Last month, Microsoft announced that all existing WP7.5 devices will be getting the WP7.8 update instead of WP8. This announcement rightly angered a lot of users, since the redmond based company did not announce what all features WP7.8 will bring to current gen WP handsets.
The folks over at WP7Forum have received information from their sources about what all features WP7.8 will be bringing to existing WP7 handsets. While Skype, Data Smart, OTA updates and Visual voicemail will all be tightly integrated in WP8, they will all be present as a separate application in WP7.8. IE10 will remain exclusive to WP8 handsets, while the enhanced Voice Commands and Bingo Audio features will not make it to WP7.8.
On the other hand, the folks over at WPDang have learnt that Microsoft has still not decided as to what all features to include in WP7.8. Their source also tipped that WP7.8 will be rolled out only after WP8 is officially released.
What do you mean, “rightly angered”? That’s just ridiculous. Anyone who actually understands hardware and operating systems–particularly Windows Phone–should not have been surprised at all that Windows Phone 8 would not make it to our legacy devices. I’m am frequently amazed at the ignorance of so-called tech-savvy people. I bought my Lumia 900 KNOWING I’d never see Windows Phone 8 on it. And, as things stand, I do NOT like the new start screen, so I may choose to not install 7.8 anyway.