Windows Phone developer backtracks over Apollo update claims

class=’ ‘>Windows Phone developer backtracks over Apollo update claims

Paul Briden

Claims that current Windows Phone handsets will be updated to Apollo are retracted by developer

Published on Apr 19, 2012

Nuno Silva, the Windows Phone developer ‘evangelist’ who claimed all current Windows Phone handsets would be making the jump to Windows Phone 8 Apollo at its launch later this year, has retracted his statement.

Silva has now said on his blog that in trying to make it clear that existing apps would be compatible with Windows Phone 8.

‘The point I was attempting to make was simply that existing Windows Phone applications will run on the next version of Windows Phone. This is the same guidance that Microsoft shared late last year.

I mistakenly confused app compatibility with phone updateability, which caused the rumors we saw yesterday.  I did not intend to give the impression I was offering new guidance on any products under development or their upgradeability.’

Microsoft still hasn’t clarified further on the issue, but with Silva’s retraction much of the evidence suggests that all current Windows Phones won’t be seeing Apollo and it will only be available on phones which launch with it already installed.

This is, sadly, at odds with what many expected of Microsoft, that it would avoid Android’s platform fragmentation and follow Apple’s example with iOS being the same across all devices.

The only silver lining is that Windows Phone 7 will still be viable thanks to app compatibility, but current Windows Phone users won’t be getting all the flashy new features and capabilities.

knowyourmobile.com