, cause my wife wanted Siri.  My Titan's design is so elegantly simplistic, I'll probably pass it down to one of my younger girls once I ween them off our old beater 3GS fruit-phones they use for iPod Touches now as well.  They have to grow up sometime!

I see it this way: I jumped the gun early KNOWING WP8 was around the corner, but I wanted the Lumia 900. Is this still pretty bad? Yes it's disheartening and in some ways surprising, but I think people should wait and actually see what will and won't be supported at the time of release. To mention, if I'm so upset with what's happening with the current gen of devices, I'm more than sure that the low-end WP8 devices will be reasonable enough to buy off contract if I so badly want the WP8 full experience. But again, I'll wait and see what's all that is missing in 7.8 versus pouting and packing up my phone

Purchased my HTC TItan in December.
Not long after it was obsoleted by the HTC Titan II.
On the carrier side, AT&T has yet to release visual voicemail, and no OS updates, including a fix for the disappearing keyboard or a patch for the SMS security problem reported earlier this year.
... and now this.
I've enjoyed using the WP operating system, but the overall owner experience has been unacceptable in such a competitive market. I'm returning to Apple and will stay there permanently. iOS 6 will support the 3+ generation old 3GS; at least there I will not be abandoned 6 months into a new contract. Shame on Microsoft, HTC, and AT&T.
 

I think it's fair.

I knew that WP8 was coming when I bought my Lumia. I've had several months of a great phone, and with the 7.8 upgrade I'll be happy until my contract comes up for renewal. I wouldn't have missed out on my Lumia for anything.

I think we will continue to see apps and updates come out for the Windows 7.5 devices, at least long enough to hold me over until I can get a WP8. Besides, I'm pretty doggone happy with the apps I have. Oh - and happy with Words with Friends and Draw Something coming out for WP soon. They talked about those during the "Legacy" section of the program, so I'm pretty sure that it'll run on my phone.

I know Win 8 devices are coming out; I knew that when I bought my Samsung Series 7 Slate, and I'm going to put Win 8 on it and I won't be sorry I bought that either.

I'm ok with this, I think Microsoft aren't leaving us behind...it's fine

Goodbye WP, goodbye MS. Definitely won't buy a new WP8 device just to find out that WP9 or new apps will not run it in less than one year time. Will moving to an eco system which has a roadmap that doesn't change every two minutes.

I've got a DVP. So I knew that Windows 8 would be a no go upgrade for me. To have Windows 7.8 as an alternative is all good for me. I'm sure the ones who have bought new WP7s within the past 6 months may feel robbed. However, this is the industry. All the other os's do the same. At least there is something....

I want it all of course, but I'm very satisfied with my purchase of the l900 the way it is, so all updates and new apps just adds to my happiness. Thanks yall!

Just now i shifted to android again.this stupid ms provide benefit only new customers it doesn't care about old one's.in our 7.5mango no pure multitasking is there.it is a waste os.if we buy apollo also with in less time they provide another 9 version.apps wil not perform background in this stupid mango.android is far better than this ms.

I am already feeling regret of supporting MS

I am already feeling regret of supporting MS

Will Zune be removed with WP 7.8?

3GS will run iOS 6, that's been on the market for 3+ years.
 
'nuff said.

Microsoft made a huge marketing blunder.  They should have told people they were receiving Windows 8, but that all features would not be accessible due to hardware limitations.  Why call it Windows 7.8? 

I'm excited for 7.8. It will make my phone seem new again. I knew there would be a really good chance that WP8 wouldn't be available for my HTC Trophy considering all the new tech the new OS is bringing. I think offering the 7.8 upgrade for legacy phones is a great solution for us ealry adopters and shows MS does have us in mind. Heck, they could have offered nothing and left us high and dry.
Two thumbs up for MS!

Это полная шляпа!Зачем надо было парить мозги об апгрейде до 8 при продаже 900 нокии.Уроды!

I wish people would stop complaining about what their phones only being upgradeable to WP 7.8. I was a little upset for Lumia 900 owners (I still have my HD7) at first but then I realized that there are hundreds of features that MS has yet to unveil that will probably make it into WP 7.8. The only limitations are hardware so far. So Xbox music, Xbox Smart Glass, new messaging and email abilities, new people hub functions, new marketplace abilities, picture hub, etc. may all be included in your update. MS hasn't even announce all the changes they've made. From NODO to MANGO was about 500 updated features. Why should this be anything different? What we saw at the summit yesterday was geared more towards developers than consumers. The big "feature unveiling" will come soon and with it, the knowledge as to what 7.8 will include. If your Lumia 900 doesn't have certain features, its only because it requires the newest hardware to run the latest OS. Give it a chance.

I'm not reading all the hundreds of replies, but only saw ONE person mention this so far - 
 
This is all very well, but AT&T has already skipped the 8107 update, AND stated they will NOT be providing any more updates to legacy devices such as the Samsung Focus etc. So this whole thing is moot. No matter MSFT is putting out 7.8 - if your carrier can't be f***ing bothered to action the update, you aren't getting it anyway. This whole discussion is pointless. 
 
Already absolutely committed to leaving AT&T as soon as the contracts expire. They are way more expensive than the competition, their customer service is awful, they have no interest in their customers past the initial purchase/contract, and clearly favor iFluff devices over WP and always have. And now because it effectively prohibits them from selling me another device right away, something I don't want or need, they're going to keep a useful update from me AGAIN. 
 
 

I'm glad MS hasn't forgotten the 1st generation users. I'm quite happy with the 7.8 idea. If I needed the the full WP8 OS I would buy the new ones.

Anyone that doesn't get that WP8 is a whole different OS, should do some more reading.

MS simply can't keep developing 2 OSes at the same time. They needed to move to a Win NT  Kernel now because they're trying to unify PC / Tabs / Phone apps.
That's brilliant if you ask me!
So stop complaining, and read to understand what's happening..
 
Now there's something that I can't seem to find an answer to anywhere..

If the WP7 "gap" on the right is gone, is the app list still accessible with a swipe to the the left??
anyone know anything about that?

Makes no difference to me. I will Love it on the Nokia Lumia 900 but was going to get one of their new Windows Phone 8 phones regardless. 

Hi all,
I'm excited by the recent announcement coming out of MS. WP8 and W8 are welcome additions to this user. I am a user that purchased an HTC HD 7 the day it came out. I'd love a full upgrade to WP8 so I'm slightly disappointed but still very happy with my current phone and its performance.
I realize my device may not support WP8 in its current form and I look forward to getting the new Start Screen. Hopefully we will see other features such as the wallet that, minus the use of NFC could centralize some of my current finance and reward card app or even transmit data by current means. In addition, I hope some of the popular titles will still arrive on the older phones. Based on past experiences I am probably 18 - 2 years away from upgrading. But then, perhaps somehow, "fortune" will find me and damage will come to my phone. In that case, I'll definitely upgrade sooner.
Have they confirmed that 7.8 only gets a new start screen? There are absolutely no new features? There is no cut and paste? There is no MS Wallet of any sort? No browser upgrade?

Common people, what is all the bitching about not getting wp8 update! Do cars get replaced when a new model of an exciting car is updated to a new model? Does android update all of their exciting phones to 4.0? Will Samsung replace my 60inch 3D LED TV with the new model next year or update it with their new software? I doubt it! Is a natural cycle, new ones get build and old one get replaced by the new ones, common, stop crying and buy a new phone when it comes out if not than get the latest greatest phone now and the heck with wp8 update. Lets not forget that MSF has been around for a long time and has been making more money than all of us here put together. If this move is to fail, they don’t really care as all of their other products drive the company to higher and higher levels. Also, at the end of the day MSF just buys Nokia and uses its patents to make ever more money, MSF will make money. Don’t get me wrong, I love wp7 and it would have been great to get the wp8 into my Nokia but I get it, its just not compatible. WP7 is beautiful and I will buy a new one in December and that is that

Very unsatisfied

I'm actually a LONG time Apple Mac user. Never thought I'd be excited about a Windows product, but I actually love the start screen on 7.8!
Coming to the WinMo game kinda late, I'm cool with having the new upgrade, cause 7 and 7.5 were a bit anemic. Just bought the Focus with the 32Gb Sandisc so we'll see how happy I am in a few months.

So this will run on my Lumia 710?

I recently bought a HTC Titan II and really want to like the WP operating system, but it is only a toy. The OS is not reasonably open to third party developement so you are pigeon holed into the little locked down marketplace. The Office 365 and SkyDrive have a very long way to go and should only be an option not a requirement for accessing files. Cellular service is to spotty and unreliable to not have your files stored locally on the device or only accessible through the Zune software rather than being able to use it like a flash drive. I really want to like this WP, but it is just a toy with Facebook, XBox being a high priority, no VPN support, the locked down carrier butt kissing design and limited avenues for allowing third parties to build on it. Based upon my present experience with WP7.5 I might have to consider a Android Desktop OS if this is a sign of things to come from Microsoft.

Where is the update we were promised this month?  Why announce release dates you can't live up to.  Just one more misrepresentation from MS