Current crop of Windows Phone 7.5 smartphones apparently won’t get upgraded to the next version of Windows Phone 8 codenamed Apollo. The Verge citing its sources, claims that Microsoft has no upgrade path from Mango to Apollo. Microsoft has so far stayed mum on the matter, only stating that current apps will work on the next Windows Phone upgrade. Also Read - Samsung Omnia M now available for Rs 15,900
Eldar Murtazin, the editor of Mobile Review and who usually knows it all, also claims that current devices won’t get upgraded to Apollo but will instead get some sort of a feature pack with some Apollo elements. Also Read - Samsung launches the Omnia M Windows Phone
@verge they have Apollo style update in pipeline for wp7 (ui, some apps, tweaks). But it isn’t Apollo. People will like it I think Also Read - OEMs plead Microsoft to allow customization of Windows Phone 8 UI: Report
— Eldar Murtazin (@eldarmurtazin) April 18, 2012
If that is indeed the truth, it does not bode well for Nokia and its Lumia series of smartphones, especially the Lumia 900 that has just been launched in the US and its success will be crucial for Nokia’s attempts to win back some market share in the elusive country.
On the one hand we hope this isn’t the case and all current smartphones will get upgraded to Windows Phone 8 Apollo but on the other, if they are not compatible, it would mean the new variant would be a significant update, which should be a good thing for the evolution of the platform.
