Windows Phone 8.1 is already in manufacturers’ hands, new devices due late April









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One of the worst sitcoms I've ever seen come out of the US, it could barely make me smile. I guess we have nothing in common. ;)

That's what I was saying yesterday... I've been thinking that since day one with WP7.0... We're getting closer to that.

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Daniel what about countries like India where phones are carrier neutral ? It depends on nokia/htc etc here, regarding when the firmware is launched. When is that expected then ? Would it be when nokia finishes the firmware, by june/july maybe ?

Bro you will recevie the update in late May or early June depending on your device. Better go for Developer Preview program if you know how to do it.

Dev preview has some disadvantages
A) warranty gets void (main reason, i dont change phones every 6 months, that's why I'm on nokia)
B) no firmware update
C) some bugs are present
D) people have experienced some issues after updating from Dev preview to black, issues which were not experienced by direct black update.
That's why i don't want dev preview.

Exactly how is Apple able to bypass carrier for OS updates?? Why can't MS do the same for their windows phones.. At least should do it for Nokia if not anyone else.

All to do with its massive popularity. Because everyone (sheep related) and their Gran thinks it's the best, Apple can set the rules rather than the carriers, same with pricing etc. Thankfully this power is starting to fade but WP as no where near that pulling power unfortunately.

This late April talk is really depressing. I know MS never committed to a date but if they plan to reveal it on the 2nd then they should have it all ready to go at most a few days after. Like Apple does most of the time. I mean if Apple can why can't MS? All this talk of mobile equality and apps being on all platforms this is where it has to start! I'm still hoping MS surprises us and releases everything on the 2nd...

No matter what Apple does, the iFans would still line up to buy the latest and "greatest". Not so with Microsoft, that's why they need to be strategic with their moves. Which means, they first have to wait for the new handsets to start selling in the market before releaseing the update to existing phones. Otherwise, the new handsets will end up gathering dust in the shelves.

But can't wait for the 930 - the anticipation is like a pain in the gut!!! I'm also excited to see the WP8.1 version of the HTC One (M8) - how will they call it, the HTC 8.1X?

Because of the iPhone's popularity. If the carriers want to have iPhones they have to play by Apple's rules.

They kinda did. Their other power source came from the fact it was among the first popular smartphones wuith touch screen and apps. Because of the popularity it starteted to gather is that Google went and bought Android. I hate how Apple gets to manage the US market. However, I'm sure sooner or later they will decline exactly like they did long time ago.

cause apple does not change his hardware by one millimeter for carrier needs, and since it's apple they can do what they want. The costumers expect a certain user experience and (you can admire them on that ) they are not willing to compromise.

Main reason is that iPhones are same regardless of the carrier they are on. But for wp, each carrier modifies the Lumia a bit, and then each has to adapt the firmware to its phone. Not with iPhone.

How are you "feeling it"? It is ANOTHER 30 days of wait. Ugh. Just when I thought, if Office for iPad can be available same day as announcement, surely WP8.1 dev preview at least can be available same day. Oh wait, same week? No may be same month. Ugh, Microsoft.

Get tha f*ck outta here! Microsoft has delivered.....the update has been released to manufacturers! What you jumping their *sees? They cannot force the carriers to prioritize over apple if the carrier doesn't want to. I'll bet if new devices come out, the ones at the Microsoft store will probably have the update

Have you ever heard of "patience wearing thin"? I have and me and alot of people are getting to that stage now from the tiring wait. :|

Hang on. WP8 out in October 2012. I jumped onboard in May. Two updates including Amber and Black firmware. Now another substantial update, first of 2 rumored for 2014, then WP9 due 4Q or 1Q 2015.
Your impatience with updates to software or new devices? Sounds like the WP devices field to get crowded soon. And since I dumped AT&T firmware in September, I will not be chomping at the bit quite yet.

I just think it all stems back from when this update was supposed to supposed to originally be released (which was I think supposed to be last Fall to coincide with the release of Windows 8.1, both of which were codenamed Blue). So we're at least 4 months removed from that and a year and a half removed from WP8 being released.....one could see how the impatience is hard to avoid.

I'm looking forward to it still and hoping that it doesn't take longer than the week that Daniel originally mentioned in his tweet about it getting delayed, but we'll see.

so nuclax, you've been here since January of this year and made 103 comments with ZERO likes or thanks....

that says a lot

let's take care of that for you...

(it's only forum posts that can be liked or thanked, and you haven't been posting in the forum much, and he hasn't at all)


I'm not so active here true but I'm overly active in WMPoweruser to the extent that Android and iPhone fans call me the derogatory word Microdick (you know for Microsoft fan?) over there. But I'm proud to be a WP fan. I came from Android although I don't hate it, I just happen to love WP more.

By the way, I also do there what you're doing here. I trace people's comments to ferret out the trolls from those with legitimate grievances

I've hardly spent any time at WMPoweruser, I'll have to take a look over there.

That name is rather unfortunate, but it's good to meet another fan.  I certainly love Windows Phone.  Oh for sure there's stuff that's missing or needs to be fixed, but it is so much more stable than the versions of Android that I was running (Eclair and Froyo) back when I had an Android.   So I am definitely a fan and it's good to meet another fan...

+925. Yeah I'm fed up too of waiting for another Windows Phone upgrade from Nokia. I'll pass the L930 'cos of the 4.5" screen size. Hopefully the Goldfinger is 5"+.


Um, no ultimately it's how fast Microsoft gets the update to the carriers that will determine how long it will take. Every day Microsoft delays handing the code to the carriers adds more days before we see it on our Microsoft Windows Phones.

You don't know what you are talking about. I work for a carrier. Carriers don't receive the code. Never have, probably never will. MS hands the compiled OS (not the code) to the OEMs. The OEMs install the OS and optionally add their own firmware updates. All of that is then handed over to the carriers for testing.

so at what point does the carrier ad their crapware?   It's not the OEM that adds the carrier crap is it?  


Good point! But he works for a carrier so his comment is biased. It stands more to reason that if a phone is going exclusive on a particular carrier, the OS should already have the carrier "crapware" added to the OS before it gets installed in that particular phone.

Sometimes they take out little features.. Datasense..or cortana for example.
(I am still mad at att for delaying amber and the removal of data sense)

Me too. I've been waiting since December. My 820 broke (I shattered the screen) so I've been using an old Samsung Focus 2... with WP7.5. Can't wait to upgrade to the 930. Hope it's beautiful device. :) 

BTW, does anyone know how much it costs to get a new screen on an 820?

Thanks. But I wouldn't know how to install it.  Not sure if it's even worth repairing.  I could probably just buy a 520 off-contract for the same price, right?

May the lords in heaven listen to thy preach, because exactly at the end of April I will be in the land of the cheap electronics (US). Me wants the digievolution to my 920. :)

Me too! I love how the picture's static and the tiles glide over! Literally looks like you looking through 'windows'!

It occurred to me to take a picture on my empty hand as if ibas holding the phone, then use it as the tile backgrounds so it looks like I'm looking through the phone. I know probably not the only person to think of this...

I'm going to do some sort of cyberpunk-circuitry thing. Would look like I can see inside my phone.

I wish we could set it to the camera...

I'm hoping WPC will have a contest for the most clever uses of this new feature so we can all benefit from the cleverness and creativity of it's members.

I can wait and happily will. No major improvements here for me and I am happy with the 1020 as it is. I am, however, looking forward to seeing how the rollout goes as I'm sure I will upgrade at some point just to keep current.

Improvements to Nokia Drive+ is what I really want the most. Traffic rerouting is all I need! They should talk to the Bing Maps team that implemented this feature in 2009.

Daebak means awesome or a big success in korean... saving the time of ppl who were gonna bing/google it...

Just noticed that i asked a stupid question, i wanted to say is that a 920 you have with WP8.1, as do you guys at wpc have it? I think the answer is yes.
And yeah just noticed it is a 1020. :p

Ot technically isn't delayed since MS never said it would be available on 2 April. We all just assumed/hoped it would be. I'm still hoping MS surprises us and makes the dev preview available within a day or two of the presentation, but I'm not holding my breath for it.

This rumour of 2nd April that we might get the update became so much true that we all were anxious . Hope this rumour might be heard my Microsoft too so that they can surprise us.

The 920 doesn't need a replacement. It's a all around awesome phone and will have 8.1 on it and run just fine. No need to replace unless yours is broke or something.

I absolutely love the 920 and there really isn't anything I'd change. But I'd very much welcome an AMOLED 1920x1080 display.

Yeahhh! :( if you go to any phone shop that has a 1020 on display you'll notice the burn in is terribly severe! It makes customers think ok well I'm not getting this one if the screen does that! You can see the text from the demo app heavily burnt in, it makes it look seriously low quality. Why have I not seen Samsung phones do this? I'd rather an amoled but with the burn in I'd rather not, my 925 also has the issue and you can see the outline of the appbar buttons permanently and the screen colours are uneven and it flickers as you scroll :(

I love my 928 and the AMOLED screen. Since those don't show up in any legitimate usability condition, they don't bother me. 


Also, 920 is a great phone, but it's behind the curve nowadays. It needs a new SoC, and a slightly updated camera badly to stay ahead of the curve, and a new display wouldn't hurt either. There's a reason they released the Icon and the 930 :P

I find the camera good for me. Obviously its and "outdated" phone in terms of technology and how fast things move along nowadays but it will handle 8.1 with ease and do the job for me until it shits out on me one day lol. I agree with you though.

The camera trumps my girlfriends S4, so I'm pretty happy with it for the most part, sure having something like the 1020/1520/Z2/etc is going to well and truly trump it but for its age it still holds up pretty well.

Where do you see black spots exactly? Is it on a picture, app, video? I have a Super Amoled phone, had a Oled Vita, but don't know what you guys are talking about. I'm curious.

Every AMOLED screen I've used has black blotches when the screen goes dark (but is still on). The worst is probably the Vita but it happened with my Lumia 900 too.

I do know what you're talking about. It's a non issue really. That's like a split second thing. I remember that on the Vita. Haven't seen it on my phone though. Once you're in an app it goes back to those deep blacks.

Indeed, but still nokia needs a 5ish inch device with the new snapdragon thinner with 1080p for att to replace the segment of the 920

2 words for ya, guitarist.... HiDef Screen.
No, three words... Or is it two?? Hmmmmm...

Either way, that is what I have been holding out for- a hi def screen (3 words?) on a 5" or there about screen. That is what emwe need when replacing a 920.... Or 900.

Lousy camera. So much dust under the proximity sensor and the FFC that I often can't hang up calls, and I really can't ever Skype. Weighs a ton and is really thick. Battery life is really poor...although on random days can actually be awesome (so software bug?).

There is /plenty/ to improve.

920's camera is good, but a bit outdated and no match to the one on the 1520 and icon, and obviously really far from the 1020

The 920 camera is not just dated.  It was not good when it came out.  It is not just my phone, as my phone is exactly the same as your phone because they are mass produced to exacting standards.  And by the way, I have three 920s in the family and they all take exactly the same shots.  Furthermore, when they do take their crappy shots, they are so slow.  My wife's 8X can take like four pictures in the time it takes (any of) my 920 to take one.

Check out this comparison of the 920 vs. some of its contemporaries, and even a device from several years earlier: http://allaboutwindowsphone.com/features/item/17055_The_big_shootout_Nok...

Obvously, the 920's not going to beat the 808, which remains the reigning champ (better even than the L1020). But you'd think it could hold it's own against the N95 from 2007.  It can't:

Nokia 808 PureView (running Symbian): 53 pts

HTC One (running Android): 37 pts

Nokia N95 (running Symbian S60 from 2007): 36 pts

Nokia Lumia 920 (running Windows Phone): 30 pts

Nah man the few I've owned ALL have had excellent cameras. They all take great pics and take them in a timely manner. I don't believe any of that bogus crap you just posted for a second. No shit they are all produced to "exact standards" but nothing is ever perfect. Flaws happen with anything and that included hardware. Anymore bogus excuses for you shitty experiences with the 920?

No, they didn't. Your pictures were mediocre. Sorry to burst your bubble.

Buy I am sincerely glad that you think your phone is perfect. That must be nice for you. Not sarcasm.

I consider the 920 to be a mixed bag. I love how durable it has proven to be. I like the styling. And I still think WP OS is a pleasure to use as long as you stay within its somewhat smothering confines. That said, the phone could clearly be thinner and lighter, the camera needs marked improvement, the dust issue is a serious one, and WP is horribly, horribly behind the features curve WRT the market leader, Android.

Thus, I hope to see substantial improvement in future iterations of both hardware and software. I am also not willing to wait much longer for these things to happen.

Ask around and browse through forums here and on other sites. You'll find that alot of people got junk 920's at first and they sent them into Nokia and got replacements.

My 920 takes great photos. I take lousy photos by often assuming my 920 can take better photos than conditions or my ability allowed. Tain't perfect. And while I am toying with picking up a 1020 as prices for unlocked phones drop (how I grabbed this phone) the Icon seems in my zone. So hoping one of those new devices is an international version.

well, we know who made the camera tech in windows phone......nokia, but it is not good to speak against the Finns beloved Nokia in this forum. you moight get your head cut off.

I've been on this site since it was dedicated to Windows Mobile.  The important thing is to be honest, not coy.

There used to be lots to like about WP, but then MS essentially abandoned it and left it to wallow since Mango (sorry, but WP 8 wasn't really an upgrade).  The feature gap between Android and WP hasn't gotten smaller since WP launched a few years ago, it's gotten larger.  And the devices that it runs on are all lacking in some way or another.

WP needs a serious kick in the pants to become relevant.

Same here. Taking awesome pictures. Front camera is unusable though because of dust, but that's my only complaint. Best phone I have owned.

Well that sucks but I've owned a couple 920's since they released due to me not being able to make up my damn mind on what phone I wanted but the ones I've owned have never had any issues with lousy cameras or dust in the lenses. There are shitty 920's out there because I've seen them myself but that's when you would need to send it in and get a replacement and that was back when they first were released.

See, I have a buttload of dust under the front camera, but for the purposes of video calling it still works perfectly fine, people can still easily see me, it just seems to give a brownish tinge to the picture, which is kinda cool for the instagram crowd. That being said, if they have managed to fix this in later phones I am all for it as it does make my phone look messy.

I'm not sure honestly. I think the dust issue can just happen if it works its way in. I guess it would depend on various things such as if you are outdoors alot or have an outdoor type job or something like that. All I know is that I've never had an issue with dust or anything like that. Could be a "luck of the draw" type thing.

The dust went inside through the very small vents above the FFC & prox sensor. Those vents are there to prevent moisture build up. But 1st few batches of 920 don't have the foam behind the vents to filter dust. Later batches have filter and it's not a problem anymore. Btw, I use compressed air duster to blow the dust out. Not a big deal.

If you'd actually read the article, it states that there is not a set date known right now. In other words, no. No one can tell you.

You could just make an app studio account to get the developer preview. Takes no time, costs nothing. Still no date other than late April, but you will still get it a hell of a lot quicker than you would by waiting for your carrier.

I have mobile as well. WiFi calling, if I'm right, is a tmobile thing. Its nice in low signal places, like my lead bunker of an apartment last year, but it screws with my data. If its on in conjunction with data, I can't open any mms messages so I just shut it off completely.

Does that mean that the OS Version we will find on new 8.1 phones will be exactly the same as the one in the preview??

true. We had Amber, and now Black. Maybe next update could be Lumina Cherry? Or maybe theyll stay in the B's and use Lumina Blue. All speculation.

I doubt they'll call the next update that. Just like they didn't name the last update Bittersweet shimmer. They could name is Blue, or maybe Cherry, if they continue on if aphabetical order. Or they could name is something else. All speculation.

Should I dump my Nokia Lumia 920 for a new Lumia wp8.1 device or just wait for the next version of iphone with a bigger screen and some revolutionary feature?

The last time a new version of the iPhone had a revolutionary feature was 2007, so you'll likely be waiting a long, long time. I'd get a Windows Phone 8.1 instead. Fresh.

The "revolutionary" feature will be the bigger screen. Because Apple just invented them and noone has ever had a screen > 4" :P