14 DAY TRIAL // Windows Phone fans will be happy to know that Microsoft has just confirmed that it will continue to support those who have purchased Windows Phone 8 devices.
In a recent interview for ComputerWorld, Windows Phone PR for Windows Phone, Greg Sullivan, said that all Windows Phone 8 devices would be upgradeable to 8.1 as long as the carrier agreed to offer the update.
“We will not have the same experience as we had when Windows Phone 7 was upgraded to Windows Phone 8,” said Sullivan. Microsoft’s rep also confirmed the company will launch several smartphone under the Nokia brand: “We will have the license for the Nokia name.”
As most of Windows Phone enthusiasts know, Microsoft has a policy of supporting Windows Phone devices for 36 months, after which they will not receive any major software updates.
However, that’s a pretty long time and those who wish to stay up to date with the latest technologies in the smartphone market will certainly switch to a newer device much earlier than their own gets discontinued.
Although Microsoft has yet to announce when exactly it will launch the highly anticipated Windows Phone 8.1 operating system, the company has confirmed that Nokia Lumia 1020 and Lumia 520 will certainly receive the update.
Obviously, given Sullivan’s assertion on the distribution of Windows Phone 8.1, we can safely assume that all Windows Phone 8 handsets now available on the market will be upgradeable and will receive the update at some point.
The only issue that Windows Phone fans might encounter is the carrier not wanting to release the update for various reasons, more or less entitled.
Last but not least, it’s also worth highlighting that those who still own Windows Phone 7.5 devices won’t receive the Windows Phone 8.1 update through official channels. This means that it’s either time to switch to a newer device or hope that an unofficial build will be available at some point.