14 DAY TRIAL // It looks like Microsoft is trying to control the fragmentation issue that currently plagues Google’s Android operating system. Although Windows Phone is far behind in the matter of fragmentation, Microsoft wants to be sure it will never come to that.
The company announced two important changes that would affect Windows Phone enthusiasts starting today and the next few weeks.
Firstly, Microsoft decided to remove the option to purchase Windows Phone applications from the Zune PC software.
This decision affects all those who own a Windows Phone device, and is not necessarily a positive one as many have been using the desktop software to download larger apps.
However, the second decision will only affect those who have yet to update their smartphones to Windows Phone 7.5 Mango.
Microsoft confirmed that it would soon close the option to shop for applications in the Marketplace to all Windows Phone 7 devices.
According to the company, those who have not updated to Windows Phone 7.5 Mango yet won’t be able to download and install an application through Windows Phone Marketplace. Moreover, they won’t even be able to update an application already installed on their devices.
While Windows Phone 7, users will still be able to browse the Marketplace in search for apps, they will get an error message in case they are trying to install an app or game, or update one already installed.
The reasons behind Microsoft’s decisions are further explained by the company's officials: “Marketplace is growing fast. It now has over 80,000 apps overall and is available in 54 (soon to be 63) countries around the world. Requiring Windows Phone 7.5 is part of a larger effort aimed at improving Marketplace performance and security, and paving the way for even faster growth and more new features.”
Keep in mind that it will take around one hour to update to Windows Phone 7.5 Mango, so make sure to check Microsoft’s guide on how to update a smartphone to the latest version of Windows Phone.